Placenta Support

All services must be pre-booked and paid in full. We encourage booking 4-8 weeks ahead or sooner. If you are booking this service at 37+0 weeks or later gestation a late booking administration fee' of $40 will be applied.

Once service is booked and paid,

It is important that you contact us when labour begins or if an induction or cesarean has been scheduled. Connect with us via text message or phone call (a number will be provided following your registration)
Please be aware services are only provided between the hours of 9:00 AM and 10:00PM. If your placenta is born between the hours of 10:00 PM and 9:00 AM, you will be responsible for proper food safe storage of your placenta and refreshing the ice the placenta if melted,  until a time can be arranged during regular business hours of operation.

Bring your own food-safe container, preferably a hard shell cooler. You’ll need THREE ziplock bags: one for the placenta and the other two for ice. Fill the ice bags in the kitchen area, then place one bag of ice at the bottom of the cooler, followed by the placenta bag in the middle, and the second ice bag on top. This creates three layers: ice, placenta, and ice. If the ice starts to melt, keep the placenta in the fridge until you're ready to deliver it to your encapsulator.

If storing the placenta for over 4 hours, make sure to refresh the ice, if melted which can be done at any hospital kitchen with an ice machine. If packed tightly with ice, the placenta should stay cold for a good amount of time.

At Home Storage: Once the midwives have assessed the placenta, place it in a food-safe container and store it in the fridge. If you need to store it longer, freeze it. The placenta should not be kept in the fridge for more than 3 days. For best results, encapsulate it within 24 hours of birth. If it was frozen, it needs to be defrosted before bringing to your specialist.

Basically the placenta is either steamed before dehydrating or it is dehydrated from raw. The steamed preparation is loosely based on traditional Chinese medicine principles (without herbs added)  Feedback from individuals has been directly comparable for both preparations.
On a practical level, not steamed preparation tends to yield 10-15% more capsules than steaming and many choose this method because they feel it is less processing. 

Traditional (Steamed) Method: The placenta is gently steamed before being dehydrated and encapsulated. Some families choose this method because it is traditionally believed to provide a gentler postpartum experience and may help promote warmth, balance, and steady energy levels.

Raw (Non-Steamed) Method: The placenta is prepared without steaming before dehydration and encapsulation. Those who choose this method often believe it better preserves naturally occurring nutrients and hormones and may provide a greater boost in energy during the postpartum period.

It is important to note that these are traditional beliefs and personal experiences. At this time, there is limited scientific evidence to support claims that one encapsulation method is more effective than the other. The choice is based on your personal preferences and values.

Your placenta can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 3 days following the birth.You may safely store your placenta for longer periods of time in your freezer.

Depending on the size and drying time needed. Generally it will take aproximately 24 hours from the time the placenta is dropped off to be ready for pick up. This time may vary your specialist will keep you informed. 

Currently at this time we can not pick up and deliver. Please arrange for timely pick up and drop off. Many of our clients have asked friends, family and package delivery services We are located in the south side of Edmonton. 

We are pleased to support families throughout Alberta, not just those in Edmonton. If you live outside the city, there are several ways to safely get your placenta to us.

Many clients choose to use a same-day courier service to transport their placenta directly to our Edmonton location. If same-day delivery isn't possible, the placenta can be frozen until a family member, friend, or courier is able to bring it to us.

Please note that Full Circle does not offer placenta pick-up or delivery services. We have had the privilege of serving families from Fort McMurray and surrounding communities, as well as many other smaller areas across Alberta, and we're happy to discuss the best transportation option for your location.

Placenta sizes can vary in size and weight. On average, a full term placenta may yield about 130 steamed preparation to 150 non steamed preparation capsules. Taking capsules with food or a drink high in Vitamin C may aid in absorption. The jar you will be given has suggested guidelines for consumption. Each new parent and their placenta is unique, so it's finding a balance which works for you. 

Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Fridges may cause moisture from condensation, avoid this. For long term storage store in a deep freeze.

Partial refunds will be given in the event, after booking this service you changed your mind, your placenta was discarded by your care provider or was sent to pathology for further investigation.
The placenta fee will be refunded, minus a $50.00 administration fee.   This may take 2-4 weeks for refund to be submitted.

it is advised not to take during pregnancy. Each placenta is unique and may contain the right amount of hormones and nutrients required for you and your baby at that point in time specific to that pregnancy, which may be finely tuned to your body's requirements at that time. For long term support to potentially ease menopausal symptoms, we recommend a more stable approach in the form of a tincture.