Once baby has been born the third stage of labour begins;
birthing the placenta
The following are some insights into the third stage of Labour, Once you have birthed your baby and until your placenta arrives is the third stage of Labour, in most hospital settings their policies often require you to have birthed your placenta within 1 hour of birth before people begin to push for a "Managed third stage", In a home birth set up there tends to be less time constraints. If you birth with a Homebirth Midwife, they will have a synto injection available or request you to transfer to hospital if they become concerned.
The placenta is about the size of a salad plate and 1 inch thick, they can vary in size and thickness, it has a beautiful tree of life pattern made up by the blood vessels and the umbilical cord, and is surrounded by the amniotic sac which is actually 2 sacs very close together which keep baby inside the sac of waters; this is the fetal side, the maternal side is where the placenta "interlocks" into the wall of the mothers uterus( this is what needs to slowly release for the placenta to come away and be birthed) and is why we bleed postnatally, the after birth contractions once the placenta is born are working to contract the uterus back into a tight ball if you will, as to prevent excess bleeding and to allow the wound from the placenta to heal and the blood vessels to seal. If you notice your postnatal bleeding beginning to increase this may be a sign that you are overexerting yourself and need more rest, it can also be a sign of infection and retained product so its important to pay attention your body and seek guidance when you feel concerned.
The fetal side of the placenta
Points for you as the Birthing Mother to research and consider:
Managed or Physiological birth of placenta,
Long term research of affects of Syntocinon(Synthetic Oxytocin)
Delayed Cord Clamping,
What to do with your placenta; Keep, Discard, Plant or Consume?
Healing post postpartum, postpartum mood disorders (PPMD), postpartum support, utilizing yoni steaming.
Write a Birth Plan (Read about this on our next blog post)
Managed third stage of labour: birth of placenta:
an injection is given immediately after birth which is a mixture of synthetic hormones, the injection is given into the thigh
cord traction will be applied due to the injection bringing the risk to the cervix closing too soon before the placenta is expelled, in the case of the cervix closing too soon it would lead to needing surgery and manual removal which baby couldnt be with you, during.
cord traction is where the cord is pulled to "encourage the placenta to release"
cord traction is often painful and can lead to hemorrhage and retained placenta products.
Research further to make your own informed decision!
Birthing the placenta without any interference.
Tips for a physiological third stage (placenta birth)
delayed cord clamping, the baby being able to attain all the placental blood encourages the placenta to come away from the uterine wall.
skin on skin contact helps boost OXYCONTIN which can help placenta removal
nipple stimulation to help uterine contraction to expel placenta
releasing your bladder and having a bowel movement may help expel the placenta
a gentle cough and/or push may help expel the placenta
a few drops of tincture or homeopathic remedy may help expel the placenta
You can simply wait, (Anecdotal evidence suggests the placenta can take upwards of 8+ hours after the birth to emerge, without incident.
Research further to make you own informed decision
Birthing the placenta has been described as birthing a jellyfish, the placenta is soft and squishy and tend to slide out with ease.
TIP* If you decide you would like to aim for a physiological 3rd stage, it is helpful to let your healthcare providers know this, ask them to state it in your file AND create your own Birth plan document, which can be taped to the hospital birth room door, put into your fil once given to your care providers and kept on hand during the birth, You can also verbally remind your care providers as well as ask them to repeat back to you or confirm their understanding of your birth plan/birth map goals.
I recently attend a free birth where the placenta took 6 hours to be birthed, mum didn’t lose a drop of blood in this time, she recovered beautifully, what I’m hearing from the wider birth community is that this is common when attending free births, which goes to show that when we leave birth alone, respect it and do not disturb, that our bodies know the way.
What to do with your placenta?
You have options: if you’re unsure of what you would like to do you can take your placenta home and freeze it while you decide!
You can plant your placenta under a tree, in a special place, or in a pot under a favourite plant, some people like to have a planting and or naming ceremony to celebrate their new baby! (Remember to plant your placenta and place soil on top of it before placing the plant on top as the richness can sometimes be too much for a plant.
Many cultures practice placenta traditions, it is believed that planting babies placenta ensures babe will always be connected to Mother Earth, feeling grounded and connected to their life path, Different Balinese tribes believe in planting the placenta in different places to bring good health and fortune to the child, a beautiful book to read about this is "Placenta the forgotten Chakra"
You can ask your family what their cultural practices where regarding birth and the placenta prior to colonization and then decide what feels right for your family.
