I can’t talk enough about oxytocin and it’s importance during labour. I promised to talk a little bit about birthing your placenta and I will do so over a number of posts as it’s just so unbelievably fascinating. As is the whole process of making a baby in fact 🥰⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The third stage of labour is usually defined as the period immediately following the baby’s birth until the placenta and membranes have been born. Physiologically, it involves the hormone oxytocin, which is produced naturally by a woman’s body and is intimately linked with labour and birth. The synthetic form of oxytocin, which is commonly used within maternity care, can interfere with a woman’s ability to produce her own natural oxytocin. Oxytocin works by making the woman’s womb (uterus) contract during labour, which brings about the birth of her baby. As the baby is born a further surge of oxytocin brings about the birth of the placenta. The woman continues to produce oxytocin after birth (especially when she is able to hold, cuddle and/or breastfeed her baby) and this oxytocin helps to keep her uterus contracted and blood loss controlled. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Pic above of Jorja and I back in 2016 moments after she was born, enjoying some skin to skin. 🤱🏼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a natural third stage there is no interference with the process of placental birth and the placenta is birthed by the woman’s own efforts. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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