Baby Care

The placenta sounds like a planet from another solar system and looks like an alien life form. But it has a very important job to do. It is your baby’s life support system whilst in the womb and not only supplies your baby with everything she needs, but also keeps anything harmful out of her way.

For the first 12 to 13 weeks the placenta is developing rapidly inside you and attaches itself to the lining of the uterus. Some scientists think that this is the reason some women feel very drained in early pregnancy. Their bodies are not only creating a tiny baby, but it’s life support system too. First and foremost the placenta helps your baby to breathe. Each time your heart beats, blood from your arteries flows into the placenta so that oxygen and nutrients flow to your baby. It also carries waste products like carbon dioxide away from your baby. The success of the placenta functioning properly depends on a good supply of maternal blood. If the maternal blood supply is reduced, the mother smokes for example or is suffering from pre-eclampsia, the blood flow to the placenta is reduced and this can have an effect on your growing baby.

As well as linking your blood supply to your baby’s, the placenta also keeps the two blood supplies completely separate, even though only a thin membrane separates the two. This is important because the maternal and foetal systems must not mix. The placenta keeps any harmful substances away from your baby as well as protecting her against infection. The placenta can’t always distinguish between what is good and what is bad, which is why pregnant women are advised not to drink, smoke or take drugs during pregnancy. Some viruses can pass to your baby from the placenta. German Measles or Rubella can be particularly dangerous if caught by the mother and can lead to defects such as blindness, deafness and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in your baby. It is important to ask your GP before you plan to get pregnant whether you have been immunised against Rubella or not.

The placenta also secretes hormones such as chrorionic gondotrophin, progesterone and oestrogen that all help to maintain your pregnancy and also help to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding.

During the last stages of pregnancy, antibodies will pass from you to your baby via the placenta, which will help to protect her for the first three months. After that her own body will start to build up immunity from what she is exposed to on a daily basis.

Once your baby is born, the placenta’s job is done. As the cord is cut and clamped the placenta can be delivered, as it no longer supplies your baby with all she needs. The delivery of the placenta is called the ‘third stage’ of labour. Some women choose to have a managed third stage and others choose to have a natural third stage.

A managed third stage is when the mother is given an injection (usually syntometrin or syntocinon) into her thigh to speed up the delivery of the placenta. The mother won’t have to push as the midwife will usually wait for a contraction and gently pull on the cord, or press the abdomen until the placenta comes out. With this option the placenta comes out very quickly after birth, usually in about ten minutes.

Some mothers prefer a natural third stage, which is when the mother waits for the placenta to dispel by itself. This can be immediate or can sometimes take over an hour. Breastfeeding your baby can help to dispel the placenta because nipple stimulation releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps with uterine contractions.

Once the placenta is out it will be examined to see if it is complete, that all of it has come out and what state it is in. The state of the placenta can tell the medical team a lot about the condition of your baby at birth.

In rare cases the placenta can become trapped and the mother may need an operation to remove it under epidural for pain relief.

The placenta is amazing. It protects, nourishes and provides everything for your growing baby. The placanta will do all it can to protect your baby so if you get a glimpse of the alien-like organ, remember to say thank-you for looking after your little one for all those months.