And that’s crazy we share a conception and due date. Are you familiar with Mothering Magazine? It’s an awesome resource, and they also have a pretty active online forum with TONS of info on all these sorts of issues. They have a ‘due date club’ forum for all us March 2010 Mamas. You should check it out!

It’s great to hear from someone in such a similar position. Stay in touch!

Totally with you on the breastfeeding, cloth diapering, no plastic baby stuff (!!!), and yes to wooden toys strategies. I hope things continue to go well for you… looking forward to future updates. Will be checking in again.

So, greetings from a gal with a parallel pregnancy on Boston’s North Shore!

And yay Tom Waits love!

Placenta Encapsulation:
Traditionally, placenta capsules are used to help:

· Balance your hormones

· Enhance your milk supply

· Combat Fatigue

· Increase your energy

· Prevent signs of aging

Studies show that placenta is extremely nutrient rich, high in iron, protein, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6 and of course, your own natural hormones, making it perfectly made for you, by you. Experts agree that the placenta retains hormones, and thus reintroducing them to your system may ease hormonal fluctuations.

Placenta capsules may help to:

· Recover more quickly from birth

· Bring the body back into balance

· Prevent and treat the “baby blues”

· Lessen postnatal bleeding

· Increase postnatal iron levels

Some even believe it can help:

· Build baby’s immune system

· With life’s many transitions

· Weaning from breastfeeding

· Regulate hormones during menopause

I first learned of mother’s ingesting their placenta as a supplement after childbirth while in school for Traditional Chinese Medicine, this has been in practice in many cultures for thousands of years. Almost every mammal ingests their own placenta after the birth, sometimes even ignoring the young until the placenta has been completely ingested.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has used placenta for thousands of years to augment the qi (energy), nourish the blood, and augment the kidney essence. In layman’s terms, it brings the body back into balance, replenishing what was lost during childbirth. In China it is also used for debilitating chronic diseases and widely used as an anti-aging treatment, as well as a variety of other ills, including fatigue and insufficient lactation.

In many cultures the placenta is considered the tree of life, and indeed, without it life would not be possible.

*When and How is it Prepared?
Ideally, the placenta is prepared as soon as possible after delivery, allowing you and baby to benefit from the most potency the placenta has to offer. The first two weeks are the most important and effective time to be taking the placenta, so, the sooner the better. Directly after the birth, the placenta should be placed in an enclosed container in the refrigerator or in a cooler of some sort if you are in the hospital, until it can be taken home and placed in the refrigerator. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, after 48 hours it should be placed in the freezer. However, I am usually there within the first 24 hours to begin the process. And although it is advised to begin taking placenta capsules as soon as possible after delivery, placentas that have been properly frozen, meaning that they were frozen just after delivery and have been double-bagged and protected from freezer-burn can also be encapsulated up to 6 months after birth. Although you may not be getting the postpartum benefits, these capsules can be saved and used for the baby and you throughout the years for any type of transition in life or trauma and can also be used for mommy later in life while transitioning through menopause, using your own natural hormones.

Adhering to the strictest standards of safety as set forth by OSHA and the EPA and conforming to local health department guidelines for food preparation and safety protocols, the preparation process is always done in a sterile environment, using sterile equipment, with love and patience and infused with healing mantras, giving you the greatest quality and care you can ask for.

The first visit I make to your home, taking about 2 hours, the placenta is prepared for drying, it is then left to dehydrate for several hours. I return the following day to begin the encapsulation process, taking about an hour and a half. You can then start taking your capsules right away for the maximum postpartum benefits!
Happy birthing!
http://mommyfeelgood.com/Contact.html
Go to link for local Placenta Directory

But truly, my love and good thoughts for you. Please let me know how it all goes.

My fiancé is probably 100% the complete opposite of me. You’d be amazed…but I love him! Basically he thinks that anyone who is trying to better themselves and help the earth are all hippies… When in fact I think we’re just ethically awesome. ^_^ He’ll convert to my ways soon enough. Ha ha ha!

I look forward to every little update on your tiny lentil. <3