Any of you planning to deliver the placenta naturally?

[yellowflowers]

What's the feeling about this - natural delivery or the injection to make it come faster? I don't really understand the advantages and disadvantages of this.

Luckykitty - you absolutely will not care about the 3rd stage once you get there - in my case I was thinking "thank god that's over" about the actual labour and "oh my goodness there seems to be a baby" as DD had been put in my arms. In my experience it was painfree, quick and pretty forgettable. I would absolutely focus on preparing for the 1st and 2nd stage as the 3rd stage will (hopefully) be a doddle!

This is the wording I used on my birth plan:

I?d like my baby to be delivered onto me directly. I would like a physiological third stage with the cord clamped and for my husband to cut it when it stops pulsating. I wish no drugs to be used unless specifically indicated, for example if the placenta is not delivered after 60 minutes. It is important to me that you do not clamp the cord until it has stopped pulsating, unless you need to take emergency steps which preclude this. Please do not pull on the cord or use fundal pressure unless there is a specific indication to do so, as I have read that this is contra-indicated in drug-free third stages. If I need to move around to deliver the placenta, I?d like my baby to be given to my husband so that he can have skin on skin contact too.

A friend of mine is a nurse and found the wording on a midwives site :)

I had the injection the first time and didn't really notice the placenta being delivered. Second time I had a physiological 3rd stage and it took over 1/2 hr and hurt like hell. I felt like I was delivering another baby - MW had to help it along by tugging at it and I had ragged membranes (which meant antibiotics afterwards and lots of clots) and lots of blood loss.

I will most definitely be going for the injection this time.

I think that is a really good way of wording the plan :)

Having read this I have now decided to have a natural third stage, so thank you :)

This is interesting. I opted not to have the injection the first time, but they were tugging on the placenta almost straight away to get it out - I assumed this was normal, sounds like it isn't?
It seemed to be stuck though so after a while I had the injection to see if that would help, but it didn't. Then was catheterised to empty my bladder as it was very full. After about an hour of being told to push but not having any feeling what to push against they started talking about a spinal to get it out as an hour is the limit apparently - is this not the case everywhere? Sounds from people's stories that that is quite a normal timescale for it to take, and not a problem if it takes an hour?
Thankfully just before they started trying to find an anaethastist they tried another tug and it slid out.

I did think I'd go straight for the jab this time but having read this, maybe I'd be better off trying for natural again. I didnt latch dd on while waiting for the placenta, in fact I didn't really hold her much as was too stressed and uncomfortable trying to get placenta out. Was definitely the worst part of the birth, not painful but unpleasant.

Thanks for the thread, will have a read of the pros and cons above.

privet I think unfortunately it's one of those things where everyone is different. When I had MPR with dd I had had a textbook (if fast) delivery with G&A only. I then had the synto jab which closed my cervix too quickly. Then it was the drip to keep me contracting for 5 HOURS while I waited for theatre. I had spinal block, several shots of pethidine and adrenaline as I kept fainting. It was AWFUL and took me weeks to recover whilst taking antibiotics and hefty painkillers. Even if it had hurt doing it drug free this time, anything would have been better than that!

THIS is the website I was pointed to when considering my options :)

I had no choice when I had my first baby as my cervix began to close almost immediately after delivery - suddenly noticed the consultant snap into action and remove it manually, though I didn't feel anything much as had an epidural.

So when this baby is born who knows what will happen - am guessing will have to have manual removal again... I'd rather that than a retained placenta anyway!

Privet, I had a very similar experience with DS1- lots of tugging and pulling on the placenta. Basically wanted a physiological 3rd stage, waited and waited, decided on injection eventually, nothing happened, another injection into the cord directly, nothing. More tugging, eventually it came out after triggering more unpleasant contractions. I told my midwife this time round and she was concerned saying they shouldn't be tugging on it as it can cause the cervix to be pulled out!! When she told me this I felt quite sick. Now I'm dreading 3rd stage more than labour & birth in case it happens again.

you put yourselves in the doctors and midwifes care, completely vulnerable and at their mercy, it's worrying when interventions seem to make things worse... Now I don't know whether to try for a natural placenta delivery or not....

I had the injection with DS2 and there was a huge amount of tugging and pulling. It was worse than delivery DS, who had shot out. I ended up begging them to leave me alone, and had pieces of placenta coming out for the following week or so.

I asked not to have the injection with DD, and the placenta came as I fed her. I'd also asked not to have the cord cut straight away, but to let it stop pulsating. Obviously this isn't always possible, but if you've had an easy delivery, then I think it's the way to go.

thanks all - i can't decide. in part depends whetehr i have epidural as then you can't have it naturally. That birthplan wording is really helpful though - will probably put that on mine.