How To Make Homemade Placenta Pills- AKA Placental Encapsulation Tutorial

I was waiting to write this post for a while already, waiting till I had definitive results before I wrote a post writing all the cool stuff about placental encapsulation and taking placenta pills, but, unfortunately, I can't say 100% whether or not taking placenta pills helped me. There's a definite possibility, but I am not sure.

Let me back up.

What exactly is placental encapsulation?

Well, first off, for those that don't know, the placenta (also known as "the afterbirth") is something that develops from the blastocyst (cell mass) that develops from a fertilized sperm and egg. The blastocyst develops into both the embryo- the fetus- and the placenta- the organ that is implanted into the uterine wall that sustains the baby. All the nourishment that the baby gets passes through the placenta, and the placenta serves as a filter between what the mother has and what the baby gets. The placenta also secretes hormones necessary for the baby's development and being able to sustain the pregnancy.

In Chinese medicine as well as other alternative medicines, the placenta is ingested, typically by the mother, for medicinal purposes. This is known as placentophagy. Placentas can be ingested raw, cooked, in tinctures, and encapsulated, meaning made into pills.

Rose's Birth Story- A Beautiful and Easy Homebirth

On Friday night, my little girl, Rose, was born at home in a very beautiful and empowering and relatively easy home birth.

I like sharing my birth stories with people- I've written up every single one so far, and shared Anneliese's birth story on my blog, because I find there are too many "scare stories" on the internet about how painful and scary and difficult and dangerous birth is, and I truly believe (based on my research and personal experience) that birth is what you make of it- and that if you decide you will have a natural birth and positive birth experience, you will have that, and if you go into birth scared of the birthing process, thinking that it will be an awful and super painful experience, it will be, and you most likely will feel you can't manage without pain killers like epidurals.

There is a birth culture in the US and around the "modern" world, that is very fearful- whenever birth is portrayed on TV, in movies, in books, it is hyper medicalized, involving lots of screaming and panicking, and I want to be part of the movement to change people's attitude towards birth- to help women see that birth doesn't have to be scary and painful- that birth pain can be definitely manageable- that it doesn't have to be "the most painful thing you'll ever experience" like many people describe birth. (There is a grassroots movement called the Positive Birth Movement which aims to do exactly that.) This last birth of mine was with minimal pain, completely manageable, and I didn't even for a second think "Oh, I wish I had an epidural to take away this pain".
Before my first birth, with my now 6.5 year old Lee, I decided that I'd have a natural birth, and make it into a positive, empowering, uplifting experience. When I shared that with others, they scoffed at my plans, telling me that I've never experienced labor, and that once I do, I'll be screaming like a banshee, begging for painkillers. Pregnant women being told that is so harmful- many women get convinced to have medical interventions because of the inherently negative message being spread about birth, that they aren't capable of doing it without the doctors' help... and when women like myself try to have a good attitude about birth, people try so hard to destroy that and instill fear. As I said above- birth is what you make of it, and even though in general I have a very low pain tolerance (for example, I scream and/or moan in pain from mild burns), I had 4 very empowering, fully natural, epidural free births, and in 3 of them I didn't even understand why someone would be tempted to take an epidural (for Ike's birth, inane hospital policies made my birth so much more stressful and painful and difficult that, though I still didn't consider an epidural, I at least understood why others would).

That said, I am hesitant to share my birth story, because when I do, people tell me "Oh, you could have natural births because you have easy births- if my births were as easy as yours, maybe I'd also have mine naturally", completely dismissing that the reason I have "easier" births is because of my attitude- I decide that I'll have an easy birth, don't stress about it, and it happens that way. Conversely, when someone stresses out about it, freaks out, panics, etc... their body releases adrenaline and their muscles tense up, and these make contractions more painful, can stall labor, and in general lead to a more difficult birth. My births haven't all been "easy"- Lees and Ike's labors were 18 and 19 hours each, with contractions 2 or 3 minutes apart for nearly 15 hours. They were intense births. This birth of mine was my easiest, but it didn't just "happen that way". I made the decision before birth how my labor would be, and took active steps to ensure that it would happen smoothly, and that is why, I am sure, it was an easier labor than my previous 3.

