Well, I finally did it. When I first came across the notion that reabsorbing the placenta is really good for new mothers; a source of strength, replenishment, and prevention for postpartum depression, I thought it was awesome, and wanted to try encapsulating one! This week, that opportunity finally came. My friend had a baby, and yesterday morning I took her triple-bagged placenta in an ice chest home and processed it for her. Don't worry, I won't show you a picture, because I didn't get her consent for that. But, at least one side of the placenta is really beautiful. It's best to hold it with that side up. 
The basic process was to "massage" it (with plastic gloves on!) under running water for a long time until I could get as much blood out of it as possible. It was kind of neat seeing the veinwork and the way that pressing on these veins pushed blood to the cord. This was the most challenging part. Once that was done, I sliced it into strips and steamed it for 20 minutes over lemons, a jalapeno, and peeled ginger. The lemons were a nice way to cover any odor that might have otherwise been detectable.There was little of that, though.
It looked quite different when it was done steaming, like beef but less dense. Then, I sliced it even thinner (aiming for 1/4 inch) and put it on my parchment-lined dehydrator for about 9 hours. Then I ground it up, which was surprisingly difficult. I first used the food processor and then the Blendtec, although not all of it was as finely ground as I'd hoped.
Initially, I didn't know what it would be like to handle a human organ in this manner--I have a strong gag reflex. But, it was no big deal at all. In fact, it felt kind of sacred. Encountering blood is a fact of life for all women, and the reality of what I was holding was hard to actually grasp. Although, I am not sure I would want to do this for someone unless I personally cared about them.
Finished capsules. I would guess it made about 150.
0 comments:
Post a Comment