WELCOME
Thank you for your booking with Under the Birch Tree.
I am honoured to process your Natural Postpartum Magic and support you as you need through your postpartum.
Below I will elaborate on everything you need to know about this service, and how the private hospitals work on the Gold Coast. John Flynn, Gold Coast Private & Pindara, are all wonderful and very supportive of myself and Under the Birch Tree. You will be able to store your placenta in their dedicated placenta fridges at each of our private hospitals.
If you have further questions, please do seek the answers by texting or calling me on 0418 116244.
Warm regards,
Sam Birch
I am honoured to process your Natural Postpartum Magic and support you as you need through your postpartum.
Below I will elaborate on everything you need to know about this service, and how the private hospitals work on the Gold Coast. John Flynn, Gold Coast Private & Pindara, are all wonderful and very supportive of myself and Under the Birch Tree. You will be able to store your placenta in their dedicated placenta fridges at each of our private hospitals.
If you have further questions, please do seek the answers by texting or calling me on 0418 116244.
Warm regards,
Sam Birch
PREPARE YOUR PLACENTA STORAGE ASAP
It's important to gather the few items you will need and to print off the Label and Care Doc as soon as you can after booking, so that it is ready and in your hospital bag if you birth sooner than expected. It will be one less thing to think about at the time.
Please ensure you do read the Care Document so that you are aware of how your placenta MUST be cared for after birth to ensure it is in a safe condition to consume.
Some of it may seem over the top, but, you need to think of your placenta as food, the hospital is full of pathogens and we need to ensure none of those find their way to your placenta, risking the health of you and your new babe.
The items you will need:
2 x large size, food safe, zip loc bags
The better quality ones are best as the cheap ones tend to leak, they should be around the size of an A4 piece of paper.
These ones are available at Woolworths ( https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/147840/hercules-resealable-large-storage-bags ) any similar will do; Ikea, Glad etc
Your placenta is around the size of a small plate (average) to a dinner plate (large) and is about the thickness of a cheese pizza to a baked cheese cake, although it is very floppy. All sizes, including fused twin placentas will fit in this size bag.
When the midwife completes her checks she will place only your placenta safely into the two ziplock bags, double bagging is part of the FSMS (Food Safety Management System) & traveling with Biological substances regulations.
1 x 2-4L Sealable container (you will not get this back, square or rectangle are best)
The important things about the container. Be sure it isn't too big. 2-4L is perfect and will fit in the collection esky when I come to collect it. The lid needs to seal nice and tightly and can hold liquid if upside down.
It doesn't need to be new, just clean, after storing your bagged placenta it will house the waste from the service and be disposed of. The entire waste from each placenta process fits in its container for disposal, read more in the Client Information Hub.
A clean 2-4L protein powder/yogurt/ice-cream tub or any large sealable food tub is fine too, recycle if you can, just check it is clean, water tight and the label can be attached.
A water tight, fully sealed container is part of the FSMS (Food Safety Management System) & traveling with Biological substances regulations.
1 x Label
The Label is the bridge between your midwife and myself, it ensures I get accurate information to ensure your service is as safely as possible. When I come to collect your placenta your midwife may be long gone and you might not know or remember the few important details needed.
Print (or write the same details on some paper if you can't get to a printer), fill out your details, cut it out and stick it onto the lid of your container. Find the Label here.
1 x Care Document
The Care document, will need to be printed to place inside the container with the ziplock bags ready for your midwife, after you have birthed your placenta. It gives your midwife the guidelines if she has not packed a placenta for Under the Birch Tree before, my phone number is also on there if she has any questions at the time. Most Gold Coast Midwives, Obstetricians and other birth workers are very supportive of my highly professional service and have worked along side me for many years, they understand and know how it all works, there'll always be emerging professionals and those that come from other places that won't have.
Unfortunately there are an odd few that do not want you to use your placenta, and let's just say they can make or break this service very easily by not following the Care Guidelines specifically for Placenta Services. They are trained in pathogens yes, but they are not trained in food safety.
1 x Cooler Bag (you will keep)
An insulated bag that will fit your placenta container and ice bricks or a large zip bag of ice. There are placenta storage fridges at all private hospitals, however I highly recommend still taking a small cooler bag and being prepared if it is not an option at the time or for taking your placenta home on ice if heading home before collection. A grocery store cooler bag is fine for this.
Pack everything up and place it in your hospital bag ready to go when the magic begins.
You should have the placenta storage container with label filled out and attached to the lid, your two zip loc bags for your placenta inside the container with a copy of the Care Document. It should look like this.
If paying by cash be sure not to put the cash in the container your placenta will go in for sanitary reasons.
Please ensure you do read the Care Document so that you are aware of how your placenta MUST be cared for after birth to ensure it is in a safe condition to consume.
Some of it may seem over the top, but, you need to think of your placenta as food, the hospital is full of pathogens and we need to ensure none of those find their way to your placenta, risking the health of you and your new babe.
The items you will need:
2 x large size, food safe, zip loc bags
The better quality ones are best as the cheap ones tend to leak, they should be around the size of an A4 piece of paper.
These ones are available at Woolworths ( https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/147840/hercules-resealable-large-storage-bags ) any similar will do; Ikea, Glad etc
Your placenta is around the size of a small plate (average) to a dinner plate (large) and is about the thickness of a cheese pizza to a baked cheese cake, although it is very floppy. All sizes, including fused twin placentas will fit in this size bag.