Introducing...

Introducing the newest member of the Penniless family, a little girl, born Friday night at 10:45 pm, in the most beautiful, easiest home birth ever.

Ike wanted to know why we didn't name her Rose...
So... That is how she will be known on this blog.

I'll write up the birth story as soon as I get a chance, but for now, just wanted to update y'all with the good news.

But yes, she's perfectly healthy, I am as well, thankfully... My biggest complaint is my extremely sore calves from all the walking up and down steep hills I did this past week to try and start labor, and once I was in labor...



PS- I have no interest in debating homebirth in the comments of this post. I have a few posts on my blog on homebirth- if you want to read about safety, etc... feel free to read there and comment there on that aspect, not here.

My Thrift Shop Haul

My baby outgrew her 0-3 month clothing, but I wasn't able to really move her to the next size up in clothing, because I didn't have any, other than a few outfits a friend got me as a baby gift. A friend had passed on a few outfits to me as loaners, but even so, I didn't have nearly enough clothes for my baby to wear... but I wasn't looking forward to buying a whole bunch of new outfits, as babies outgrow their clothing sooo quickly; you don't get much use out of them...
I decided to pay a visit to my local thrift store, hoping that I might find something useful there, but at the same time, not really expecting anything either...

Oh boy was I surprised. I can't believe that I hadn't checked it out before! I came back from the thrift store with much, much more than I had hoped for. And it barely cost me a thing- only 10 dollars for the lot! Locally, even one baby outfit can cost more than that, especially nice ones, and instead, I got 40 items of clothing, most of it in perfect condition, for only ten dollars!

I got clothes for the size Anneliese needs now, for the next size up, and a few really nice pieces of clothing in slightly larger sizes. I also got a few pieces of clothing for the boys.

Here's the loot. 10 dollars for the lot!

Frugality and Home Birthing. Moms Are People Too!

Anneliese, an hour after being born at home

I know, I know, this post is long, long, long overdue. Even before Anneliese was born at home, I said I'd include a frugality vis a vis homebirthing post in my homebirthing series, and its been three months since my baby was born and I still haven't written it up. Sorry for taking so long...

You may be wondering how someone like myself who advocates not spending money unnecessarily, who promotes living with as few luxuries as possible and with only the bare minimum, who runs a blog on extreme frugality, can justify having had a home birth, being as a hospital birth would have been covered entirely by insurance, while I had to pay cash out of pocket for my homebirth.

If you were wondering that, you definitely are not alone. In the weeks preceding my homebirth, whenever she'd stop by to visit, my mom would turn to me quizically and ask "Hello, what about "Penniless Parenting"? Did you forget about that?" She thought my "wasting money" on a homebirth was the antithesis of frugality.

And you know what? It was also a big dilemma I had. Was I being a hypocrite if I spent money on a homebirth? I really wanted one, but was it really necessary or just a wasteful luxury that would be "nice to have" but I could manage without? Its nice and all that I teach about frugal living, but if I don't practice what I preach and make large, wasteful expenditures, do I lose the right to write and run this blog?
I was so torn on this issue for so long, that despite having set aside money for a homebirth since before I even got pregnant with Anneliese, I was considering just setting my plans aside for a homebirth, and instead, using that money to pay off debt. Was my homebirthing just an expensive want that I should do without, in the name of frugality?

But I really, really wanted that homebirth.

And I was so incredibly torn.

My Homebirth Story

Baby Anneliese, 12 hours old.

On Monday, December 26, Mike and I welcomed our third child and first daughter, Anneliese, into the world, born at home in the comfort of my very own bathtub, with a professional, experienced midwife, who has been delivering babies since before I was born.

I remember after my first birth, my mother, who was with me, commented that I seemed "made for giving birth", because she was so impressed with how I handled labor completely naturally. My first birth was a pretty decent experience, I musthadmit, even if it was very long and didn't go 100% smoothly, so I was somewhat letdown when my second birth experience wasn't nearly as beautiful, uplifting, or self affirming as my first, and I'm still bothered by my birthing experience the second time around. I never took or even considered using an epidural for either birth, but towards the end of my second birth, I really understood why someone would find an epidural necessary, because I was having such a hard time managing... (I may end up writing my birth stories of my first two kids in short in a future post, but no promises.)

