Delivering placenta

[KayleeKay]

Hi this is my first pregnancy 12 weeks gone and getting really excited. I've been watching a few birthing videos just out of interest but I've not seen a video or heard anyone talking about what happens after you've given birth to the baby. It's a mystery to me and I'm really interested about this process of delivering the placenta. what happens, how long it takes, what it feels like is it painful etc.

So many questions sorry lol

Also if you know where I can watch and videos of it links would be great.

Thanks x

I didn't even notice my placenta being delivered. Apparently I had some injection to make it come out faster that they didn't tell me about until afterwards.

I asked the midwife if it was out yet, and she said yes, it's in that dish over there if you want to see it.

The placenta being delivered is the least of your worries, they give you an injection to help it out (not if you don't want them to though...) and then you coo over your baby whilst the mw gets the placenta out.

Iirc she pulls on the umbilical cord (after it's been cut, i hasten to add), but i may be remembering wrong. It's nothing. Really nothing. Doesn't hurt and someone else does it for you!

I did without the injection because I was in a midwife led unit where they let the cord stop pulsing before cutting it and prefer you to deliver it naturally without the injection. Basically you get a few more contractions and floop! out it comes (without pulling on the cord!). After all the head-pushing you've been doing you really don't notice a soft floppy thing popping out!

It's worth asking the MW to give you a guided tour of the placenta because it's quite interesting.

I had an injection and had to push a little. It was slightly uncomfortable, but didn't hurt at all.
Congratulations, and don't worry, just enjoy your pregnancy xxx

I had the injection first time and it was out in minutes, second time I had delayed cord clamping so it took maybe an hour or so which was slightly less comfortable as I continued to get mild contractions until it was out. Very little effort though, it does feel a bit gross, like giving birth to a bucket full of jelly but as a previous poster has said its really the least of your worries, by then you will have a wonderful newborn to gaze at and the placenta will usually take care of itself.

Congratulations on your pg :)

I had the injection the first time and it took 10 mn, 2nd and 3rd times had a physiological 3rd stage (ie no jab) and it took about 4-5 mn. No noticeable pain, I didn't even notice it coming tbh for any of them. 4th birth was a CS so removed manually under general anaesthetic!

there's a vid here I only looked it up just now out of interest, I never thought about it when pregnant.

I will NEVER forget the feeling of the midwife tugging on the umbilical cord to try and hurry things along and it snapping inside me.... not painful, just Eeeew!

With my second delivery it just came away on its own. Again, not painful.

I didn't have the injection either time. I wanted dds to have all their cord blood, so delayed cord clamping. I had contractions after a lull, felt the placenta move, and with dd1 pushed it out (very easy post human head!) and after dd2 I stood up and the placenta fell out.

Both times I asked the mw to show me the placenta - absolutely fascinating!!

I didn't think they were supposed to pull on the cord?!?

Mine slipped out and I didn't even notice (quite traumatic birth) so don't worry about it. You will be so overwhelmed at seeing your baby you'll have forgotten all about it.

Very interesting to look at the placenta, cord and sac tho. Providing you're not squeamish of course :)