The Placenta

We are thrilled to announce that Janice is in the midst of her Placenta Encapsulation Specialist training, and will be adding this incredible service to her doula work in January 2017!

The placenta: best friend to your baby for 9 months, the transient organ you miraculously grew to support life, the main ingredient in pills you ingest postpartum?!

It might be an odd thought when you consider placenta encapsulation - even I admit I was grossed out by a friend years ago who got hers done – shhhhhhh BUT I’ve seen many dogs and cats birth their babies and eat their placentas and kind of thought ‘well, they do it’… Ingesting your placenta is now a growing trend, even celebrities are doing it!

After my experience postpartum, maybe ingesting my placenta would have helped my body level out hormone levels, prevent the hives that came up and make my milk not take 5 days to come in. 

Maybe. But would I pay someone to come into my home, prepare my placenta, dehydrate it, grind it and put it into capsules for me to take IF it meant I never had to go through that? YES! A resounding yes. So if you think it is trendy or healthy or natural, whatever your take on the process, would you consider it to as a preventative measure for a known health issue?

There is not a lot of research behind placenta encapsulation and should be noted that much of the information online comes entirely from women who have tried it themselves. Traditionally the pills are taken by the mother shortly after birth and can be stored to take when your menstrual cycle returns. Also it can be made into a tincture for help with menopause symptoms.

Among these possible health benefits are:

• Increased oxytocin levels
  • helps the uterus return to normal size
  • decreased postpartum bleeding
  • encourages mother/baby bonding
• Increased CRH, a stress reducing hormone
• Increased milk production
• Increased energy levels
• Decreased in post-partum depression and anxiety
• Decreased insomnia or sleep disorders
• Balancing postnatal hormones
• Restoration of iron levels in the blood

There are currently no known negative side effects to ingesting the placenta. However, some mothers experience dizziness, headaches, engorgement and even become hyperactive. These symptoms can easily be remedied by lowering and/or changing the timing of the dosage given to the mother by her certified placenta specialist. Each placenta is unique to each mother and baby and can affect each women differently.

Placenta encapsulation is an alternative option for a healthy postpartum and it is an amazing and natural alternative to antidepressant and antianxiety medications. Whether it is just a fad and has a placebo effect on you and make you feel like super mom, if it can give you extra energy and a great milk supply, why not? If you have experienced post-partum depression or anxiety in the past why not try to prevent it. 

When in doubt I’m sure you will get a good laugh out of your family and friends reactions to eating your placenta! I bet they will think twice next time you invite them over for dinner.

xoxo

Janice

Oxytocin: The Super Hormone

For most people, the term "oxytocin" is not new. The Love Hormone, as it is often called. It makes you feel happy and relaxed, calm and confident. And yes, lovey. It is no surprise then that this hormone takes the lead during labour and birth. All of the feelings that it elicits aid in the natural progression of labour. When released from the pituitary gland, it travels through the bloodstream, to the uterus (which is a muscle), and tells it to contract. This pressure pushes down on baby, nudging baby's head against the cervix, which causes it to thin and open (effacement and dilation, respectively). As the baby is putting more and more pressure on the cervix, oxytocin is once again released into the bloodstream, repeating the cycle. What makes oxytocin even more amazing is the fact that it also has a tendency to lessen your experience of discomfort, pressure, tightening, or pain. Naturally occuring oxytocin actually causes labour and makes it more manageable! This clearly grants it Super Hormone status. Want to help this Super Hormone do its best work? Here are the top four ways to support your body's natural production of oxytocin

1. Physical contact during labour
Given its nickname, it is no surprise that you can increase oxytocin levels with physical, loving contact. Oxytocin production can be stimulated through various types of sensory stimulation, such as a caring and reassuring hand on a back or shoulder, Light Touch Massage, hand holding, and kissing. You may have heard that dancing during labour is encouraged, as it can help baby wiggle their way down the birth canal. Dancing also makes us feel good! Try busting a move to your favourite song and not cracking a smile! Those happy feelings bring on a more positive outlook on your experience, and also - you guessed it - help stimulate that wonderful hormone. Not only do these physical elements cause a topical sensation which stimulates production at a base level, but they also create a feeling of safety, love, and happiness

2. Mentality
There is no underestimating the power of the mind when it comes to labour and birth. Your relaxed, calm, confident state will allow your physiological processes to fulfill their very important roles - this includes the production of oxytocin. Working on your mental preparedness during pregnancy is imperative. Practice self-care, physically and emotionally. Take a prenatal fitness class, eat well, and know you are doing all you can to prepare your body to grow and birth your baby in the best way you can. Take the time to work through any negative feelings you may have (stress, fear, anxiety) about labour, birth, or transitioning to parenthood. Meditate, breathe, visualize your positive birth, recite affirmations. Begin to focus on the joy and the excitement. Increase your feeling of control and empowerment by educating yourself. All of these things will help you feel relaxed in the moment, and as that moment approaches. This will help get and keep that oxytocin flowing!

3. Food and Drink
This is two-fold. First, you should focus on fueling your body properly and giving it the care and love through nutrition that it needs. Labour and birth is hardwork, and your uterus is a very hardworking muscle. Let's help it out by staying hydrated and consuming healthy snacks throughout labour. Treat your body well, and it will most likely reciprocate. Second, choose foods that could stimulate oxytocin production. Yes, they exist! While all food can potentially have an oxytocin-boosting effect based on your enjoyment of the experience, apples and chocolate are two that can specifically bring on this reaction. Apples can give estrogen levels a kick, which in turn increases oxytocin, while chocolate works the same way with dopamine (NOTE: there are other foods that increase estrogen levels such as wheat, pasta, tomatoes, and garlic, but these are very rarely consumed by labouring women. Almost all would like to eat chocolate!)

4. Lighting
Just like food can work to create collaborating hormones, so can environmental elements, such as lighting. Melatonin, which is naturally produced by dim lighting, quiet surroundings, and a calm atmosphere, boosts oxytocin levels. For this reason, lighting cannot be underestimated during your labour and birth. Shut the blinds, turn off the lights, and get those candles lit. You'll feel relaxed and comfortable in no time, and your natural hormonal processes will work hard to get things going. Keep this going regardless of being at home or at the hospital, and also after baby has been born. You need that continued oxytocin to (1) help make progesterone, which will stimulate lactation and (2) to encourage your uterus to continue to contract to expell the placenta, control bleeding, and reduce to its pre-pregnancy size.

Your body's ability to naturally create this wonderful hormone is pretty amazing. It is hardworking and multifaceted. It causes contractions, increases pain threshold, reuces anxiety and blood pressure, and promotes lactation and healing.  Your body knows how to make it, but you can also take control of your experience by giving it a helping hand. Use this knowledge to become Oxytocin's trusty sidekick. And although I don't see a comic book or movie franchise being created based on Super Hormone, I have to say - I think you two make a pretty dynamic duo

xoxo
Kristine