The purpose of this course is to inform our Doulas, and through them, the mothers they serve, of the options they have for showing reverence and respect for the placenta, the marvelous organ that nourished their baby during their pregnancy.

In this course, we will teach you about the development of the placenta and how it works. We will be going through it’s functions in great detail, examining each of the important hormones that regulate the pregnancy.

For many women, the thought of this marvelous organ that supported their baby being discarded as “medical waste” after the birth is distasteful. Some have a desire to give it a respectful burial, to use it to make keepsakes of the pregnancy and birth or to give it back to the Earth by using it to plant a placenta tree. All of these are wonderful options that are discussed in this course.

The Madriella Doula Network does not offer a course in Placenta Encapsulation, also known as Maternal placentophagy, the postpartum ingestion of the placenta by the mother. This course is NOT a Certification in Placenta Encapsulation.