Many people are curious about placenta pills and what the process involves. Some think it’s unusual, yet on hearing the benefits, most agree it makes a lot of sense!

Post-partum is a huge time of adjustment!
Having a baby can be so joyous, yet challenging like you never expected. Even when things are going perfectly, many women find they feel exhausted and very emotional. After your baby arrives, the lovely hormones of pregnancy drop significantly and can leave a new mother feeling weepy, overwhelmed, tired and anxious. These feelings (known as ‘the baby blues’) are quite common and up to 80% of new mothers experience them in the first 2 weeks postpartum.

There is a natural solution!
The placenta is a rich source of hormones & nutrients and can help ease the transition to motherhood!

Women that have had placenta capsules have said that they helped by:

• Reducing or eliminating the ‘baby blues’ and helping prevent post-partum depression
• Increasing breast milk production and mother/baby bonding
• Decreasing iron deficiency (anemia/fatigue and reducing bleeding)
• Helping her feel calmer and more balanced
• Increasing energy levels

What are some ways to eat it?
Some women choose to consume some of their placenta straight after birth by placing a slither under their tongue. Others make ‘placenta smoothies’ by adding a few chunks to juice and berries. Some choose to cut it into small pieces and freeze tablet-sized chunks to swallow over the first few days. For many, placenta encapsulation is a more socially acceptable and convenient way to consume their placenta.

What is placenta encapsulation?
This is a process that turns your placenta into capsules that look and taste like any other vitamin pill. 

The process of placenta encapsulation is ideally started within 24 hours after birth. To keep the placenta safe for consumption it needs to be refrigerated (or put on ice in an esky) as soon as possible after the birth (within 2 hours). It is then gently rinsed to clear blood clots, and the cord is removed. The cord can be shaped into a heart shape, spiral or circle (or whatever the mother requests) and can be dried as a keepsake for the baby.

The placenta can be steamed first or left 'raw' and then it is sliced very thinly and dehydrated for many hours. The placenta is then ground into a powder and placed into clear vegetable capsules.

It is very easy to take and when stored correctly, your capsules can be kept indefinitely. The average placenta yields about 150 capsules. The average dose is 1-3 capsules per day.

I am a Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist. I also hold certificates in Safe Food Handling' and Bloodborne Infection Control. I use the highest quality equipment, proper sanitation techniques and strict procedures to safely encapsulate your placenta. I am honoured to provide placenta encapsulation for the women of northern rivers (including Nimbin, Lismore, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby and Byron Bay).

Some happy mama’s report...
“The placenta pills are having a really positive effect on my mood and I've got more energy this time around. I didn’t get any baby blues and I’m surprised how good I am feeling for having a 3 week old (and a toddler)!” (Tiff)

"I have had excellent levels of energy and had many people comment on how well I look as a mother of a newborn. I totally recommend hiring Kirrah to do your placenta encapsulation. It is a worthwhile commitment to your postnatal health and well-being!" (Alicia)

What can you do?

Move from fear to being free by examining your worries and finding some solutions. Take time to do the following exercise. 


Write down all your secret worries and pay particular attention to the worries that create tension in your body. Now, explore each worry by using the following questions (from Birthing From Within): 

• What would you do if this worry/fear actually happened? What do you imagine your partner or birth attendant would do/say?
• What would it mean about you as a mother if this happened?
• How have you faced crisis in the past?
• What can you do to prepare for or even prevent what you are worrying about?
• If there’s nothing you can do to prevent it, how would you like to handle the situation?

 The good news is I can help too!

I am holding birth workshops where you can be gently guided through a process of ‘taming your tigers’ and overcoming birth worries.

Check out my antenatal classes here

I’ve been facilitating Nimbin Birth & Beyond for nearly 3 years now! What started out as a dream to help bring women together, connect and create a sense of community has become a reality every Wednesday evening.

We originally had a movie screening of the Big Stretch followed by a brain storm of ideas for future meetings. A LOT has happened over the last 120 or so Fridays/Wednesdays. We’ve talked about natural birth remedies, practiced breath awareness, made birth art, danced, done yoga and had guest speakers come share their knowledge. Then over the last year the “beyond” part of Birth and Beyond came into fruition and we’ve had regular mums n bubs groups. The babies have played whilst the mums have had cups of tea and talked about many things including; nappies and sleep (or lack thereof)!

Birth and Beyond is a unique community building and we are lucky to have this divine meeting space. Building a sense of community is not always easy. But in Nimbin, when such beautiful places exist, it’s a good place to start! Our library has expanded to include pregnancy, birth and parenting books and the birth pools continue to be loaned out. Really, it’s amazing and I’m glad to be a part of it all.

I love seeing the bellies blossom, women come into their power and the strong bonds form between mother and baby and then woman to woman (and baby to baby!). 


Hugs, Kirrah

Have you heard horror birth stories or seen too many dramatic TV births? It's not very confidence boosting is it? In this article, you will discover 7 tips for how to look forward to giving birth (even if you're afraid).

1. Use Birth Stories to Your Advantage
People often see pregnancy as a ticket to tell you birth stories they've experienced or heard. Everyone wants to share! Unfortunately, not all stories are positive and many can perpetuate the feelings of uncertainty or fear. One of the best tips that I can share that can help you turn these stories into something you can benefit from, is to ask the people; "What helped you cope in labour"?

This brings the focus onto the useful information and may give you tools to learn how you too can cope if unexpected or unwanted surprises pop up in your birthing journey. It reframes the story from one of negativity to one of hope and encouragement. It also helps the 'story teller' to see the positive light. Often people are telling their stories because they need to work through some aspects of it. So, quickly diverting the story to the positive or helpful information such as useful things that helped the person to cope or how they knew they could get through, can benefit all involved!  

2. Stop watching dramatic TV shows!
Instead watch positive birth films showing real people birthing. Hearing how others have conquered their fears and faced obstacles can help you build confidence in your abilities. It also helps you raise awareness about the birthing process and allows you to see solutions to questions. Some good films to check out are 'Birth as we know it', 'The Big Stretch' and 'The Business of Being Born'.