80% of new moms suffer from the baby blues after their baby arrives.  20% of new moms will go on to suffer from postpartum depression.  Researchers have found that a blood test may identify which new moms have a high risk of developing the sometimes debilitating condition known as postpartum depression.

Women with a history of depression may have a predisposition to postpartum depression, but there is no real way to identify which moms will go on to suffer from PPD after the birth of the babies.  However, that all could change very soon.

“But in a small study of 52 pregnant women described in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found changes in certain genes, which they could pick up in the blood, that distinguished women who went on to suffer from postpartum from those who did not. The genetic changes were epigenetic modifications, which means they were not permanent alterations in the women’s genomes but instead reflected differences in the way these genes were activated…They found that estrogen, which increases during pregnancy, triggers changes in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that’s responsible for memory and mood, and that two genes were affected in particular. Not much was known about these snippets of DNA, except that they played some role in processes that are important for regulating mood — such as adapting to new environments and reorganizing neural circuits to make such accommodations possible.

It turned out the same genes were affected in women who experienced postpartum depression as well, and Kaminsky and his colleagues believe that the genes made the women more sensitive to the dramatic drop in estrogen that occurred after birth. Without the estrogen, the genes may not have been as active, which could have contributed to the depressed mood that these women felt following delivery. Based on the levels of compounds made by these genes that could be picked up in the blood, these two genetic markers predicted with 85% accuracy which pregnant women went on to develop postpartum depression, and which ones did not.” (Source)

By testing expecting mothers during their pregnancies, high-risk women can be identified and receive the support and treatment they need so that may be able to prevent the condition from being a long term problem.

Kandace Beck, Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist serving the entire state of Oklahoma, lives in Yukon with her husband and 2 boys. She is honored to be serving the women of Oklahoma and knows first hand the benefits placenta encapsulation can provide for a new mother.

“I did not encapsulate my 1st sons placenta. I had horrible postpartum depression and it took me months to come out of it. When my 2nd son was conceived I knew there had to be something out there to help. I spoke with my healthcare provider who suggested several antidepressants which is not what I was hoping for. I came across a receipt to encapsulate my own placenta. After taking my pills I quickly realized the positive effects that it had on my postpartum well being, not to mention I was able to breastfeed much easier. I did not know that a professional could have completed the encapsulation even better then what I did. I am now happy to provide women this service and allow them the same positive experience that I had.” -Kandace Beck

Welcome Kandace!

Isn’t it amazingly convenient that you can go to the drug store and pick up an easy-to-use pregnancy test at the first signs that you may be pregnant OR even a few days after ovulation?  And how nice is it that the simple stick isn’t complicated and gives anxious and eager women results within minutes?! 

In the 1970’s women had to test with what seemed like a chemistry set.  From what I understand, these tests were messy and weren’t very user friendly.  It wasn’t until the late 1980’s that “stick technology” was introduced by E.P.T., and finally, the 90’s that the one-step test that we use today came along.

All of these methods were a vast improvement over what was used in the 1930’s.  Less than 100 years ago, FROGS were used to detect pregnancy! Between 1930 and 1950, thousands of African Clawed Frogs were imported all over the world to be used to determine pregnancy, now known as the xenopus pregnancy test.  So how did it work, you ask?

Doctors would ship the urine samples of women suspecting pregnancy to frog labs.  The urine sample would be injected into the hind leg of the female frog and if the frog had laid eggs by morning, the owner of the urine sample was pregnant.  The frogs’ response to the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, is to ovulate.  As crazy as this sounds, it is actually an improvement over what was previously used.

“Prior to Xenopus, female mice and rabbits had been used, but these had to be slaughtered, dissected and carefully examined for ovarian changes. Because toads were reusable and could be conveniently kept in aquaria, Xenopus made pregnancy testing practical on a larger scale than before.” (source: smithsonian.com)

I know that makes me a little more thankful for the modern “stick technology” and I’m sure the frogs are too!

The PBi Network of Specialists would like to welcome Rachel Doster.  Rachel is a childbirth educator and a doula student who lives in Northern VA with her husband and 2 girls.  Rachel did not experience the benefits of placentophagy after her first birth, but became familiar with the idea through her students.  She decided to encapsulate after her second birth and had terrific results.

“I had tons of energy and milk.  What really surprised me was I felt a bit “off” if I skipped a day.  I feel strongly about the positive impact it can have on a woman’s postpartum recovery.  I am very happy to be able to offer this service to other women.” -Rachel

If you live in the Northern Virginia, Washington DC area and are considering encapsulation contact Rachel!