When the midwife completes her checks she will place only your placenta safely into the two ziplock bags, double bagging is part of the FSMS (Food Safety Management System) & traveling with Biological substances regulations.
1 x 2-4L Sealable container (you will not get this back, square or rectangle are best)
The important things about the container. Be sure it isn't too big. 2-4L is perfect and will fit in the collection esky when I come to collect it. The lid needs to seal nice and tightly and can hold liquid if upside down.
It doesn't need to be new, just clean, after storing your bagged placenta it will house the waste from the service and be disposed of. The entire waste from each placenta process fits in its container for disposal, read more in the Client Information Hub.
A clean 2-4L protein powder/yogurt/ice-cream tub or any large sealable food tub is fine too, recycle if you can, just check it is clean, water tight and the label can be attached.
A water tight, fully sealed container is part of the FSMS (Food Safety Management System) & traveling with Biological substances regulations.
1 x Label
The Label is the bridge between your midwife and myself, it ensures I get accurate information to ensure your service is as safely as possible. When I come to collect your placenta your midwife may be long gone and you might not know or remember the few important details needed.
Print (or write the same details on some paper if you can't get to a printer), fill out your details, cut it out and stick it onto the lid of your container. Find the Label here.
1 x Care Document
The Care document, will need to be printed to place inside the container with the ziplock bags ready for your midwife, after you have birthed your placenta. It gives your midwife the guidelines if she has not packed a placenta for Under the Birch Tree before, my phone number is also on there if she has any questions at the time. Most Gold Coast Midwives, Obstetricians and other birth workers are very supportive of my highly professional service and have worked along side me for many years, they understand and know how it all works, there'll always be emerging professionals and those that come from other places that won't have.
Unfortunately there are an odd few that do not want you to use your placenta, and let's just say they can make or break this service very easily by not following the Care Guidelines specifically for Placenta Services. They are trained in pathogens yes, but they are not trained in food safety.
1 x Cooler Bag (you will keep)
An insulated bag that will fit your placenta container and ice bricks or a large zip bag of ice. There are placenta storage fridges at all private hospitals, however I highly recommend still taking a small cooler bag and being prepared if it is not an option at the time or for taking your placenta home on ice if heading home before collection. A grocery store cooler bag is fine for this.
Pack everything up and place it in your hospital bag ready to go when the magic begins.
You should have the placenta storage container with label filled out and attached to the lid, your two zip loc bags for your placenta inside the container with a copy of the Care Document. It should look like this.
If paying by cash be sure not to put the cash in the container your placenta will go in for sanitary reasons.
BIRTHING YOUR PLACENTA
Birthing your placenta is often assisted with an injection of syntocinon, it has been routine for many years and still at times given without consult or mention to the mother. There is no known issue with having the injection and consuming your placenta, it is simply a case of less is better when it comes to drugs. Most drugs used in labour are generally safe unless there is an unusual situation they are treating.
Ensure that you birth the placenta onto a clean surface, the toilet is not an ideal place for this if you are going to consume your placenta. Your midwife or doula may suggest it and offer a safe way to do it, I don' t recommend you do, too many make contact with the toilet and have been contaminated, it's a hospital toilet, it's just not safe.
Ensure that you birth the placenta onto a clean surface, the toilet is not an ideal place for this if you are going to consume your placenta. Your midwife or doula may suggest it and offer a safe way to do it, I don' t recommend you do, too many make contact with the toilet and have been contaminated, it's a hospital toilet, it's just not safe.
PACKING YOUR PLACENTA AFTER MIDWIFE INSPECTION
Once your placenta arrives the midwife will examine it, this is to ensure all of the placenta and membranes are present and there is nothing left behind. If you ask, she will give you a tour; I highly recommend it. If you are getting keepsakes or photos, ask that they don't separate the membranes over the disc, it distorts the clarity of the vessels once they are separated and the details aren't as crisp and clear.
Ask that she follows the Care Document and fills in the label for you and put it in the fridge asap ready to be collected.
Ask that she follows the Care Document and fills in the label for you and put it in the fridge asap ready to be collected.
BIRTHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
Please still send the good news text even if it is late at night. First thing in the morning I'll plan when I can get to you. I usually try to get there around 8-9am, however, I won't come until I have a response from you in case you are getting some rest.
COLLECTION
If you have arranged for me to come and collect from the hospital, send a text soon after you have birthed the placenta, there is no big rush so have your time, the most magical moments!
Let me know if there were any issues with the birth, you or baby and what room you are in.
I will come to your bedside to see you to fill out the forms. At John Flynn and GC private I will go and get your placenta from the fridge for you, the midwife will cross check the container label and my collection form details. At Pindara you will need to buzz the midwife to get your placenta and bring it to your room where she will hand it to you and you will need to hand it to me.
The time limit for collection is within 2 days of birth, the process must start by 72 hours from birth maximum.
Your first capsule dose begins after your milk comes in to allow that process to happen naturally and avoid supply issues.
Let me know if there were any issues with the birth, you or baby and what room you are in.
I will come to your bedside to see you to fill out the forms. At John Flynn and GC private I will go and get your placenta from the fridge for you, the midwife will cross check the container label and my collection form details. At Pindara you will need to buzz the midwife to get your placenta and bring it to your room where she will hand it to you and you will need to hand it to me.
The time limit for collection is within 2 days of birth, the process must start by 72 hours from birth maximum.
Your first capsule dose begins after your milk comes in to allow that process to happen naturally and avoid supply issues.