Are you looking for a placenta specialist but aren’t sure what you should or could be asking? It’s not something that you do every day and you understandably want to ensure that your placenta is in safe hands. Here are my top tips for finding the right placenta specialist for you. This blog post will give you a few pointers but ultimately, your values may be different and you should go with who feels right for you.
What training have you completed?
Here in the UK, the main trainers are IPEN (The Independent Placenta Encapsulation Network) and PrIsm. Your specialist will be able to provide evidence of their training and if they are a member of The Placenta Remedies Network, their certificates will be on display on their PRN profile.
Your specialist should also hold certificates in Food Hygiene, HACCP and Bloodborne Pathogens and should complete these 3 courses every 3 years to ensure that their knowledge is up to date.
Are you registered and approved with Environmental Health?
As an ex-teacher, the Environmental Health inspections feel to me like my OFSTED equivalent in terms of the amount of paperwork and policies that have to be in place. If your specialist is both registered AND approved (The second one is very important- you can be registered but not yet approved) then you can be reassured that they have stringent procedures in place, backed up by a rigorous HACCP document which plots all of the critical control points of the processes and ultimately the checks which ensure that the placenta is safe for consumption.
Do you offer the products I’d like?
Different specialists may offer different products. Some specialists choose not to offer smoothies for example, either because of logistics or because their environmental health officer has not permitted it.
Anyone offering cosmetics should have completed relevant training and be EU compliant.
What is your turnaround time?
Receiving your placenta capsules in a timely manner is important in order for you to be able to feel your best. We believe that the hormones and vitamins contained in the placenta help to mitigate slightly the postnatal hormone drop which can start from around 3-5 days postpartum. At South Coast Placenta we aim to have your capsules back to you within 48 hours (most often this is 24-36 hours) so that you can have taken some capsules before the drop occurs and therefore be in the best place postnatally.
How far will my placenta travel and are there any extra associated costs?
There are a variety of placenta specialists available who offer their services in different ways. Larger companies that operate nationwide will employ couriers to collect your placenta and transport it across the country and then will post back your capsules. This may appeal to you if you have a particular company in mind that you know of that you'd like to use.
In general, you will find that booking a local specialist reduces the cost by avoiding a courier charge. It is also a more eco friendly service as reduces CO2 emissions and fuel costs. You may also avoid the extra day waiting for capsules as local specialists will tend to hand deliver your capsules within a certain radius. I'd also advised checking that your specialist will provide you with everything that you'll need to store your placenta. Some do and some ask you to provide your own storage kit.
I advise asking these questions when searching for your specialist though sometimes we do things by instinct. Get a feel for them as a person too by checking out their social media pages and website.
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