In plain words
The third stage of labor begins once the baby is born and ends when the placenta is delivered. It usually takes a few minutes, and up to about an hour. During this stage the uterus contracts and the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus. Some people feel cramping. The care team watches for bleeding and checks that the placenta is complete. Parents often ask about when the cord is cut and whether the placenta is kept or handled in a particular way. Those are common choices, and the team can explain its usual practice. The stage ends with the placenta, so it is different from the birth of the baby itself.
The deeper version
The interval from complete delivery of the neonate to expulsion of the placenta and membranes, with driven by uterine . with a such as reduces compared with expectant management, per WHO recommendations (2012). and cord milking alter neonatal blood volume and are studied for neonatal outcomes. The ideal duration of the stage and the threshold for intervention remain debated, and expectant management is an option in low-risk settings, with trade-offs in bleeding.
Where it comes up
- Cord clamping and what happens to the placentaGetting Ready for Birth
- The stages of labor, plainlyBirth and the First Days
- Heavy bleeding after birth (hemorrhage)Birth and the First Days
What mothers here say about third stage of labor
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Sources
- World Health Organization — WHO recommendations for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage, 2012
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Postpartum Hemorrhage, Practice Bulletin 183, 2017