You just a baby.
As your trusted placenta encapsulator I assure you the last thing on your mind is how you’re going to store leftover placenta capsules months from now. You are so excited (like really, really excited!) and also tired (like so, so tired!) and not only did you not retain anything your encapsulator told you, you also misplaced the instruction booklet amongst the hundreds (literally, hundreds!) pieces of paper that accompany a new baby (coupons, baby cards, gift cards, weeks of unopened mail, medical docs … you know what I mean, right?).
All of a sudden, it’s nine months later.
You’re returning to a new normal (maybe? sort of? at least pretending to?), and you come across your leftover placenta caps.
Now what?
I tell my clients that I hope they’ll use up their caps in the first 6-8 weeks postpartum. This is not to say that they will not be useful later than that, but we suspect the experienced benefit is greater when your body is going through the greatest hormanal change.
But sometimes?
Sometimes capsules get forgotten in the crazy. Sometimes a placenta is amazingly ginormous and there are just more caps than are needed. Whatever the reason for leftover caps, there comes the inevitable question:
How should I store my capsules long-term?
Once you are not taking your capsules regularly, double-bag them in freezer bags. I always include a desiccant pack in my clients’ capsule bottle so be sure to include that if you have one.
Then, store the bagged capsules in the back of the freezer (use a deep freezer if you have one) which minimizes the risk of capsules being subjected to temperature changes. When capsules are subjected to temperature change (as can happen in locations like freezer doors, bathrooms, or the kitchen) this can lead to moisture; moisture can lead to mold; mold leads to them being unusable.
That’s how to store your leftover placenta capsules.
One more thing.
Assuming your capsules have been processed properly (this means working with an encapsulator that uses food-safe protocols and proper equipment for dehydrating), mold will not magically appear.
Oh no!, you say. I’ve had my caps in my fridge for the past three years! Or, they’ve been sitting in my cabinet for the past eight months! Are they ruined?
My advice? Inspect your capsules. Open one up if you need to. If you see mold, toss ’em. If they smell spoiled (which is different from smelling ‘like placenta’), toss ’em. But if they look and smell fine and you feel comfortable to take them, use those babies.
We suspect that the quality of placenta capsules will degrade over time, especially at colder temperatures. Think of meat that is stored in the freezer for a year or more. You can still eat it with freezer burn, but it probably doesn’t taste so great or have a ton of nutrients left. Focus on using those capsules within a few months of giving birth to experience greater benefits from your placenta pills.
