A Note On the Research
Placenta encapsulation is a traditional practice with a long history in postpartum care across many cultures. Some of the benefits families describe are supported by ongoing research — but these benefits have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA or the U.S. government.
This is not a medical treatment, and results vary from person to person.
Whether encapsulation is right for you is entirely your decision. I’m happy to talk through it, but I’d also encourage you to do your own reading.
Evidence Based Birth has a great article on the research — read it here.
What is Placenta Encapsulation?
During pregnancy, your body grows the placenta to nourish your baby. After birth, some families choose to have it prepared into capsules rather than discarding it — a practice rooted in traditional postpartum care across many cultures, used for generations.
The process: the placenta is rinsed and prepped in a clean, food-safe workspace, then either left unsteamed (non-traditional method) or steamed with lemon, ginger, and jalapeño (TCM method), dehydrated at 160°F for 18–24 hours, ground into a fine powder, and filled into capsules. Everything is returned to you within 2–4 days of pickup.
What Families Say
Placenta encapsulation isn’t a treatment, and I won’t tell you it’s guaranteed to do anything. What I can tell you is that many families I’ve worked with — and many more across a long tradition of postpartum care — describe it as genuinely helpful during the weeks that can feel most overwhelming.
What families most often tell me they notice:
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Energy that feels steadier in those first two weeks, when depletion tends to peak
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Fewer emotional swings as hormones shift after birth
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A general sense of feeling more like themselves sooner than they expected
These are anecdotal. Every experience is different, and the research is still developing. But for a lot of families, it’s one less thing to worry about in a season that already asks so much.
Encapsulation is compatible with any birth — vaginal, cesarean, or induced.
It’s also possible with a GBS-positive result, though the TCM method is encouraged.
Meet Jerika | Knoxville & Maryville
Birth & Postpartum Doula
I’m Jerika — a birth and postpartum doula, offering childbirth education and placenta encapsulation since 2020. Serving Knoxville, Maryville, and East Tennessee.
I started offering placenta encapsulation in 2021 and have handled every placenta since with the same care I’d want for my own family. I’m not here to push you toward a decision — I’m here to make sure you have the information to make the right one for yourself.
Alongside Daisy Doula Services, I spent over two years training alongside homebirth midwives, which gave me a ground-level understanding of what postpartum support actually looks like and what happens when families don’t have it.
My job isn’t to replace your medical team. It’s to make sure nothing falls through the cracks during one of the most important seasons of your family’s life.
