This is what can happen to a baby's placenta during childbirth

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Various problems need to be watched out for at the time of delivery. One of them is difficult to get out of the baby's placenta. If not treated properly, this incident can be life threatening for the mother.

The placenta has the function of delivering oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, as well as removing waste products from the baby's blood. The placenta also adjusts to the proper temperature in the fetus, prevents infection in the uterus, and produces pregnancy-supporting hormones.

Normally, the baby's placenta will stick to the inner wall of the uterus, which is at the top or side of the uterus. The placenta is connected to the baby via the umbilical cord or umbilical cord.

After a normal delivery, the mother's uterus will contract again and expel the placenta and other tissues through the vagina. This is also known as the third stage of labour. After the placenta comes out, then the delivery is declared complete. Unfortunately, some mothers have difficulty in this process.

Disorders of the placenta in babies during labor

Here are some disorders of the placenta that can occur during labor:

  • Plaque retentions enta

    Difficulty removing the placenta after delivery within a certain time, also known as retained placenta or retained placenta. The placenta should come out of the womb no later than 30 minutes after the baby is born. The baby's placenta that is difficult to get out of the womb can be partial or complete. Retention of the placenta can be divided into three, namely:

    • Placenta adherens

      The most common type of retained placenta. The placenta remains attached to the uterine wall because the contractions that occur are not strong enough to make the placenta separate.

    • Trapped placenta

      The baby's placenta separates from the uterine wall but can't come out because the cervix closes first.

    • Placenta accrete

      The placenta of the baby is not attached to the uterine wall, but in the uterine muscle. This type of retained placenta can cause severe bleeding and make delivery difficult.

  • Placenta previa

    This condition occurs when part or all of the baby's placenta covers the cervix. Placenta previa can cause severe bleeding during pregnancy or delivery.

  • Placental abruption

    Part or all of the placenta separates from the uterine wall before delivery. As a result, the baby in the womb loses oxygen and nutrients, while pregnant women can experience heavy bleeding or early delivery.

Several factors that affect the condition of the baby's placenta include the age of the pregnant woman, high blood pressure, blood clotting disorders, multiple pregnancies, use of harmful substances such as drugs and smoking during pregnancy, history of placental disorders in previous pregnancies, polyhydramnios, history of urinary tract surgery. urinary tract, and abdominal injuries.

Be careful if the baby's placenta has not come out completely. If this happens, the mother will experience symptoms some time later in the form of heavy bleeding, stomach cramps, foul-smelling discharge from the vagina, fever, and a small amount of breast milk. This condition is also at risk of causing infection in the mother, which can be life threatening.

Action Required

Various efforts can be made to facilitate the delivery of the placenta, including:

  • Injection oxytocin

    If the baby's placenta doesn't come out, it's possible that the doctor or midwife will give you an injection of oxytocin around the groin. This drug is given to make the uterus contract strongly to expel the placenta, while preventing bleeding.

  • Issued manually

    If the baby's placenta still doesn't come out, the doctor will try to remove it by hand. To reduce pain, the mother will be given spinal or epidural anesthesia whose effects cover the lower body area.

  • Breastfeeding immediately after delivery

    Breastfeeding is thought to stimulate uterine contractions so as to push the baby's placenta out. This is because breastfeeding will stimulate the production of the natural hormone oxytocin in the mother's body. However, research reveals that this effect is not significant when compared to oxytocin injections.

In addition, there is also the possibility that the doctor will perform an operation using general anesthesia to remove the placenta from the uterus. In this procedure, the mother will need intravenous antibiotics to prevent infection, and other drugs to make the uterus contract again after the operation is complete. After the operation, the mother may not be able to breastfeed the baby immediately, because there is still anesthetic in breast milk.

If necessary, consult the stages of labor with an obstetrician during pregnancy so that you and your partner understand better about the placenta and the problems that can accompany it. Do not forget to check the content regularly so that any abnormalities can be detected early.