Entire Agreement
This agreement contains the entire understanding between The Nurtured Leaf, LLC and The Client. It supersedes all prior and simultaneous agreements between the parties. The only way to change or add to this agreement is to do so in writing with all the relevant parties signing provided document.
RESERVATION
Upon your signature and payment, The Nurtured Leaf, LLC will reserve the time surrounding your due date on our calendar. For this reason, the encapsulation deposit of $100 is non-refundable, even if the service is canceled for any reason. The $100 deposit is to be paid at the time of signing the Agreement Form.
PAYMENTS
The Client agrees that a Non-Refundable $100 deposit fee is required at the time of the acceptance of the Agreement Form. This deposit applies to your total placenta services purchase. Remaining balance is due upon pickup of the Placenta to The Nurtured Leaf, LLC for chosen Encapsulation Services. If the remaining balance payment is not paid in full upon delivery for services rendered and products purchased, a 1.5% daily late fee will incur, until the balance is paid in full.
METHOD OF PAYMENT
Payment may be made either by cash, check, Venmo or via a credit card. A $35 fee will be charged for all returned checks. A 3% Convenience Fee will be charged for all credit card payments.
TRAVEL
Travel time is included in the encapsulation fee for the Full Service Encapsulation Package unless over 30 miles from zip code 98022. Location will be agreed upon during booking and if location is farther than 30 miles, a travel fee of $25+ will be incurred depending on location. If there is a location change after the Agreement Form has been signed and it is out of the 30 mile radius, a fee will be charged.
CANCELLATION & REFUND
No refund is given for services canceled. If The Nurtured Leaf, LLC is unable to provide placenta services due to illness or is otherwise incapacitated, all efforts will be made to send a back-up specialist. Contract will then be taken over by the back-up specialist. If The Nurtured Leaf, LLC is unable to provide services and no back up specialist is available, the deposit will be refunded in full. It is The Client’s responsibility to get permission for release of the placenta from care provider. If The Client is unable to obtain the placenta or it is contaminated before release and unable to be consumed for any reason beyond The Nurtured Leaf, LLC's control, there is no refund of deposit. Once the client has called The Nurtured Leaf, LLC to come pick up the placenta, full payment is due. If the placenta was misplaced, not saved by care provider, or unusable; but The Nurtured Leaf LLC is already enroute to pickup, The Client will receive an invoice for $50 and the $100 deposit fee will remain non-refundable.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The Client will notify their care provider during a prenatal visit that they plan to keep their placenta. If they require a release form to be signed for the release of your placenta, they will provide you with one (hospital birth).
The Client agrees to contact The Nurtured Leaf, LLC as soon as labor begins and then again after baby is born. Please contact via text message if after 10pm or before 7am. Pickup hours are between 7 am and 7 pm. As long as The Client has contacted The Nurtured Leaf, LLC by 7 pm, their placenta will be picked up on the same day, otherwise a time will be arranged for the placenta to be picked up the following morning. The Client agrees to keep the placenta in their sight at all times to ensure it does not go to a lab where it could be contaminated by chemicals or other harmful substances rendering it unsafe for consumption. If the hospital must test the placenta, a small piece can be taken off the maternal side and sent to the lab, while the intact placenta is stored properly. The Client agrees to have the double bagged placenta placed in a refrigerator (home birth) or cooler with ice (hospital or birth center), within 4 hours of birth. If The Client has reserved services with The Nurtured Leaf, LLC within 3 weeks of their estimated due date, they will receive a provided placenta transportation kit. The Client is responsible for packing along the provided placenta transportation kit along with them, for the birth. If The Client has reserved services less than 3 weeks of their estimated due date, The Client is responsible for providing a cooler to properly store their placenta in. The placenta should sit out for no more than a maximum of 4 hours at room temperature. Ideally, please place it on ice or in a refrigerator within 1 hour of birth. If The Client is unable to contact The Nurtured Leaf, LLC within 3 days of the birth, The Client should freeze the placenta until they are ready for it to be picked up. A frozen placenta may take additional time to prepare, so that it can be safely thawed. The Client understands that the same post birth care instructions apply to C-Sections.
