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After we got a few minutes of skin to skin. Never even felt it.

The placenta was delivered soon after my LO was born. I didn't really notice much since I was so enamored by my LO. I was asked to push, and it was very easy. Didn't notice any pain.

Right away, plus a little left over about 3 hours later.

It took awhile because I was so exhausted. I'm not exactly sure how long (I'll have to check the paperwork) but all I remember was LO was on my chest, kicking up a storm with her umbilical cord still attached, the midwife asking me to push but after seeing how sad I was, said we'll wait a bit. When I finally contractions again, I had to get DH to hold the baby because her kicks hurt - then her cord was finally cut and moments after the placenta. It hurt. I definitely felt the contractions!

@photojane: Once DS was cleaned up and I was holding him they pushed on my belly pretty hard and it came out. I didn't have to push at all. I honestly didn't even notice it coming out but them pushing on my belly kind of hurt.

@Mrs. Bee: Oh my gosh, I didn't realize that happened! I need to read Olive's birth story again!

@photojane: The placenta shouldn't detach before delivery because it's the baby's oxygen supply. It should normally detach after the baby is out breathing on their own, shearing off cleanly while the uterus shrinks back down to close off the blood vessels. It's pretty amazing, actually!

I had a med free birth and I barely remember. I was holding LO and my ob goes, "ok here comes the afterbirth" and then I was like "whoa" and he showed us the placenta and it was actually pretty neat. I bet you won't even worry about it when the time comes!

@photojane: Noooo, don't worry! My case was unusual because my epidural failed and I was sick with the cold and had no sleep!

Edit: UNusual

@photojane: At my hospital they inject everyone (or add to your IV) with oxytocin to deliver the placenta. They gave me the shot in my leg and I am pretty sure it just came right out easily, as I was expecting a big deal and I didn't even notice it happening. I remember thinking 'whoa? already?' and then I got stitched up. It was pretty quick and while it was happening I was more focussed on looking at my new little baby!

Ok, I guess I'm the exception. Baby came out, they put him on my chest, and then they started pushing on my lower abdomen and per capita, so to speak, the pain was worse than pushing the baby out. Didn't last as long, but I found it REALLY painful... I think a lot of that though was just the surprise- it had never occurred to me that it would be even at all uncomfortable, so I think I was kind of like "baby out, it's all over, I can relax, I'm done," and then the shock of "wtf is happening now and why does it hurt and why are you people still bothering me?!?" was just more than I could gracefully take. They kept saying "just focus on your baby!" and I kept saying "I don't want to focus on the baby, I want all of you to GO AWAY and LEAVE ME ALONE."
If it helps, I have total labor and delivery amnesia and while intellectually I know it was unpleasant, I have no visceral memory of it or anything and if asked, will say stuff like "yeah, I could do it again tomorrow. No big."

I don't remember it at all with my first one and my second one I remember it just coming out. No real pain or anything major that I can remember. That was 9 and 6 years ago respectively but I think I'd remember if it was awful.

The only thing I remember being awful from after was when I was in recovery and also at home when my uterus was contracting on it's own to go back to it's right spot that pain was intense. I had to take Percocet for days to deal with that. I hear it's worse after each one so I'm not looking forward to round three with that. But honestly the birth and all that isn't near as bad as you will imagine it to be in the end.

I've been pretty nervous about this as well as I've had two friends not have their placenta detach properly. One had hers ripped out of her (horrible hospital and OB) and the other had to go into surgery to have it removed.

@Honeybee: With my friend who had the D&C, they tried to manually remove it, but it wasn't working...so they whisked her away into surgery.

With my BFF, she had a very inexperienced OB. After they "manually removed" it, she was losing so much blood afterwards they thought they were going to lose her! She had such a traumatic birthing experience!

I actually have no recollection of it coming out! I know it was within 10 minutes. I don't think I had to push, but the half an hour before and after delivery is really blurry. I lost a lot of blood, but I don't know if it was related to the placenta. I do know my epidural had failed a second time by then, but I don't remember any pain with it coming out, just the OB asking if we wanted to see it.

Massaging the uterus after hurt like the dickens, though, I remember that

@2PeasinaPod: DH and my mom were kind of amused because I was so zen without the epi when I was laboring and again when I was pushing, very focused, very quiet...but when the OB starting massaging my uterus after I was all "ow ow ow that hurts!" It's probably less painful with a working epidural, though

As a doula, I rarely see a woman even notice the placenta.

Sometimes it just slides out, sometimes they ask her for a "little push" which she does almost subconsciously while staring at her baby, and VERY occasionally she will be aware of what is going on down there and have some minimal pain.

Unless the placenta doesn't come out cleanly on its own (which is rare), it is easy, fast, and not very painful for most women.

Right away. Never felt it. In fact when doc said it was out I thought it was way too fast! I was too focused on my new baby to think of anything else (is cord still hanging out etc)

I don't remember really with my first. With Wonder Baby I remember after a bit saying "can we get this thing out? " and the midwife gave the cord a light tug and told me to go ahead. So I pushed it out. No contractions and it didn't hurt, although it felt odd. Squishy.