my san diego doula blog

Cesareans can add another layer of challenge to postpartum recovery. Placenta Encapsulation can be especially helpful during this time. Natalina G, from San Diego, shares her experience:

"I first heard about placenta encapsulation reading an US weekly (or some other embarrassing publication) when January Jones spoke about how she encapsulated her placenta. My first thought was utter disgust, what the heck do these hippies in Hollywood think they are doing?!

Once I had my first son I became a bit obsessed with the birth community and anything VBAC related. Article after article kept popping up about placenta encapsulation. I quickly learned that while some people ingest it in raw form (still a little too granola for me), there were ways to ingest the organ that were a little, for lack of better words, less icky. At first I was only interes...

Hiring a doula who offers several services ensures seamless, continuity of care from pregnancy through postpartum. Here's Taya G's experience:

"My husband and I had the wonderful opportunity of having both Courtney and Tiffany at the birth of our daughter. We had hired Courtney as our doula and Tiffany came along with my midwife as a student midwife, assisting our birth. 

Our experience with Courtney was incredible. My husband was initially unsure about having a doula present as he was concerned what his role would be.  We met with a few doulas and ultimately chose Courtney for her calm & soothing demeanor. You can tell that she chooses her words carefully and is extremely thoughtful.  She knew when to step in to help and instruct my husband, while being extremely respectful of my wishes during the labor & delivery. She took a few photos...

Debbie C, from San Diego, shares about how great she felt after encapsulating her placenta:

"I heard about Placenta Encapsulation during my pregnancy and was immediately sold when my friend said that it helped with Postpartum depression.  The baby blues is something that I have watched SO many of my girlfriends go through, and I wanted to be able to fight it.  The first week of my newborns life I spent on a roller coaster.  I went from a traumatic birth experience as I believe many women have, to euphoric baby love, to roll confusion and downward spiraling in the first couple of days.  I received the capsules and smoothie cubes within that first couple of days and started taking the cubes right away.  By the next day I was feeling better.  At this point, I had the realization that I wasn't doing okay before through the comparison of how I...

Aaron H, from San Diego, shares about his experience hiring Courtney Scott to support him and his wife during the birth of both of their children:

"Wow!  I am at a loss for words to describe the seamless and exceptional experience we had with Courtney.  This is our second time using Courtney as our doula, and we would not have had such an easy birth and postpartum experience without her.  From the moment we hired Courtney she was there to guide us through the pregnancy, and made sure we were comfortable in the months, weeks, and days before we went into labor.  Courtney's real magic comes the moment labor begins.  She was present at the very moment we required her comfort.  We ended up going into labor during the day and things got tough at night before we went to the hospital.  At a moment notice Courtney got in her car and was at our hom...

Andrea O, from San Diego, shares her experience with placenta encapsulation:

"I am so glad that I decided to encapsulate my placenta with my second baby! Courtney was so incredible! From the initial contact, Courtney listened to all of my questions and answered everything and made me feel so good! My husband contacted her as soon as I had the baby, and she was there within a couple hours to take the placenta away to process. That evening she already returned with 2 bottles of my pills in a cute bag with a little gift inside (that totally made my day!). Since taking the pills I feel less anxiety and in a better mood. There were a couple days I forgot to take it and I really could tell the difference (I started getting emotional and  snappy towards people) - I truly believe it has helped me. I am not sure if it helps with breast milk supply,...

Kate A, from San Diego, shares about her experience having Courtney as her birth doula for the birth of her third daughter:

"Courtney Scott was my doula for my third child and I wish she had been with me for my first two. She was worth every penny. She met with me twice before the delivery. We talked through my birth plan, she answered questions and gave us resources on water birth and breastfeeding since I had had difficulty in the past. She provided emotional support in the weeks prior as I was having some anxiety about going into labor again. She always returned my calls despite her own full life of family and work. Even when I called late, Courtney picked up her phone and calmed my worries. The day my water broke Courtney came over to show me stretches to get the contractions going and walked around my neighborhood while I mentally pre...

Maggie M, from San Diego, shares about her experience with encapsulator, Tiffany Alblinger, and her awesome postpartum recovery after her second baby!

"I (embarrassingly)first heard about placenta encapsulation on an episode of 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians.' I immediately thought it was so cool! Totally something I would do. We already had one little one but I knew that when had our next baby that I wanted to "eat his placenta." As soon as we got pregnant with baby number two I started doing research and found that it is actually more common than I thought. It's something mommas all over the world have done for a really long time. I got in contact with Tiffany early on in my second pregnancy and let her know that I wanted to get my placenta encapsulated. 

When delivery day came I told everyone that walked into my room to save my p...

Kristy O, from San Diego, benefitted greatly form hiring a doula AND encapsulating her placenta for the birth of her second child. Getting the right support the second time around can make a huge difference in your experience!

"I chose Courtney as my doula and placenta specialist for the birth of my second baby and I can not say enough good things about the experience.  Courtney is a warm, caring, and calming person who helped me and my family prepare for the arrival of our new little one.  As a second time mom I felt pretty confident about labor and delivery but Courtney provided additional support, knowledge, and such a fantastic presence that helped me have the birthing experience I wanted.  I believe every family deserves a doula (I say family because dads benefit, too) and Courtney was a perfect fit for our family.

As for p...

Jennifer H, from San Diego, worked hard for the natural birth she desired with her second baby. Her husband and doula, Courtney Scott, worked as a solid team to support her through moments of doubt and encouraged her all the way through meeting her baby. Here's her experience...

"Courtney was the most amazing doula I could have ever wanted. From the moment I met her, she exuded this incredible calming presence that was so comforting. I knew that she was who I needed to support me and my husband during the birth of our son.

During our prenatal visits she provided a wealth of information and guidance to help us feel more prepared in welcoming our second child into our family. When my guess date came and went she stopped by again for another visit to help me talk out my frustrations and anxiety of the waiting game. A much needed therapy sess...

Did you know that you could possibly get reimbured for placenta encapsulation services through your Flex Spending Account? This is great news for moms and placenta encapsulation specialists everywhere! As a placenta specialist, this really excites me - this is an acknowledgement from insurance companies and care providers that placenta encapsulation really is helping women have smoother and healthier postpartums (which we already knew, of course!). And this is also really exciting for women out there who have flex spending accounts - this will really cut down on your out of poscket expenses, so you have one less thing to worry about financially while preparing for baby's arrival! So, how does it work??

First, you will need to ask your doctor or midwife to write you a prescription for "placenta encapsulation for postpartum wellness." I...