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36 Hudson Valley Parent n December 2018 Certified placenta encapsulation specialists pick up placentas from a mother's home or the hospital after birth, and then steam, dehydrate, and grind them up, and place them into capsules. Typically, pills are ingested throughout the birthing parent's postpartum period. Courtney Durfee, RN, doula, certified lactation consultant, placenta services provider (PSP), and founder of Hudson Valley Placenta Services, explains the two methods PSPs use for encapsulation. "With the more common, traditional method the placenta is steamed before dehydration. With the raw method, the placenta is not steamed at all." Durfee adds, "Food research shows that cooking, such as the steaming of the traditional method, makes certain nutrients more bioavailable so that is the method I tend to prefer." In addition to encapsulation, there are various, less common methods of placenta consumption. Alternatives to pills include blended smoothies, incorporating placenta into recipes and meals (there are even By JILL VALENTINO E rica Chase-Salerno of New Paltz was the first person I knew who consumed her placenta post-childbirth. Chase-Salerno vividly recalls her first week mothering baby Quinn back in 2006, which she spent primarily in bed snuggling her newborn. Next to a bowl containing her placenta. Throughout the first days of motherhood, Chase-Salerno consumed pieces of her daughter's raw placenta. Chase-Salerno states, "I swallowed a piece of it whole, thankful that the ordeal was over," and adds with an air of finality, "And that was it." A little over a decade later, moms who choose to practice placentophagy (the act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth) have other methods that are more popular. Pass the placenta Modern-day moms-to-be often seek out professional placenta encapsulation services to assist them. cookbooks you can buy), and for the more upscale, placenta truffles! Placenta tinctures can also be prepared, and typically contain a raw placenta piece submerged in vodka, which reportedly can ease many symptoms of distress. Moms reap the benefits of placenta consumption Currently, demand for placenta encapsulation services are on the rise. Celebrity moms like Chrissy Teigen, January Jones and Kim Kardashian have spoken openly about having positive postpartum experiences due to placenta pills. Their influence likely bears some of the responsibility for the uptick in popularity. However, the proposed benefits of consuming placenta are also incredi- bly motivating by themselves. Bambi- ni Pediatrics nurse practitioner Sarah Sercombe, CPNP-BC, cites commonly reported benefits of placentophagy as follows: decreased risk of postpartum depression, increased iron stores, increased milk supply and improved energy. Get the scoop on placentophagy Moms share their postpartum stories Kingston mom Julia Shober (second from right) had a rough time after the birth of her second child. She gave placentophagy a try after she gave birth to her third son and felt less depleted.