WASHINGTON STATE LEGALITIES
There are no State mandated regulations in Washington barring placental release or consumption. The place of birth may have policies and may require a release form. The Client is responsible for determining the policy of their birth place during pregnancy and informing the care provider that The Client plans to keep their placenta.
RISKS OF PLACENTA CONSUMPTION
The Client understands the risks of placenta consumption are the same as dining out in a restaurant where the food is prepared for you. Other risks may include: placenta being switched with another placenta that is not The Client’s at the hospital; placenta contamination with chemicals at the hospital pathology laboratory; and contamination during transport (either by hospital or The Client failing to store properly).
BENEFITS OF PLACENTA CONSUMPTION
The Client acknowledges the following benefits of placentophagia:
• Preventing and lessening the risk of postpartum depression or “baby blues”
• Replenishing iron from blood loss during birth and prevention of post birth anemia in the mother
• Lending a consistent flow of oxytocin (the love hormone) long after the birth euphoria ends
• Provides the HPL hormone to help establish early and healthy milk supply for breastfeeding
• Stabilizes constantly fluctuating hormones post birth
• Replenishes B vitamins and energy that were used during the labor and birth process
• Protection from infection and bleeding due to retained placenta tissue or membranes
• Offers natural pain relief from the labor and birth process via the hormone POEF (placenta opioid enhancing factor)
WAIVER OF LIABILITY
The Client understands that choosing to encapsulate their placenta is not intended to prevent or treat any physical or mental diseases, ailments or symptoms and that The Client is choosing to consume their placenta for their own personal beliefs, whether it is spiritual or cultural.
The Client acknowledges that The Nurtured Leaf, LLC has provided concrete information about the benefits and risks of placenta encapsulation and has read all included documents. The Client understands that the placenta has been handled and encapsulated according to OSHA and WA Food Safety and Handling standards, has been rinsed with clean water, steamed (if this preparation method has been chosen), dehydrated and put into capsule form in a sanitary and disinfected work space. Upon receiving placenta capsules or other placenta products, The Client waives any and all rights to hold The Nurtured Leaf, LLC and Alecia Smith responsible for any undesired effect of consuming the capsules.
The Client does not hold The Nurtured Leaf, LLC or Alecia Smith responsible or liable for any transport mishap that is beyond their/her control (ex: car accident or detainment). The Client understands that the placenta will be prepared in The Nurtured Leaf, LLC's dedicated workspace and returned to The Client as soon as their chosen package has been completed. Preparation usually takes 2 days.
The Client understands that if they are positive for STD’s, placenta preparation will take place in their home. If placenta is prepared in The Nurtured Leaf, LLC's dedicated workspace, The Client places full trust and acknowledgement that it is being handled in a sanitary and safe environment.
The Client understands that upon receiving placenta capsules and products, The Nurtured Leaf, LLC and Alecia Smith are no longer liable, including but not limited to any other persons ingesting The Client’s placenta.
DISCLAIMER
Alecia Smith/The Nurtured Leaf, LLC is not a licensed medical professional and is not able to diagnose, treat or prescribe for any health condition. Services and fees are for the preparation and encapsulation of The Client's placenta, not for the sale of the capsules. No specific benefits or effects are promised. Any benefits will vary from person to person. Some of the ascribed benefits of placenta consumption are supported by research; however these benefits have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is The Client's responsibility to determine whether using placenta preparations may be of benefit to them.
The Client should always speak to their care provider regarding any questions about health, safety and well-being. Placenta services are not meant to be a replacement for medical advice or prescription medicines. If The Client is experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, low milk supply, or other medical concerns, The Client should speak to their midwife or doctor.
