Process
Preparing the Workspace
~ The placenta is kept in the fridge temporarily until the area is ready.
~ The counter is cleared and wiped down. A 20% bleach solution is sprayed and sits for ten minutes. After the ten minutes are up, a new sponge is used to wipe the counter off.
~ Prepping tools are pulled out. Cutting boards are placed for pictures and prints; disposable shears are removed from their package; parchment paper liners are put on dehydrator trays; reverse osmosis water and Rescue Remedy are put in the steamer; a steamer liner is placed over the steamer; a colander is placed in the sink; the scale is placed in a zip top bag; a mixing bowl is put on the scale; print paper is pulled from the pad; a box of gloves is made accessible. I put on a pair of latex-free gloves, a mask, a cloth apron, and a plastic disposable apron.
Preparing the Placenta
~ Membranes are trimmed from the placenta, the amnion is peeled away. Prints are taken of the fetal side; pictures are taken of the fetal and maternal sides. The cord is removed and the placenta is rinsed to remove clots. It is rinsed in apple cider vinegar if meconium was present. The placenta is weighed.
~ A small piece of placenta, cord, and amniotic sac are removed for essence if desired; this is placed in a jar filled 1/2 with filtered water and placed in the sun/moon light for at least 4 hours. A small piece of placenta is removed for tincture if desired; this is placed in a dropper bottle filled with at least 80 proof alcohol.
~ The placenta is steamed if desired for 20-25 minutes. Start and end times are noted. The steamed placenta is rinsed and weighed again.
~ The placenta is sliced into very thin strips. The strips of placenta are placed on the parchment sheets in the dehydrator; the cord is arranged and also placed in the dehydrator. A picture is taken.
~ The dehydrator is turned on at 160F for the first hour if raw then dropped to 115F; 160F is used for the entire time if steamed. Times and temperatures are noted.
~ Dishes are rinsed, washed with dish soap, and rinsed. They are set aside for bleaching later.
Packaging
~ After at least 4 hours, the essence mother is brought in. The piece of placenta, cord, and sac are removed, thanked, and discarded. The remainder of the jar is filled with high proof alcohol. A usage bottle is prepped by filling a dropper bottle with half filtered water, half high proof alcohol, and 10 drops of the mother essence.
~ After the placenta is dry (about 10-14 hours for steamed, 22-26 hours for raw), it is weighed one final time. Times and weights are noted.
~ Pictures are taken of the prints and cord keepsake. They are packaged for delivery.
~ I put on a mask, apron, and latex-free gloves. The strips of dehydrated placenta are ground into a fine powder using a Magic Bullet.
~ Capsules are loaded into a Capsule Machine and filled with the powder. I tap down twice to ensure the capsules are consistently filled. Capsules are filled on plates allowing me to easily and safely collect dust to minimize waste.
~ Capsules are dusted with a paper towel, manually checked to verify they are snapped closed, then put in a jar with a descant packet. The number of capsules is noted.
~ All products and instructions are placed in a gift bag.
C lean Up
~ The grommet is removed from the Magic Bullet blade for cleaning. All tools are rinsed, washed in dish soap, and rinsed again.
~ A 10% bleach solution is prepared in a tub. Tools are added and sit for 10 minutes.
~ Counters are wiped; counters, washing bins, and dish drying racks are sprayed with a 20% bleach solution to sit for 10 minutes.
~ After the 10 minutes, clean gloves are used to remove the sanitized tools from the solution; they are rinsed and dry on the racks. A fresh sponge is used to clean the counter.
~ Tools dry before being put into storage bins.
