Client Testimonials
There is currently some exciting research going on at UNLV on placenta encapsulation. You can read more about the science and the ongoing studies in this article. Until we have some true empirical data the most compelling evidence we have about the benefits of placenta encapsulation comes from mothers who have taken placenta capsules themselves. These women have all had their placenta encapsulated in the traditional method with Hampton Roads Placenta Encapsulation. These are their experiences...
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"This was the best experience!!! I wanted to do this with all of my other children but it wasn't available. I planned on it my entire pregnancy and was so excited to try it. My post partum experience had always been awful especially at 6 weeks. Not this time. It was night and day. I was less worn out, emotional and know that it was because of encapsulation. The entire process was quick, clean and I loved watching her work. She answered every question, was polite and very informative. Even my husband kept looking around to see how it was done. I can't recommend this enough. Her, the process, all of it! - Jessika
"I never got the chance to meet Hillary as she & my husband took care of the whole process while I was still in the hospital. But she went "the extra mile" for us right around the time of a snow storm. We live in Newport News & it was quite a drive for her to make twice in one day. I had bad PPD/PPA after our daughter was born. Encapsulation was recommended by a friend. I'm 11 days post partum & the difference is tremendous. My supply is abundant. My mood & energy level have been high (well, as high as they can get with a newborn & an almost 2 yr old). I HIGHLY recommend Hillary to anyone who is expecting! Thank you Hillary! You've made a huge difference in our lives." - Sarah,
"Thanks to Hillary, my post-partum life has gone so smoothly! I suffered from depression for 6years, which started as ppd from my firstborn. I was on medication the whole time following his birth. As soon as I realized I was pregnant with my second, I stopped taking my medication and worried how I would handle the pregnancy. My pregnancy was rough, from a depression standpoint, but my body produced enough hormones to balance itself, for the most part. I was super afraid to damage my breastfeeding relationship with my newborn by taking anti-depressants, so I looked into other options to deal with ppd. I thought I'd give placenta encapsulation a try, seeing it was a huge fad on the internet and reading so many positive stories, and found Hillary's website. The process was super easy and her price is super reasonable -and so worth it! I haven't had a day of depression or baby blues (baby is currently 3months)! Hillary simply came to my house, brought all her supplies with her and got to work. All she required was counter space and a clean sink. She answered all of our silly questions and was very informative! My mom was there and watched in disgust and amazement thinking I was crazy to want to consume my placenta. My son, who is 6, was interested in what she was doing with my "leftovers", too. (My dad, a nurse of 26years, was surprised to find out that most mammals eat their placenta, so why not humans!? My whole family was super skeptical, but supportive.) She washed, printed, boiled, cut and placed the placenta in her dehydrator in about 1.25 hours! She left and kept the dehydrator on my counter all day, came back that evening, ground and encasulated it in less than an hour. I couldn't have been happier with her service OR my choice to encapsulate and will definitely do it for every child in the future!" - Samantha, Virginia Beach 
"I want to share with all the ladies who are considering placenta encapsulation what I have experienced. First off, it was not gross at all. Hillary came to my house, cleaned it, steamed it, dehydrated it, ground it and put it in the pills. It smelled nice and there was nothing to clean up. I never had to handle the placenta. The hospital put it in a ziplock and my hubs transported it to our fridge. Easy pease! I take two pills daily and I can tell a huge difference if I forget to take them. My milk supply seems lower, I become edgy (okay bitchy), and have no energy. As soon as I take them again those symptoms go away. I quit bleeding after 2 weeks! I have lost weight faster than I did last time. Seriously, if you are considering encapsulation... DO IT! You will not regret it." - Jessica, Chesapeake
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"I have had issues with depression in the past and was deeply concerned about how/if postpartum depression would affect me. When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I began reading information provided online regarding the benefits of placentophagy and I was willing to give it a try. The placenta is loaded with iron and vitamins B6 and B12, as well as estrogen and progesterone, both important postpartum hormones. I have been taking the capsules for almost two months and based on my history, I am very surprised at how emotionally well and balanced I feel. My energy level is high, despite waking up every two hours for feedings throughout the night. Hillary is fantastic! Professional and thorough, she answered questions that I didn't know I had. I would recommend placentophagy to everyone and will direct them to Hillary." - Jennifer, Norfolk