It was after my second birth that I decided that my next birth would be different, and would be at home, and I started saving up money each month, even before our little Anneliese was a thought in our mind, because I knew that it was the fact that I gave birth in the hospital that made my birth so difficult, and I wanted to make sure that no matter what the state of our finances would be in the future, we'd have money put away to make a homebirth a reality.

And so, this was my goal in my homebirth this time. To have an altogether different experience. To be able to take the good from my previous birth experiences (no drugs, no cuts, healthy mom and babe) and leave all the negatives behind, and instead, have a completely positive and uplifting birth experience.

Baby Girl Born At Home

Baby girl born at home, today, Monday, December 26. Healthy baby, healthy mom. Really quick birth in comparison to my other two. Easiest birth ever. No interventions, no complications. So glad it was a homebirth. Will update the blog with my homebirth story at some point... as well as why I chose to have a homebirth, and why I think it was worthwhile spending the money on the birth...

What Can Go Wrong in a Homebirth?

I am planning on having a homebirth in the near future. When I tell people this, some people get such a look of horror on their face! It's as if I'm telling them that I'm planning on killing my baby, God forbid, or doing something so dangerous like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.
Homebirths scare the heck out of many people. There are so many stories passed around about how homebirths are deadly and dangerous, and that they heard of a person whose baby died during a homebirth. You'll also have people telling you how homebirths are a terrible idea, because their babies survived only because they were born in the hospital; had they been born at home, they would either have either died or been damaged long term.
They often don't realize the other side of the story, that things can and do go wrong in hospital births as well, and that hospital births actually are just as risky, if not more so, than homebirths for low risk births, according to numerous studies.

However, once again, I'll reiterate the same point I made in my last homebirth post- babies and mothers die in childbirth. Its an unfortunate reality. Proper medical care can eliminate this much of the time, but there are risks to both the mothers' and the babies' lives no matter where they are born, whether in the hospital or at home. There are things to do to minimize the risks, such as evaluating whether you're a proper candidate for homebirth or whether a hospital would be safer for you, and by hiring an experienced, qualified medical personel to assist in your birth. (I do not advocate unattended homebirths and have convinced my friend who was considering an unassisted homebirth to hire a midwife, despite the extra cost.) Other than that, you hope for the best and pray that everything will go smoothly, and that you have a healthy mother and baby, whether you're in the hospital or at home.
But again, you can't prevent all problems, no matter where you choose to birth. All you can do is minimize risks.

So here you have it- what can go wrong in a homebirth?

Homemade Cloth Postpartum Pads Tutorial

I've been busy getting ready for the upcoming birth of my third child, running here and there getting various errands run, connected to things I'll need during and after my home birth, as well as for my child after he/she is born.
On Saturday, I was having about a million and five contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions, because they weren't painful, just very noticeable. However, by the time Saturday night came around, even while lying in bed, the contractions continued, and increased in frequency, and some of them were painful to the point that I was contemplating starting to do my breathing techniques for labor. I was freaking out, because I was not ready to give birth! There were still things I needed to get done! Numero uno on that list- make cloth pads for myself to use after birth!

Fortunately, with some homemade wine and some sleep, the contractions stopped (my midwife said I was still a bit early to go into labor and to try to see what I could do to stop it, and recommended drinking wine and sleeping), and by the time Sunday came around, I was motivated to get the things I needed done for birth, completed as soon as possible, and made my own cloth postpartum pads on Sunday and Monday of this week.

Here's a little tutorial about how to make your own cloth postpartum pads, like I did, as well as why I made them.

Before I continue further, I want to say that this post includes some TMI, so if you're a guy, or even a girl who has never given birth before, and doesn't want to be educated yet about some of its "gory details", I'd advise you not to read on.

Is Homebirth Safe? What Can Go Wrong in a Hospital Birth?

This is post 2 in my series entitled "Why Homebirth?"

