Placenta After Birth: What Happens?

You spend months thinking about pregnancy, labor, and bringing your baby home. But there is one remarkable organ that rarely gets discussed until you are already in the delivery room: the placenta. After your baby arrives, your provider will ask you to push once more, and within minutes this extraordinary structure that sustained your baby's entire life will leave your body too. What happens next, and what choices do you actually have?

The answers may surprise you. From hospital protocol to cultural rituals, from medical research to deeply personal decisions, the placenta's story does not end at birth. Here is what every new parent deserves to know.

What Is the Placenta, and Why Does It Matter So Much?

The placenta is a temporary organ that grows alongside your baby from the very early weeks of pregnancy. It attaches to the uterine wall and connects to your baby through the umbilical cord, acting as the interface between your bloodstream and your baby's. It transfers oxygen and nutrients, filters out waste, produces hormones like progesterone and estrogen that sustain the pregnancy, and provides a degree of immune protection.

By the time you give birth, a full-term placenta typically weighs around 500 grams (about one pound) and measures roughly 22 centimeters across. It is often described as looking like a disc or a tree, with the fetal side showing a web of branching vessels that give it the nickname "tree of life" in many cultures.

"The placenta is one of the most underappreciated organs in human biology. It does the work of the lungs, kidneys, liver, and gut all at once, for a rapidly developing human being, and then it simply ceases to be needed. Understanding it better has enormous implications for pregnancy health."

Dr. Carolyn Salafia, MD, Placental Analytics, New York

The Third Stage of Labor: Delivering the Placenta

The delivery of the placenta is called the third stage of labor, and it typically occurs within 5 to 30 minutes of your baby's birth. Most providers manage this stage actively, meaning they give you a small injection of oxytocin (Syntocinon) right after birth to help your uterus contract and speed up placental separation. This significantly reduces the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, postpartum hemorrhage is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, and active management of the third stage of labor reduces that risk substantially.

You may feel a gush or mild cramping as the placenta separates. Your provider will examine it carefully after delivery to confirm it came out completely, because retained placental fragments can cause serious complications including infection and prolonged bleeding.

What If You Want a Physiological (Hands-Off) Third Stage?

Some people, particularly those planning low-intervention births, request a physiological third stage, where the body is allowed to expel the placenta naturally without oxytocin. This is possible, but it does carry a higher risk of heavy bleeding. If you have a preference either way, it is worth discussing with your midwife or doctor and including it in your birth plan.

What Hospitals Do With the Placenta by Default

In most hospital settings, unless you request otherwise, the placenta is treated as medical waste and disposed of through regulated biohazardous waste channels. Some hospitals send placentas to pathology if there are concerns about the pregnancy, such as preterm birth, growth restriction, or placental abruption. Pathological examination can yield important information about why complications occurred and may have implications for future pregnancies.

If you want to keep your placenta for any reason, you almost always need to communicate this in advance and sign a release form. Do not assume it will be saved automatically.

Placenta Encapsulation: What the Evidence Actually Says

Placenta encapsulation, where the placenta is dehydrated, ground, and put into capsules for the mother to consume, has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Advocates claim it boosts energy, supports milk supply, reduces postpartum depression risk, and replenishes iron levels.

The scientific evidence, however, remains limited and mixed. A 2017 review published through the National Institutes of Health found no robust human studies demonstrating significant health benefits from placenta consumption, while also noting that steaming and dehydrating the placenta at typical encapsulation temperatures may not reliably eliminate pathogens.

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control reported a case where a newborn developed a Group B Streptococcal infection linked to placenta capsules that were not adequately processed. This prompted the CDC to advise caution.

"I understand why people are drawn to placenta encapsulation - the postpartum period is hard, and wanting something that might help is completely rational. What I want parents to know is that the evidence for benefit is very weak right now, and there are real safety considerations, particularly if there was any infection during labor. Talk to your provider before deciding."

Dr. Marjorie Treadwell, MD, Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Michigan

If you are considering encapsulation, look for a certified encapsulation specialist who follows strict food-safe processing standards, inform your provider, and avoid it if you had any infection during labor or delivery.

Delayed Cord Clamping: Related but Different

You may have heard about delayed cord clamping and wondered how it connects to placental delivery. After birth, the umbilical cord continues to pulse and transfer blood from the placenta to your baby for several minutes. Waiting at least one to three minutes before clamping the cord (delayed cord clamping) allows this final transfer of blood, stem cells, and iron to complete.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends delayed cord clamping for at least 30 to 60 seconds for most term and preterm infants, citing benefits including improved iron stores and better neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm babies.

Delayed cord clamping is compatible with active management of the third stage, so you do not have to choose between the two.

Lotus Birth: Keeping Baby and Placenta Connected

Lotus birth is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord uncut and keeping the baby attached to the placenta until the cord dries and separates naturally, which can take three to ten days. The placenta is typically salted and wrapped in herbs during this time.

Proponents describe it as a gentle, unhurried transition for the baby. However, most medical organizations do not support the practice. A decomposing placenta carries a genuine infection risk, as the cord becomes a pathway between the decaying tissue and the baby's bloodstream. Reported cases of neonatal infection linked to lotus birth have led to formal cautions from organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics.

If you are curious about lotus birth, have an honest conversation with your pediatrician before birth so you can weigh the risks and make a fully informed choice.

Cultural and Spiritual Traditions Around the Placenta

For many families, the placenta holds deep cultural or spiritual significance that has nothing to do with encapsulation or lotus birth. Around the world, communities have long-standing traditions for honoring the placenta.

• Maori (New Zealand): The word for placenta, "whenua," is also the word for land. The placenta is traditionally buried in ancestral land to connect the child to their roots.
• Indonesian cultures: The placenta is considered the baby's sibling and is often buried near the home with small offerings.
• Many Indigenous American traditions: The placenta may be buried or returned to nature in ceremonies that vary by nation and community.
• Haitian tradition: Burial of the placenta in meaningful ground is common, symbolizing belonging and origin.

If burying the placenta holds meaning for your family, it is usually straightforward to request its return from the hospital. Check local bylaws about burial of organic matter in your area, as regulations vary.

Placenta Prints and Art

Some families choose to create a print with the placenta, using the fetal side to make an impression on paper or fabric. The branching pattern of the blood vessels creates a naturally beautiful, tree-like image that many parents frame as a keepsake. This is a low-risk option that simply involves pressing the placenta onto art paper before disposal or burial.

Placenta in Medical Research

Donated placentas are increasingly valuable in medical research. Placental tissue is being studied for its potential role in wound healing, corneal repair, and understanding pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Some hospitals and research institutions have placenta donation programs, and donating yours, if you are interested, could contribute to scientific advances that help future mothers and babies.

Talking to Your Provider Before Birth

Whatever your feelings about the placenta, the most important step is having the conversation with your healthcare team before you are in labor. Key questions to ask include:

• What does your hospital or birth center do with the placenta by default?
• What is the process for requesting to keep it?
• Will they send it to pathology, and can you still have it back afterward?
• If you plan on encapsulation, are there temperature requirements for how it is stored immediately after birth?
• What is their policy on delayed cord clamping?

Getting clear answers before your due date means you will not be scrambling for information in the hours after your baby arrives.