"What a lifesaver--I forgot to take my pills for a few days and just about fell apart (crying, anxiety, low supply, etc). My husband said "did you take your placenta pills?" Within a few hours I felt so much better and will continue them so we can all enjoy this postpartum time! Thank you Hillary!!!!" - Sarah K. , Portsmouth
"Having my placenta encapsulated was a new experience for me but decided to have it done with the birth of my third baby to help with the transition into the 4th trimester. Hillary was very professional and personable! She came to my home at times that were convenient for me, chatted with me about the process, provided her service and left without any trace that she was in my kitchen. I got some beautiful prints of the placenta and a cord keepsake that I will keep in my baby's keepsake box. I highly recommend her!" - Kimberly
"Thank you Hillary for the wonderful job you did for Rowan and I!! I knew that I would need placenta encapsulation after my first daughter and I battled with PPD. When I found out that you were able to do it for my next child I was so excited to book your services! I appreciate that you gave me every bit of information I needed at the beginning and kept our communication lines open. I'm so glad I was able to send you a text when I went into labor and you responded right away. My husband was so pleased with how quickly and discreetly you worked at our home while I was in the hospital and your flexible schedule. The information about how to use and when to use my placenta pills was perfect. I want to thank you for the beautiful prints you did for us. We have one framed and hanging !! Thank you again Hillary. Best of luck moving forward!" - Danielle, Hampton
"I highly recommend Hillary’s services to anyone who is expecting! My husband and Hillary took care of everything while I was still in the hospital. I started taking the capsules as soon as I was discharged and I could tell the difference compared to postpartum life with my first. I had PPD with our daughter, mood swings, low energy and patience. I’m 10 days postpartum and I didn’t experience baby blues, my energy is high, and my stress level is low. Thank you! This has been a positive experience!" -Amanda, Virginia Beach
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"I have currently been taking my placenta pills for 4 weeks. Let me begin by saying Hillary is an amazing, kind and very knowledgeable person. My family (My mother and sister) and I observed her creating the placenta pills, she explained every step and told us all the information as she went. It was nice to see the process and know it was in a sterile environment. These pills have been amazing for me. With my previous pregnancies, I did suffer from a mild form of PPD. This go-around I have not had any issues with PPD or a lack of interest. I have felt great! My milk supply is off the charts and my little girl is growing rapidly, my moods have been great as well. It has left me with more chances to bond with my little girl and plenty of energy to keep up with my busy life as a mother of 5. Thank you Hillary for your fantastic work." - Jilliane, Chesapeake
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"Everything is going great! We are so in love with our Owen. {Your back up provider} was fantastic! The prints are beautiful and I enjoyed chatting with her and having her share her expertise. Thank you for having her as a back up! I think the capsules really helped me. I was very emotional the first 2-3 weeks. Most of the tears were happy ones but I also had some anxiety. I could tell it was time to take another dose when I got teary and I felt better quickly after taking them. I'm planning to do it again for future pregnancies and will recommend it and you to my friends and family." - Christine, Newport News
"Thank you Hillary so so much! You are so sweet and professional, this was such a blessing to have done!" - Holly, Chesapeake
"I couldn't be more pleased! It was a fantastic and easy experience. Not to mention the benefits have been awesome! Just finished my capsules this morning actually . Seems like just yesterday I got home from the hospital with a full jar. Thank you Hilary! You are amazing at what you do! You'll be hearing from me again in a couple years hopefully" - Lindsey
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"I found numerous services for placenta encapsulation and Hillary, by far, seemed the most balanced - professional, organized, very prompt at returning calls and emails, kind, sincere and personable, flexible and accommodating, and her fees were very reasonable! Because of my struggles with depression even prior to becoming pregnant, I had done research about the benefits of consuming your placenta postpartum. I hoped to receive all the benefits possible but mostly desired to keep postpartum depression (PDD) away. I also planned on breastfeeding exclusively, which I do now, and hoped that I could safeguard myself against major problems with that. I also wanted my body to heal as fast as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed all the benefits of consuming my placenta! I had expected that my supply