Giving Birth To The Placenta

The placenta sustained your baby’s life while inside you. It is a fascinating part in the component of the whole birthing process. The third stage is fairly unexciting for most. While you’re holding your baby your health care provider might remind you to push gently to help expel the placenta. In this stage you might feel indescribable joy, empowered, birthing “high”, contractions and involuntary shaking.

What Happens During The Delivery Of The Placenta?

Birthing The Placenta

Giving Birth To The Placenta

After the delivery of your baby, contraction will still continue, but they will not be as uncomfortable as the contractions you felt while you were in labour. The birth attendant can help by gently massaging your lower abdomen. The uterus will feel like a hard round mass. Massaging the abdomen helps the uterus contract, which also helps stop bleeding. The placenta will separate from the wall of the uterus. As the placenta descends through the birth canal, you will again feel the urge to bear down and will push out the placenta. As this occurs, your doctor or birth attendant may tell you to bear down, and the placenta will be delivered. The placenta is usually birthed within 15–30 minutes of the after the baby is born.

Signs Of Placenta’s Separation From The Wall Of The Uterus

  • A sudden gush of blood
  • Lengthening of the umbilical cord.
  • The uterus, which is usually soft and flat immediately after delivery, becomes round and firm.
  • The uterus, the top of which is usually about half-way between the pubic bone and the umbilicus, seems to enlarge and approach the umbilicus.

If all or parts of the placenta or membranes are left behind in the uterus (womb), or if the patient hemorrhages while awaiting delivery of the placenta, this is called a “retained placenta” and it should be manually removed.

If the placenta is completely expelled, the doctor will inspect it to make sure it is unbroken and no fragments are left inside your uterus. You may want to ask your birth attendant to show it to you. Check the maternal and fetal sides, the umbilical cord attachment, and the blood vessels.

  • The placenta averages 22 cm (9 inch) in length and 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1 inch) in thickness (greatest thickness at the centre and become thinner peripherally). It typically weighs approximately 500 grams (1 lb). It has a dark reddish-blue or maroon colour.

After the placenta is delivered and checked, place it in a plastic bag if the woman wishes to have it or if not; just place it in a container intended for placentas.

Conditions Affecting The Delivery Of The Placenta

There are certain problems associated with the placenta during pregnancy. Some of these problems can be quite severe and may cause a threat for you and your baby. Your health care provider will monitor you regularly for signs of these placental problems:

Placental Abruption

Placental abruption is quite common during pregnancy. Most often, it occurs during the third trimester. It occurs when the placenta begins to detach from the uterine wall before the actual labor and delivery. Placental abruption can be full or partial, and increases your chances of experiencing a preterm delivery. When serious, placental abruption can deprive your baby of much-needed oxygen and nutrients, leading to a stillbirth.

Placenta Previa

It occurs when the placenta is located very low in the uterus, covering your cervix. As a result, it stops your baby from easily entering the birth canal during labor and delivery. As with placental abruption, placenta previa can be full or partial. Possible complications of placental abruption include vaginal bleeding and preterm delivery.

Placenta Accreta

It is a rare type of placental problem. It occurs when the placenta attaches too tightly to the uterine wall, making it impossible to separate. Occasionally, placenta accreta can result in uterine rupture or bleeding.

Beliefs About The Placenta

  • Africa: In certain African nations, the placenta is swaddled in blankets and buried beneath a tree. This tree symbolizes ongoing life.
  • China: The Chinese view the placenta as a life-giving force. Therefore, it is dried and added to certain placenta recipes in order to increase a person’s energy and vitality.
  • Indonesia: The placenta is seen as the baby’s twin or elder sibling. This placenta will act as the child’s guardian angel throughout life. Therefore, it must be treated well, and is buried according to specific traditions. It is the father’s responsibility to clean, wraps, and bury the placenta on the day of the birth.