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Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum
Not sure what to ask about placenta encapsulation? Are you concerned about sanitary procedures? Are you wondering what is involved for you? How will you know the placenta pills you get are yours? Here are some basic questions to help you find the best support for your encapsulation and you and your baby!
Postpartum depression is part of the perinatal mood and anxiety disorder spectrum. For some moms it is postpartum anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or psychosis. Some mothers may also experience a combination of two or more.
Yes that is correct. It is not preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, cholestasis, etc. While almost all women get tested for gestational diabetes and other screenings, many do not get screened for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Perinatal encompasses the period of time during which a woman is pregnant or has given birth.
1 in 5 women are affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Many don't even get diagnosed and are left wondering what happened and why they are feeling the way they didn't expect too.
The news often depicts a mother who is described in having "postpartum depression" and has committed a terrible act such as hurting herself, her baby or both. But the fact is, the term is not postpartum depression, but it is postpartum psychosis which affects 0.1% of births. It is much rarer then postpartum depression.
It is temporary. With help and in time you will be well again! Knowing when to get help (see below) and where to get help (see below) is very important. It doesn't mean you need medications. There are several ways of getting help.
Getting help isn't just medication,s as some women and others think. Certainly there are times where medication is needed but also support groups, talk therapy are essential as well. Some mothers do well with just going to a support group and having therapy from a professional. Medication management is best left to a professional of psychiatry who has experience in working with women who have perinatal mood disorders. Some mothers opt to try things naturally through a naturopathic physician, or placenta encapsulation.
Baby blues is not the same as postpartum depression. This involves mood swings and weepiness. Baby blues are normal and affect about 80% of moms and last only the first two weeks after birth. This resolves without medical assistance.
Postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders is an illness and in no way a reflection on you as a mother and as a woman. It is hard to believe this and those who are going through it don't sometimes realize it. You are not a horrible mother and you are enough for you and your baby! When a mother has a perinatal mood disorder it affects her mind physically and also emotionally and mothers often feel like they can't think straight or have a hard time coming up with solutions on their own. Taking that step to getting better for yourself is one of the greatest acts of love for you and your baby.
It is not as common but dads can have postnatal depression too. An illness called paternal postnatal depression. It is not a sign of weakness in character but there is also a hormone change for dads immediately after the birth of their child that can contribute to this. There is an awesome book by Karen Kleiman, "The Postpartum Husband: Practical Solutions for living with postpartum depression" that is very helpful for dads to get a better understanding of the illness and healing process.
While you can do all you can to prevent it or steer away from it, there are biological, psychological, and environmental contributors that one can't control and it happens. But remember you are not alone and you will be well again.
What do we do with this! It is tough having a baby but there is hope. If you are feeling any of the following reach out to someone to get help. There are some wonderful resources at the bottom for you to go to for help!
Postpartum Support International- www.postpartum.net
Postpartum Progress - www.postpartumprogress.com
For Immediate Help Please Call 1-800-SUICIDE
National Hopeline - www.hopeline.com
Postpartum Support Virginia - www.postpartumva.org
Postpartum Doulas at Northern Virginia Birth Services
Questions like these are common when a mom wants to encapsulate her placenta. These questions are ones a trained or certified Postpartum Placenta Specialist (PPS) will never have to answer! A professional, trained and/or certified as a PPS must guarantee her clients the best care and when it comes to placenta encapsulation the best care needs to be the safest care for her client, her family and herself.
The PPS stands out from other placenta encapsulators because of the standards they use to honor this sacred part of a mother. The biggest standards, being that the certified PPS encapsulates in the mother's home and he/she is not responsible for transporting it from the hospital or birthing location to the mother's home. The placenta stays with the mother. The mother's own body and baby created it. It is unique only to her.
Now for some, these standards make sense. Why? Because it is a guarantee for the mother. Some scoff at that and may argue the mother is not being given a choice, but the client still has a choice. If she is not happy or comfortable with the standards of care for her sacred organ she certainly has the choice to find another specialist who will offer what she so desires. Just like a woman has the choice in finding the best care provider for her birth and the best doula for the support she needs.
How does one guarantee a mother that the placenta prepared for her is in fact hers and it is being done in a clean place? By word of mouth, a referral? By guaranteeing your word? By informing the mother you have done hundreds with no mistakes? Yes that may be enough for you as a mother or an encapsulator. Even if an encapsulator has what they believe is a fool proof system, it is not a guarantee. It can be better and it is.
The postpartum placenta specialist approaches her time around the mother and the steps involved in her work as sacred and as a time of reflection. It is a time to honor, pause and respect all that the mother is and has become. The Postpartum Placenta Specialist provides an amazing experience for the mother in caring for her placenta and also the mother in her home.
To find out more about Placenta Services at Northern Virginia Birth Services click here.
