Don't Forget About the Third Stage of Labour (aka The Placenta)

1/22/2016

So much focus during pregnancy is on preparing for the hard work of birth, that there is usually little thought to what happens afterwards. Once your little one is born, you will be immersed in loving up your new baby. But did you know that there is still about 30 minutes or so of birthing your placenta? There's still a few more decisions to be made.

Were you aware that there are a number of options regarding how to birth your placenta? If you’re not informed, most of the time you will be given a “shot to help the placenta come out” pretty soon after the baby is born. Many women tell me that they weren't offered any other option. However, with a little bit of research you may find that you would prefer a Physiological, rather than Managed, Third Stage. Perhaps Delayed Cord Clamping will suit you. What about lotus birth? What about if your natural birth plans change? How does that affect your Third Stage choices? And how does all of those options tie in with Placenta Encapsulation.? Below are some articles to help you in your research.

Physiological (Natural) vs Managed (helped with medication) Third Stage

The Queensland Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Guidelines for Normal Birth (April 2012) states:
“Active management is recommended for all women by recognised professional bodies. However, evidence is emerging to support physiological management in women with the following criteria:

At low risk of bleeding
Following a physiologically normal first and second stage
With care provided by clinicians skilled in the physiological process.”

That means that if you have a fairly straightforward labour, with little intervention or interference with your hormones in labour, you might like to consider a physiological third stage, which means:

No routine use of uterotonic drugs.
Clamping of the cord after pulsation has ceased.
Birth of the placenta by maternal effort and gravity.

For more on the differences between Physiological and Managed Third Stage:

On Birthing and Bleeding - Part 1 AND On Birthing and Bleeding - Part 2

Delayed Cord Clamping

DCC is something that is making it's way into our local birth system. But it's really hit and miss if it's supported and there is no agreed definition. It's best to research the information and decide for yourself what you'd like. AND write a number of minutes on your Birth Plan to be very clear.

A wonderful resource for all things DCC:
Cord-Clamping.com

And my favourite of all images to help parents see the difference between a full and empty cord:
Magic Umbilical Cords

Can you Have a Managed Labour then Physiological Third Stage?

If your labour is managed, or you use medications for pain relief, there's a possibility that your labour hormones will not reach the levels they need for the Third Stage. This means that there is an increased risk of excessive bleeding and a delay in the placenta being released. Here's a couple of articles from well known midwives sharing their reasoning.

Midwife Thinking - An Actively Managed Placental Birth Might be the Best Option for Most Women

Sara Wickham - Can I Have a Natural Placental Birth after Induction?

Lotus Birth

Lotus Birth is the practice of keeping the baby and placenta attached until the cord detaches naturally. This process takes around 3-7 days. To find out if this might be an option for you, check out:

Lotus Birth - 7 Reasons Why Parents to Be Have one

Lotus Birth - A Ritual for our Times

Images of Lotus Birth on Pinterest

What About Caesarean Births?

Even with a caesarean birth there may still be options with your Third Stage. The usual process is to clamp and cut the cord straight away, then manually remove the placenta. This procedure may be able to be modified, depending on the circumstances. If the the caesarean is planned, or if both mother and baby are healthy at the time of birth, there may be options with Delayed Cord Clamping, milking the cord or even Lotus Birth. All of this will need to be discussed with your birth team during pregnancy and then again just before birth.
Check out this birth story of a Lotus Birth at a caeserean in Townsville.

Caesarean Lotus Birth in Townsville - May 2015

Placenta Encapsulation and Services

You can encapsulate your placenta however you choose to manage the Third Stage, as long as the placenta is refrigerated within 4 hours of birth. Gloria Lemay even has a suggestion for a Lotus Birth with encapsulation:

Midwifery Tricks - Lotus Birth with Encapsulation

Beside encapsulation, there are many other placenta services including smoothies (raw and powder form); prints; tinctures; homeopathics; cord keepsakes and jewellery.

For more information about our Placenta Services and the benefits of encapsulation:

About our Placenta Services

About Placenta Encapsulation

If you'd like to know more about your Third Stage Options, feel free to Contact Us below for a Consultation.

Comment Below: What was your experience with the Third Stage? Did you ask for Delayed Cord Clamping? Lotus Birth? Share away.

1 Comment

Emma Perichon

4/3/2017 03:54:01 pm

How much does placenta ecaptualisation cost?

Authors

The Doulas at Chrysalis Birth Doula Group have attended over 100 births and supported postnatal families for nearly 45 years combined. We have a wealth of experience when preparing families for birth and as well as the challenging role as parents.
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