• Midwives aren't able to handle complications during labor.
• Being in a hospital will be less dangerous for the mother and the baby; too many things can go wrong quickly during childbirth for it to be safe to have a homebirth.
• The reason fewer women and babies die during childbirth today is because its became standard practice to give birth in a hospital and midwife usage and homebirth rates have gone down.
• Hospitals save lives.
• Hospital births are totally safe.

Have you ever said or thought any of the above, or something along those lines? Have you ever heard anyone say any of the above, or something along those lines?

If you haven't either said these, thought these, or heard these, then I'm shocked. Because these are the most common arguments used against homebirth. In fact, even in the post I wrote about how I came to decide to homebirth, I got some of these in the comments, or comments echoing those thoughts.

But, for the sake of intellectual honesty here, are these statements true? That is what this post will address, but in a nutshell:

• Midwives aren't able to handle complications during labor. Yes they are, for the most part. Some complications they're even able to handle better than hospitals.
• Being in a hospital will be less dangerous for the mother and the baby; too many things can go wrong quickly during childbirth for it to be safe to have a homebirth. Statistics and studies show otherwise and prove this statement false.
• The reason fewer women and babies die during childbirth today is because its became standard practice to give birth in a hospital and midwife usage and homebirth rates have gone down. Again, statistics and studies prove this statement wrong. In fact, the US has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the civilized world, even though 99% of births occur in hospitals.
• Hospitals save lives. In many cases yes. In many cases, they're the reason lives are lost.
• Hospital births are totally safe. No they're not. Then again, neither are homebirths.

Ok, those were really in a nutshell. But my point is to show that no, these statements aren't veritable truths. In fact, some are falsehoods either purposely disseminated or passed around because of lack of knowledge of how homebirth works or lack of knowledge about the possible problems involved in hospital births.

Before I get into it further, I need to clarify something.

Homebirths are not 100% safe. Things can go wrong in a homebirth. There are mothers who die in childbirth in a homebirth, and there are babies who die because of a homebirth suddenly turned problematic.
However-
Hospital births are not 100% safe. Things can go wrong in hospital births. There are mothers who die in childbirth or from ensuing complications in hospitals, even with the "best of care". There are babies who die in hospitals during or immediately after childbirth because of complications of childbirth.

No birth is 100% safe. In fact, birth, no matter whether at home, unmedicated, in the hospital unmedicated, in the hospital medicated, in the hospital via cesearian, is fraught with potential risks, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is pulling the wool over your eyes.
Either choice you make, whether to have a home birth or a hospital birth, is not going to guarantee a healthy outcome for mother and baby. At most, you can weigh the risks and benefits, and choose from there which is less risky, not which is risk free.

So, which is less risky? Home birth or hospital birth?

Why Homebirth, Part 1

Ike in the hospital, 1 day old

I've mentioned a few times (or many) on my blog that I plan on having a homebirth this pregnancy.
Why? you may ask. Why would you risk your life and your baby's life and have your baby at home? Why do something dangerous like that? Are you in some sort of cult that eschews medical care and the medical establishment?


I thought that I'd write three posts on the topic, one about my "homebirth background", one from a medical and safety standpoint, why I am choosing to have a homebirth, and one from a frugal standpoint, why I feel that a homebirth is a worthwhile expense. Today's post will be all about how my thoughts on birth evolved to the  the safety aspect, and why I would choose to do something as risky as having a baby outside a hospital.

Before I continue, I want to say that this series not meant to criticize women's birthing choices; childbirth is very personal, dramatic and life altering, and every woman deserves to have the type of birth that she wants, whether that is a cesarean section, a completely medicalized and anesthetized hospital birth, an unmedicated hospital birth, an assisted homebirth, or an unassisted homebirth. I will not criticize someone for the birth choices she makes, even if they're radically different than my own. I am only sharing this series of posts to explain why I choose to have a homebirth for myself.
I also want to say already from the start that there are some women that from a safety standpoint should never, ever, ever homebirth, that doing so would be putting their life and the life of their baby in danger, so don't think that these posts mean I'm giving carte blanche for homebirths for everyone.

Why Homebirth? 

The Background