would last around 4-6 weeks. I've been taking anywhere from 1-4 pills a day. My son is almost 10 weeks old and I still have about 20 pills left! For the most part, depression seems like a thing of the past. My milk supply has been very abundant. I had some bumps in the road during the transitional milk period, but it was mainly because I was not eating enough to produce satisfactory milk. Whenever I reduced or increased how much of my placenta I took (1 pill twice a day v. 2 pills twice a day), I noticed a direct correlation with my milk supply and how satisfied my baby was with my milk. My son is breast fed exclusively. I nurse him full time and pump once a day and get anywhere from 6-11 oz. My body also recovered very well. I had a completely natural childbirth and never had to take any pain meds during or after labor, not even ibuprofen. I was able to start wearing a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes less than two weeks after my son was born, and I was able to stop wearing maternity clothes all together at 4.5 weeks postpartum. I did have a first degree tear from giving birth. The mild pain from that was completely gone by about 3 weeks post delivery. My bleeding had stopped completely by 5.5 weeks postpartum. And I had a completely normal/healthy 6-week postpartum check up. I've been able to resume regular intimacy with my husband, which we were very excited about because we celebrated our anniversary when our son was 8 weeks old! This is my first child, so I do not have anything else to compare this recovery time to, but I certainly expected it to be a lot harder. For the most part, I have been on top of the world! Naturally, I've had a few days that have been difficult adjusting to life with a newborn. But without consuming my placenta, I imagine that I would not have recovered physically as fast as I did, and I'm not sure how well breast feeding would have gone. I believe I would have fallen into PDD for sure if it had not been for Hillary's services. I was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating she made it and how easy it was for us. She was very respectful and congratulatory. She cleaned up so well, there was no sign of her even having been in my home except for the neat and clean jar of pills, a brochure, an endearing personal note from Hillary, and our sweet Malachi's umbilical cord dried into a heart for keepsake, which was left complimentary. It was like a fairy came while we were in the hospital and magically turned the afterbirth into a neat (and very useful!) little gift. I now refer to her as the placenta fairy! Whenever our small family grows, I will be contacting Hillary Westbrook immediately. I would never want to go through postpartum recovery without her services!" - Shandon, Chesapeake
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"Hillary kept in contact with me the whole way, answering all of my odd questions and responding in a timely manner. I should have done this with my first. The capsules have no taste or burp. Felt fantastic within a few days of taking them. She did the process while I was at the hospital recovering, and my husband was at the house. Thank you Hillary!" - Abbey, Virginia Beach 
"I've been taking my placenta pills for about three weeks now. The most noticeable effect is my mood. I have had issues with postpartum depression in the past, even getting close to postpartum psychosis after my first was born. The lack of sleep that comes with a newborn doesn't help. My mood has stayed pretty stable since I've started taking the pills regularly. I'm actually surprised based on my history at how emotionally well I feel. Another plus is my energy level- I'm nowhere near as tired as I expected to be caring for Paxton and running around after Gavin and Landon. I can make it through the day without needing a nap, and I've even been able to keep up with my routine of getting up earlier than the boys in the morning, even after waking up once or twice at night. I was also able to wean myself off the Percocet a few days after coming home from the hospital, and I was able to stop taking Motrin about a week after that. I made the mistake at the end of last week of not taking the pills a couple days in a row- by Sunday morning, I was moody, exhausted, and I could tell I wasn't making enough milk, either. I also had to go back to taking Motrin as I was starting to feel sore again." - Crystal, Virginia Beach
"I decided to hire Hillary because I researched the benefits of placenta encapsulation and, due to being disabled, sought someone to come to my residence to provide this service. Knowing that I could observe and know for certain that it was my placenta, and it would not get mixed up with someone else's was a great relief to me. I hoped to help my recovery be swifter, with better mood stability, as in my previous two births I had not been very well due to a history of depression/PTSD. While taking my placenta capsules I experienced more energy and a marked less amount of mood swings/disruptions. Hillary provided stellar service and I would recommend her to anyone considering placenta encapsulation." - Jasmine, Chesapeake
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These are direct testimonials from clients who have had their placentas encapsulated by Hillary.
