Birth: Birth – Delivery – Labor
What happens to placenta after birth

What happens to placenta after birth

The placenta is delivered after the baby Birth is not physiologically complete when the baby emerges. The placenta remains attached to the inner surface of the uterus and must separate before it can be expelled. The uterus normally contracts and becomes smaller, causing the placental attachment site to shear away. Blood vessels that supplied the […]

Checking placenta after delivery

Checking placenta after delivery

Why the placenta is examined The placenta is a temporary organ that supports fetal oxygenation, nutrition, waste removal, and endocrine signaling during pregnancy. Its appearance can reflect aspects of placental function and the intrauterine environment. Examining it after birth therefore complements the clinical history, maternal assessment, and newborn examination. A focused gross examination is recommended […]

Treatment for retained placenta

Treatment for retained placenta

What retained placenta means After the baby is born, the placenta normally separates from the uterine wall and is expelled during the third stage of labour. Retained placenta generally refers to failure of placental delivery within the timeframe used by the local maternity protocol, commonly around 30 minutes with active management or longer with physiological […]

Signs and causes of retained placenta

Signs and causes of retained placenta

What retained placenta means After the baby is born, the uterus contracts and the placenta usually separates from the uterine wall. The detached placenta then passes through the cervix and vagina. This stage is commonly called the third stage of labour. A placenta may be considered retained when it has not been delivered within the […]

What happens if placenta does not come out

What happens if placenta does not come out

What retained placenta means The placenta normally separates from the inner wall of the uterus after the baby is born and is then expelled during the third stage of labour. The timing varies according to whether physiological or active management is used, but a placenta that has not delivered within the period specified by local […]

Monitoring during third stage

Monitoring during third stage

Why monitoring continues after birth The birth of the baby is not the end of the immediate obstetric assessment. During the third stage, the placenta separates from the uterine wall and is expelled, while the uterus contracts to reduce blood flow from the placental implantation site. This contraction is a key physiological mechanism for limiting […]

Role of oxytocin in third stage

Role of oxytocin in third stage

The third stage and the need for uterine contraction The third stage starts immediately after the baby’s birth. The placenta separates from the uterine wall and is then expelled, together with the membranes. Once separation occurs, the uterine muscle should contract and retract. This contraction is more than a mechanical event: it compresses the open […]

Benefits of active vs natural approaches

Benefits of active vs natural approaches

What active and natural approaches mean An active approach to birth is best understood as engaged participation rather than a promise to avoid or seek a particular intervention. It may include walking, changing positions, using a birthing stool or ball, practicing breathing and relaxation, asking questions, involving a support person, and communicating preferences to the […]

Active vs natural third stage explained

Active vs natural third stage explained

What the third stage actually is The third stage of labor is the interval between the baby’s birth and the expulsion of the placenta. It is often much shorter than the earlier stages, but it is not clinically trivial. The uterus must contract effectively so that the placenta separates and the placental bed constricts. If […]

Immediate care after placenta delivery

Immediate care after placenta delivery

The fourth stage begins After placenta delivery after birth, the clinical priorities shift from completing the third stage of labor to stabilizing the birthing parent and newborn. This period is often called the fourth stage of labor, and it usually includes at least the first hour after the placenta has been delivered. Even when birth […]