Frequently Asked Questions & How It Works

Everything you need to know about placenta encapsulation, tinctures, keepsakes, hospital logistics, and working with Maria at Nurtured Madre.

Safety, Placenta Info, & When It's NOT Usable

  • Your safety is my absolute highest priority. I adhere to strict, medical-grade sanitation guidelines:

    • OSHA & Bloodborne Pathogens Compliant: Certified in safe handling of bodily fluids and biological materials.

    • Rigorous Equipment Sterilization: All non-disposable tools, workspaces, and equipment are thoroughly washed, sanitized, and sterilized before and after every single client.

    • Strictly One-at-a-Time Processing: Only one placenta is ever processed in my workspace at any given time to eliminate any possibility of cross-contamination.

  • Yes, absolutely. Having a C-section, an epidural, or medical inductions does not prevent you from safely encapsulating your placenta. In fact, many C-section mamas find that capsules help tremendously with their physical recovery and energy replenishment.

  • Testing positive for GBS does not mean you cannot encapsulate. I utilize the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method, which involves thoroughly cleaning the placenta and steaming it at high temperatures (220°F) for a precise duration. Common bacteria cannot survive these temperatures, ensuring a safe, sterile final product.

  • Your placenta can be left out at room temperature for 8 hours. Your placenta will stay good on ice or in a refrigerator for 5 days. It can stay good in a freezer for 1 year and a deep freezer for about five years. So, if you’re unsure, at least take it home and then decide later when you have more time.

  • The only conditions that make a placenta entirely unsafe or unusable for encapsulation are:

    • Positive HIV status.

    • Exposure to pathology chemicals/fixatives (such as formalin), but there are work-arounds here, found in my intake forms for clients.

    • Improper storage (left out at room temperature for longer than 4 hours without ice/refrigeration).

  • Yes! Since your placenta is all natural, it will not interfere with any other medications you have to take. If you choose an herbal encapsulation, avoid turmeric for your herbal blend, which can interfere with certain medications.

  • You can still encapsulate your placenta if you delay cord clamping.

  • It is still safe to encapsulate your placenta if there is Meconium on the placenta. The bacteria in meconium is from your own body and I thoroughly wash the placenta and then steam it at 220 degrees F for 30 minutes to kill any bacteria or viruses present. Bacteria and viruses cannot survive at temperatures higher than 131 degrees I have encapsulated for women that had meconium on their placenta before.

  • I process placentas of multiples as one order. Sometimes, the placenta is singular or, rarely, it can divide into two membranes. You can send both placentas inside 1 order, pay nothing extra, and I will encapsulate them together for you!

  • My top priority is to care for your placenta. I meticulously label your placenta and continuously track it through the encapsulation process until I finalize your order. Only 1 placenta is processed in my stationed lab at a time to eliminate any possible cross contamination. For extra reassurance, I have video recording options you can purchase so you can watch your placenta go through each step of the encapsulation process.

Keepsakes & Art Options (For All Mamas)

  • Keepsakes-Only Package: If consuming capsules isn't for you, you can still honor your birth story! I offer specialized packages dedicated entirely to preserving your placenta into heirloom-quality art and keepsakes without consumption.

    • Golden Resin Cords: Your baby's umbilical cord is artfully shaped using pre-molded wire forms, hand-painted in rich 24k gold paint, and sealed in durable UV-cured resin armor to preserve it forever.

    • Natural Placenta Art Prints: Unique prints created using safe, natural elements like beet powder, turmeric, spirulina, or active charcoal.

    • Hand-drawn Art: I hand-draw your baby's birth month flowers directly onto the art piece for free upon request!

  • Yes, absolutely! I offer a Time-Lapse Process Video (from start to finish) of your placenta for a full behind-the-scenes look of your placenta transformation and an Instagram Feature Upgrade. You just have to leave a review after 2 weeks of using the products!

The Benefits of Placenta Encapsulation & Remedies

    • Higher Energy Levels: Replenish lost iron stores and combat heavy postpartum fatigue.

    • Balanced Mood & Hormones: Gently stabilize hormones to help reduce the risk of the "baby blues" and postpartum mood shifts.

    • Increased Milk Supply: Support a bountiful, well-established breastfeeding journey.

    • Faster Physical Recovery: Encourage uterine shrinking, reduce postpartum bleeding, and support overall tissue healing.

    • Enhanced Bonding & Calm: Oxytocin and stress-reducing hormones help foster a deeper sense of well-being and infant bonding.

  • Stem Cells: Helps speed up healing caused by birth within the body.

    Minerals in the Placenta

    • Iron: Found in significant, measurable amounts crucial for recovery and red blood cell support.

    • Selenium: Present as a trace element with antioxidant properties.

    • Sodium: High concentrations exist in placental tissue.

    • Calcium: Important mineral found in trace-to-moderate quantities.

    • Potassium: Found in high amounts in dried and fresh tissue analyses.

    • Phosphorus: Detected in significant quantities.

    • Magnesium: Present in trace amounts.

    • Zinc: Present as a trace element.

    • Copper: Found in trace amounts.

    • Manganese: Found in small trace levels.

    Vitamins in the Placenta

    • Vitamin A: Contains measurable units of Vitamin A (retinol/carotenoids).

    • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Present in total and free forms.

    • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Detected in both free and bound forms.

    • Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Identified in tissue analysis.

    • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Present in the B-complex profile.

    • Vitamin B7 (Biotin): Found as firmly and loosely bound biotin.

    • Vitamin B9 (Folate/Folic Acid): Detected in nutritional profiles.

    • Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Present in significant B-vitamin concentrations.

    • Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Reported in preliminary nutritional breakdowns.

    • Vitamin K: Listed among the vitamins identified in tissue.

      (Pub Med Central)

How to Start & Pick-up/Delivery Details

    • Step 1: Reserve Your Due Date HERE (AQUÍ).

      • Secure your spot on my calendar ahead of time using your estimated due date. I keep my schedule flexible for you for dedicated care per client.

    • Step 2: Safe Storage & Hospital Prep (You Handle the Hand-Off)

      • Read my Safety Info to handle everything properly for me to take over when ready.

    • Step 3: Notify Me When Baby Arrives

      • Send me a simple text message once baby is born to let me know! If it's late at night, I will do my best to answer as soon as possible. We can coordinate the finer details of your service once you are rested and settled after the birth event itself.

    • Step 4: Delivery & Processing Options

      • You choose either to handle your own drop-off and pickup or to have me handle that for you. I will communicate, as desired by you, until your finished kit is done.

  • Encapsulation starts at $200.

    I have keepsake ONLY options for less (no placenta products).

    Check out my Full Services & Pricing for more details.

  • Within 5 business days. Rush orders available for 48 hours.

  • You can arrange your own drop-off & pickup by a trusted adult/ partner to Ivory Crossing in South Jordan, which is always FREE.

    Delivery service starts at $20 within service area in tiers found in order form (Serving Salt Lake, Utah, Tooele, Wasatch, Summit, Davis, Morgan, and Weber Counties).

    61+ miles / up to 2-hour radius: Custom quote based on distance ($1/mile driven extra; total confirmed prior to billing).

Hospital & Legal Logistics

  • YES, your placenta belongs entirely to you! In most cases, hospitals will release it to you to take home. If you run into any resistance from hospital staff, you can reference your legal rights and patient guidelines regarding placenta release HERE.

  • Absolutely! If you require a hospital pickup, you must list my name as an authorized pickup person on your hospital paperwork: Maria Hernandez, Nurtured Madre (If your hospital makes an issue of releasing it, you can reference your legal rights HERE). You can also prepare to choose to print your own release form to yourself HERE.

  • Your placenta can be left out at room temperature for 8 hours. As soon as you can, request that your hospital staff place your placenta into a clean, leak-proof container (your hospital should provide one, or you can bring a small cooler with 2 gallon-sized ziplocs [with your full name]) and ask for ice. Place it on ice in your small cooler or the room refrigerator as soon as possible. A nurse can also place it somewhere cold for you. It must be kept chilled or frozen until it is handed over to me and with ice replaced every 8 hours. You can also freeze it! It can stay frozen for about 5 years, if done properly. Just allow an extra day for proper thawing.

  • Do not worry at all! Due dates are always estimates and only less than 5% of babies actually agree to them. When you book with Nurtured Madre, your spot is held in a flexible window around your due date. Just keep me updated if your provider schedules an induction or if labor starts early.

  • If your placenta is sent to the hospital pathology department for any testing, it is no longer usable for encapsulation or consumption due to chemical exposure (such as formalin). Please inform your care team ahead of time if you plan to keep your placenta so it avoids pathology. You can also ask them to take a sample of the cord and placenta for testing and label the rest in a bag “for consumption” before they take it away to not contaminate the rest.

  • Of course! Here is a legal consent for you to print out HERE.

Capsules, Tinctures, & Custom Herbal Information

    • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): The placenta is gently steamed with warming herbs (like ginger and/or lemon) before being dehydrated and encapsulated. It is designed to be warming, comforting, and deeply supportive of postpartum energy and digestion.

    • Raw Prep: The placenta is dehydrated raw at low temperatures to preserve maximum active enzymes and hormones, then ground into capsules.

    • I will soon be offering a single frozen raw capsule option after a new training I’m completing for safe ingestion for moms as an add-on option!

    • Capsules: Prepared using your choice of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or Raw method.

    • Custom Herbal Blends: You can choose to add customized herbal blends to your capsules according to your specific postpartum needs.

      • A Note from Maria: Listen to your body and your intuition, not fear. Explore the specific intentions behind your options in the Intake & Service Document.

    • Placenta Tincture (The Ultimate Long-Term Investment): A concentrated extract made by steeping in alcohol for 4-6 weeks, then straining. It’s designed for measured oral ingestion and prolonged storage.

  • On average, a placenta yields between 100 to 180 capsules (depending on the size of the organ).

  • Up to 3 months when stored properly in a cool, dark, dry place (away from humidity and direct sunlight, like a pantry or bedroom closet). They can last years if frozen in the back of a freezer. Your dried capsules remain potent and viable for a long time. Find the full instructions here.

  • Start by taking 2–3 capsules 2–3 times daily for 2 weeks after starting, then as needed. I include a dosage card in your delivered kit and you can find more detailed instructions HERE.

  • What it is: A powerful liquid extract made from a small piece of your placenta steeped in high-proof alcohol over several weeks.

    Shelf Life & Value: Unlike capsules which are consumed in the early months, a properly stored tincture lasts indefinitely (many years).

    Why you may need it: It acts as a powerful energetic and hormonal anchor long after your capsules are gone. Mamas use their tincture during times of high stress, intense fatigue, weaning, emotional transitions, or future hormonal shifts like perimenopause.

  • Place it somewhere dark and cool, like a closet shelf, next to a nightstand, or on the bathroom coutertop where you won’t forget it. Shake daily for 4-6 weeks. When the time if right, twist open, and begin with 1-2 drop under tongue or in a 2 to 4 oz drink of your choice to enjoy it’s benefits! Full instructions HERE.