Birthing the Placenta: Women’s Decisions and Experiences
By Dr Rachel Reed
We have just published new research findings. You can access the full journal article free here: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
There has been a lot of research exploring the outcomes related to interventions during the birth of the placenta. I have included this research in previous blog posts:
- An actively managed placental birth might be the best option for most women
- The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment
However, like most research into birth, women’s voices are missing (you can read about research bias in maternity care here). This study is the first to specifically explore the birth of placenta from the perspective of women.
A huge thank you to the women who shared their experiences for this study.
Overview of findings
The quotes that illustrate these themes can be found in the journal article. I particularly like the descriptions of birthing the placenta! Here are a couple:
“The actual birth of the placenta was just weird, just because it was so soft. It felt like my insides were coming out but not in a painful way. I guess it’s like birthing a squid or something”
“Pushing it out felt like a big jelly, relief”