The PBi Network of Specialists would like to welcome Rena Figures.  Rena is a homebirth midwife serving the women of Topeka, KS.  After hearing wonderful testimonials about placenta encapsulation from her clients, Rena decided to train with PBi so that she could offer women this amazing service.

If you are in the Topeka community and would like to discuss placenta for postpartum recovery, contact Rena.

Good news came this week for Oregon moms who wish to use their placentas for postpartum recovery. The Oregon Senate approved a bill allowing mothers to take their baby’s placentas home, despite the state law labeling placentas as medical waste.

“The state Senate unanimously approved the bill Monday, as the House did in March. The bill goes to Gov. John Kitzhaber. The governor’s spokesman Tim Raphael says Kitzhaber anticipates signing the bill, but will review it first.

Under current state law, hospitals are prohibited from releasing hazardous medical waste, which includes human placentas. Oregon hospitals, however, have allowed mothers to take home their placentas for cultural and religious reasons.” (source)

We commend the state of Oregon for allowing this bill to get to the governor’s desk.  It looks like Oregon moms have something to celebrate!

Approximately 14% of pregnant women suffer from depression.  Some women, worried about the effects taking medication will have on the fetus, may avoid taking their antidepressants.  However, a study determined that acupuncture is a valid alternative therapy and reduces depressive symptoms.

“The study included 150 pregnant women diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Some received depression-specific acupuncture treatments, others had needles inserted in acupuncture points not known to relieve depression, and a third group received massage therapy.

All of the women received therapy for eight weeks and were interviewed at the four- and eight-week marks by someone who did not know which treatment they were getting.

The researchers say 63% of the women who received depression-specific acupuncture reported a significant reduction in symptoms, compared to 44% of women in the other two groups combined. Remission rates were not significantly lower in the depression-specific acupuncture group compared to the other two groups.” (Hendrick 2010)

This is great news for women suffering from perinatal depression and looking for a holistic approach for treatment!

Tara Crow-deSteiguer, mom of 4, is a Labor & Delivery nurse who has a passion for holistic healing and natural alternatives.  With more than 15-years experience serving mothers and babies, Tara is thrilled to be adding the title Placenta Encapsulation Specialist to her resume.

“I feel lucky and honored to be able to offer my services to all new mothers looking to aid in the healing and recovery time known as the postpartum period. I believe that all mothers should have the ability to learn about the benefits of their placenta during the pregnancy and after delivery. My objective is to help make the postpartum experience more peaceful.  I believe through education and teaching this can happen and the results can be a better Babymoon.” -Tara Crow-deSteiguer

If you are expecting and living in Central Oklahoma, contact Tara to discuss placenta encapsulation services.

photo source

Researchers from UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine have concluded that probiotics can change the brain activity and emotional responses of women. The researchers at UCLA divided 36 women into 3 groups.  Each group was given either fermented milk with probiotics, milk without probiotics, or no milk at all.  MRI scans were performed prior to the study and again after 4-weeks of placebo or probiotic milk.

“After the four weeks, those women who drank the probiotic milk had significantly different brain activity changes. Their task-related responses increased, and their activity within the sensory cortex regions changed, which was dramatically illustrated during rest periods. Their midbrain connectivity increased, which the researchers concluded probably explained their task-related response increases.

Their altered brain activity also illustrated changes in the brain signaling pathways for emotional responses among the women.

The probiotics in the fermented milk included Bifidobacterium animalis, Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Lactococcus lactis. Each of these species has been shown in other clinical studies to improve health among other organs and tissue regions of the body.

Research has also connected the gut’s probiotics to the brain via a conduit between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is located in the abdominal region around the digestive tract. Many of our neurotransmitters are produced in this region and the neurons relay mind-body responses between the gut and the brain stem.” (Adams 2013)

So I guess it’s true what they say; your gut really is your second brain.

Jamie Frisch’s birth and postpartum was a joyous and incredible experience.  Because of placenta encapsulation,  Jamie’s postpartum experience and transition into motherhood was relatively smooth and she felt balanced and well throughout.  Jamie attributes the iron content in her placenta capsules to her amazing and speedy recovery after a postpartum hemorrhage.

“I hemorrhaged after birthing the placenta but did not have any adverse effects from losing a large amount of blood, because I drank the broth loaded with iron. I had a couple mood swings, sure, but nothing that didn’t pass in a short amount of time or with a few encouraging words from my husband.” -Jamie

Jamie lives in Madison with her husband and daughter, Harper.  They love the outdoors and travel and are passionate about eating and shopping locally.

Jamie is thrilled to be offering placenta encapsulation services to the women of Madison, WI.  To learn more about Jamie and her services, you can visit her website.