Consuming your placenta, if you are thinking about encapsulation but haven't booked then you must keep your placenta on ice or in the fridge within 2 hours of birth and its best to freeze it within 24 hours if you can’t organize an encapsulation specialist straight away, this way you can still encapsulate once you have booked in with a specialist. Some people eat their placenta raw, cook it in meals and add it to smoothies, encapsulation is a more palatable option as it is cleaned processed and placed into capsules and returned with helpful storage and consumption information. *NOTE; when booking in for placenta Encapsulation make sure you research the care provider you wish to go with and make sure they are qualified and insured, you only get one chance with your placenta!
A placenta that isn't written into the birth plan will be “thrown into the bin”/ incinerated at the hospital.
Speak to your care providers and also research further!
trust your instincts
Delayed Cord Clamping:
When the umbilical cord is left intact up to 1/3 of the babies total blood volume has the chance to pump back into babies body, where as if the umbilical cord was clamped and cut immediately and in some case a few minutes after birth then baby would miss out of that blood which includes much needed and precious stem cells, iron and nutrients, to assist baby in their transition earth side.
WHO aka World Health Organization now recommends delayed cord clamping even from premature and sick infants needing immediate/emergency care. Read more here: Optimal timing of cord clamping for the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia in infants https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/cord-clamping
Research, Research, Research!!!!
You'll be given the option of cord blood banking, you'll have to decide what's more important, baby receiving their full blood volume or someone taking it and storing it for potential research.
Healing post postpartum:
Postpartum support:
Investing in yourself, your relationship and your new baby by asking for help! Have you considered a postpartum doula or asking a family member to stay and help for a few weeks, or asking for help with organizing a cleaner or meal train at your baby shower rather than asking for “stuff”, Meals being one less thing for sleep deprived parents to deal with is such a BLESSING.
Postpartum mood disorders (PPMD):
A post partum l mood disorder is a mental health disorder that strikes within the first year after giving birth.
During the following days after birth there is a huge hormonal change for the mother which can leave her often feeling very weepy, she may also experience restlessness, irritability, anxiety, crying, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, poor concentration and mood swings. This is known as baby blues, and often only lasts for a few days.
Depression and other Post Partum Mood disorders tend to be more intense an ongoing and further support may be required, it is best to reach out to a trusted health care professional, your family and friends to ask for more hands on practical support and there are also support groups to attend in person, in an emergency always call 000, For non emergency times you can call:
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline —call 1800 822 436 to speak with a trained counsellor about the first year of your child’s life.
13 HEALTH —call 13 43 25 84 to speak with a child health nurse about your or your child’s health.
Breastfeeding Helpline —call 1800 MUM 2 MUM (1800 686 268) for advice from trained counsellors about breastfeeding issues.
BRISBANE BASED: You can also reach out to Peachtree for in person support:
Utilizing Yoni steaming:
Yoni is the Sanskrit word for Vagina/womb space.
Yoni Steaming is an ancient way of looking after yourself and aiding your healing during the postpartum period. It is recommended that you steam for the first 30 days after birth but its best to do this under the guidance of an experienced Yoni Steam Facilitator.
Steaming helps clear out Lochia, prevents stagnation and reduces the chance of retained product and infections, it is said to also aid the removal of water retention, reduce swelling, soothe afterbirth pains, soothe grazes, stiches and reduce scaring.
Steam has both a cleansing and toning affect, thus helping the internal organs to find their way back to their pre pregnancy position, It is a gentle and relaxing form of self-care and thus is said to aid the production of milk by promoting the release of oxytocin (the hormone of love and bonding) which in turn aids the release of prolactin; the milk making hormone!)
Your can read about the Fourth Trimester Vaginal Steam Study here: https://steamychick.institute/fourthtrimesterstudy/
And purchase yoni steaming herbs for postpartum here. https://www.yoniherbsaustralia.com.au/product-page/cleansing-yoni-herbs
Written by Tessa Bobir
Doula, Woman Massage Therapist, Yoni Steam Facilitator & Menstrual Health Educator.
Planning and preparing for the Fourth Trimester ( The postpartum period) Is just as if not more important than preparing yourself for labour and birth, And while many women go through it alone and exhausted, its important to know that there are little things you can do in the lead up to your birth that can help you in those early days and long term, we will go into this more in another post but here are a few things to note:
Create a birth plan or map as a way of getting clear with your desires and then sharing them with your support team and care providers, Create a postnatal support team, makes some freezer meals, invite people to help with a meal train (set some rules eg: come at this time, please don't knock, please leave the meal in the designated chillbin (did you know Esky is a racist term; you know better you do better) at the front door, ask for some massage gift cards. Be prepared to ask for help, and remember that this is meant to take more than one or even two sets of hands, bonding with your baby, breastfeeding, healing, settling into your new family dynamic, it all takes time and we are meant to have all the support we need during it and forever more, so go easy on yourself, as you do the best you can, your baby loves you just as you are.
Let me know below what you would add or would like me to expand on.
xxx
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