Trained by the absolute best

I am a Certified Placenta Arts Specialist (APPAC), trained through the most intensive placenta arts program available, The Association of Placenta Preparation and Arts (APPA). Through this rigorous curriculum, I accumulated over 200 hours of study and training in placenta traditions, history, the current research supporting placentophagy, the various preparation methods and placenta arts, postpartum mood disorders, placental anatomy and physiology, processes to maximize the safety of placenta encapsulation, and proper sanitation protocols.

picture of APPA logo, an organization that is dedicated to provide training to ensure the safety of placenta encapsulationTell me more about APPA

Dedicated to the safety of placenta encapsulation

I have completed an OSHA-approved Blood Borne Pathogens Prevention course designed specifically for placenta specialists and doulas. I am trained in safe food handling through NALearning.org. I prepare every placenta according to the stringent standards set forth by APPA and all my sanitation protocols are OSHA compliant. My Standard Operating Procedures are available for perusal if you would like.

Clear safe storage protocols

Proper storage and refrigeration are essential for a safe placenta encapsulation experience. I provide easy-to-follow instructions in the client area of my website to ensure your placenta is properly handled until I begin preparation. I provide safe transport to my home workspace after your birth.

Thorough sanitation procedures

I follow the stringent sanitation protocols set out by OSHA and my certifying organization. All of my equipment is either single-use, or when that is not practical, thoroughly washed in hot soapy water and then sanitized by soaking for 20 minutes in an appropriate strength bleach solution. The bleach residue is then removed with a hot water rinse. The entire workspace is sanitized with the same strong bleach solution and hospital-grade disinfecting wipes before and after preparation. This protocol ensures no cross-contamination of my equipment between clients.

Absolutely no doubt

Your capsules are unequivocally guaranteed to be 100% your placenta. My training and certification organization requires that I only work with one placenta at a time. I never have more than one placenta being processed at any time, so time you can be assured that your placenta will never be mixed up with some else’s.

I also will never add anything at all to your capsules except your placenta. The lemon, ginger, and pepper are used only in the streaming water and are then discarded after use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you provide a disposable cooler to us to keep the placenta in?
I do not provide a cooler. Most of my clients bring a small hard-sided cooler with them to the hospital. A disposable cooler works, too. I clean, sanitize and return any non-disposable coolers when I deliver your capsules. If you forget your cooler, I can bring one of mine to pick up, but that then means you may not have anywhere safe to store your placenta until I can pick it up.
I provide pick up during the hours of 8am-8pm. If your baby is born during those hours, I usually pick up within 2 hours, but that can also vary depending on where I am when you call. If your baby is born outside my pickup hours, you will need to store your placenta on ice in a cooler (some hospitals have dedicated refrigerators for that purpose), and I will pick up the next morning. I will start the process as soon as is feasible after pick up. In all cases, preparation must within 48 hours of the birth or the placenta must be froze. I always strive to get your capsules to you as soon as possible after your birth.
My workspace is technically accessible to the members of my family, but no one ever goes in there because, frankly, placentas terrify them. Practically speaking, there is a door that will be closed and locked when I have a placenta I am working on, and a gate that keeps the family pets out of the hallway that leads to my prep space.
I use the blood borne pathogens appropriate concentration of a bleach:water solution to sanitize and disinfect my work surfaces and equipment that touches the placenta. I use SaniCloths to disinfect all equipment that does not come into direct contact with the placenta. I sanitize the work surfaces and sink before and after each day of prep on each placenta, and I only have one placenta in my workspace at a time. My cabinets, cabinet pulls, floor, work shoes, refrigerator interior and exterior, and walls are disinfected with bleach or SaniCloths after each time I use the workspace. No equipment is used for anything other than placenta prep.
I use equipment that has been approved for use by my certifying organization . It is stored in dedicated cabinets in my work space, and only put away after being thoroughly washed in hot water with anti-bacterial soap, sanitized with the correct bleach solution, and allowed to air dry, or wiped down with SaniCloths as appropriate.
I have been encapsulating placentas since 2014, certified by The Association of Placenta Preparation Arts since 2015, and generally process between 40 and 70 placentas a year.
My certifying organization requires that all their members take a BBP class every year. I renew each May with a placenta encapsulator-specific, OSHA approved BBP class.
Yes, I carry a Maryland state food handlers certificate.
Absolutely! I follow up with my clients at least 4 times during the fourth trimester, and am always available for questions or concerns.
If there was a situation that prevented me from being able to pickup and begin processing your placenta within 48 hours after your birth, I would provide you with a certified professional encapsulator as a backup.

Have more questions?

If you have any questions about the safety of placenta encapsulation, or in any of my safety and sanitation protocols, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am confident in my practices and happy to share any information you may need.

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YOUR HEALTH and SAFETY ARE MY TOP PRIORITIES

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Do you want to try placenta encapsulation in DC?

Silver Spring Placenta offers safe, reliable, in-home placenta encapsulation services all throughout the DC Metro Area. I am an independent, DONA certified birth doula as well as a certified placenta arts specialist with The Association of Placenta Preparation Arts, serving all areas of the Greater Metro DC Area. Preparing prenatally for the changes that your life and body are about to make is essential for healing, rejuvenation, and energy postpartum. Let me help you LOVE YOUR LIFE WITH BABY! I have provided caring, compassionate birth doula and placenta encapsulation services to dozens of families in the Maryland Suburbs, Washington, DC and Northern Virginia.

Areas I Serve

Washington, DC; Silver Spring; Rockville; Takoma Park; College Park; Hyattsville; Kensington; Bethesda; Potomac; Columbia; Gaithersburg; Montgomery Village; Kentlands; Germantown; Olney; Alexandria; Arlington; McLean; Reston; Montgomery County; PG County; Howard County; Fairfax County

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This service is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Families who choose to utilize these services take full responsibility for their own health and for researching and utilizing placenta.