I had a c-section with my first so I don't know what delivering the placenta is going to be like - but it's one of the things I'm currently worrying about in prep for a VBAC.
Was it painful just like pushing baby out? (If you had no epi)
Did you have to push it out or does it just get pulled out?
coconut / 8854 posts
For me, I was bleeding a lot, so the midwife was really working on my tummy massaging it a ton for me to deliver the placenta quickly. she would tug on the cord too a bit. and I felt a contraction, not nearly as strong as a labor one, but she told me to push, and I gave a small push, and she tugged a little on the cord, and I felt this squishy thing come out. I can't explain it, but it was like utter relief once I delivered the placenta.
pomegranate / 3658 posts
Nowhere on earth near as painful as birthing the baby. But it was still a pretty majorly uncomfortable experience. I had lots of high-pressure massaging. I was mentally prepared for it though (thanks Hellobee!) so it wasn't so bad. I kept thinking that was the last major thing to get through and I'd be done. Little did I know my stitches were going to take a million years.
squash / 13764 posts
@MrsBrewer: YES. Like something was stuck and then it wasn't. Like the absence of pressure or something? I also found it to be sooo much more comfortable after the placenta was out.
Not at all painful for me but I had an epi.
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
I honestly have zero memory, except I'm pretty sure I asked my midwife if she was pulling it out, and she was. I was holding my lo and trying to nurse so I wasn't focusing on what was going on down there, haha
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I was still on epi... I kinda felt a giant blob come out... I just remember it hurt b/c they were massaging me to get it to come out! Never saw it.
grapefruit / 4418 posts
I had an epi but didn't even notice it happening. I kind of forgot about it and after asked DH if he saw it happen and he said no. Guess we were too enamored with DD lol!
pear / 1648 posts
It was pretty much a non-event. They told me to push once but it was nothing like delivering the baby. No pain, the sensation barely registered with me.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
Two babies and two epidurals (both turned off pre-pushing so although I had them I felt everything pushing...).
K - they had to push on my stomach a lot, there was pulling and pushing on my end. It was uncomfortable - but it actually coming out did not hurt. I think maybe bc it is squishy? It just kind of slid out once it did.
E - pushed it out in like one baby push when Dr told me to. No pushing on my tummy, no pulling...much much different. Again nice and easy coming out!
FWIW - my kids were both pretty normal sized, 7/2 and 7/5...
nectarine / 2047 posts
Didn't really feel it. I didn't have any massaging though. I had a med free birth and a 7lb 10 oz baby
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
My epidural wasn't working, and I was hemorrhaging pretty badly so they were quickly massaging my stomach and yanking to get it out. I have no recollection at all of it coming out, but the massaging hurt like a bitch. It went really fast, though, and once it was out it was over. I just wasn't expecting the massaging to hurt so bad!
nectarine / 2951 posts
I didn't find it painful either. All that stomach pushing/massaging by the nurses was totally uncomfortable though.
pear / 1703 posts
Ok so far so good ladies! Thanks so much for your responses. Perhaps I can tentatively scratch this worry off my list? 
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Didn't feel like much. They told me to push and it was out and I didn't even feel it.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
It was a piece of cake! I was too busy making love eyes at baby to notice lol.
apricot / 343 posts
I don't really remember it. I knew I could do that part because I had already birthed the baby; so all of my fear was gone.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
I pushed and the OB kind of tugged and it slid out. I bled quite a bit after that so my memory is pretty fuzzy, but it wasn't difficult.
cantaloupe / 6397 posts
@Autumnmama79: I would take this off your list of stuff to worry about!!
No epi, maybe 1 or 2 pushes to get it out, if I'm remembering correctly. Didn't hurt even a little :). And even if you're squeamish you should totally ask to see it! I hate stuff like that and I thought it was so cool.
ETA: And by pushes I mean small pushes, no contractions or anything like that.
coconut / 8854 posts
@hilsy85: Yes! I definitely felt like I wasn't done, and I was just so uncomfortable. I remember staring at J, and I remember reading other mom's saying I forgot everything that was going on (birthing the placenta, stitches, etc) because they were so engulfed with the new baby. Ugh not me. Don't get me wrong, she is my everything, but I couldn't get over that uncomfortable feeling and just wanting to be done!!!
pomelo / 5607 posts
Didn't hurt at all! Though I was distracted. The word I used was burbly, which doesn't make sense but that's how it felt.
pear / 1593 posts
Everyone talks about delivering the placenta, so a few minutes after the baby was born I asked the doctor if we needed to do that, and she was like "oh it's already out" so for me I had no idea it even happened. I had epidural, maybe that's why?
pomelo / 5326 posts
I honestly have no recollection of delivering the placenta. I was so absorbed in DD and holding her that I didn't even notice anything after she came out! I had an Epi for what it's worth.
clementine / 955 posts
My OB pushed on my stomach once and it literally just fell out
apricot / 424 posts
They pushed on my stomach a lot (which REALLY hurts, like more than anything else). But I don't actually remember delivering the placenta. It was all very much a blur.
cantaloupe / 6634 posts
It was just kind of weird...after 3 hours of pushing, I really didn't want to push any more. Delivering the umbilical cord was much weirder tho! It was like linked sausages tumbling out. *shudder*
pear / 1616 posts
for my first, i had an epi so it didn't hurt delivering it, i don't even remember feeling anything. but they pushed on my stomach hard to get it out, for about 5-10 minutes. that part hurt (those drs aren't gentle! hah). For my second, my placenta started to detach during delivery so it came out pretty quickly after. They did do some more stomach pushing to stop the bleeding though, not as bad as my first.
Eta- I remember both times it felt so good once it was out! Like didn't feel bloated or whatever that feeling is
pomegranate / 3921 posts
I didn't have a epidural and it was fine. The pushing was annoying because I was tired. I mean, I had just pushed a baby out! And a placenta is far less motivating. But it only took one push, at the instruction of my midwife, and it just kind of flopped out. It felt slimy, and I remember saying "That felt big? Is it big?!" and then she showed it to me and told me it weighed almost as much as my daughter. I thought it was weird but then it was over and I never thought about it again. 
pomelo / 5628 posts
It's sucked for me. It wouldn't come, they pushed so hard on my stomach! And I ended up getting a d & c . They just upped my epi dose and put me out. (But I was delivering at 25 weeks...)
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
No clue. I didn't feel/push anything. I think it was hours after her birth, maybe a day, before I realized I never felt it come out or anything.
clementine / 756 posts
Definitely scratch it off your worry list. I was med free and while I did push and did feel it come out, it didn't hurt. I'm a nerd and they had my son over in a warmer, so I held and looked at the placenta. I was surprised at how heavy it was! But it looked healthy, so that's good. But, really, no big deal.
pomelo / 5220 posts
I don't remember pain per se but I was super sick of them rubbing my stomach and I finally was like can I just push this thing out really hard? and they said yes. I was so sick of people touching me and bothering me, I just wanted to be done.
persimmon / 1385 posts
My hung in there for like a hour. My OB did a lot of pushing on my stomach and tugging on the cord which was not fun at all, but once it detached the actually delivery was nothing, it just kinda squished out.
nectarine / 2466 posts
Didn't notice it either time. The first time I was staring at the baby and I felt a tiny bit of pressure. The Dr said he was just pulling out the placenta when I looked at him. I had no idea he was even doing it.
I don't remember the second time at all. I think I might have had a bit of cramping, but I'm not even really sure.
I know it felt nice once it was out though. It just felt, 'normal' or something again.
pomelo / 5084 posts
@Autumnmama79: It was absolutely nothing for me. Granted I had an epidural, but I remember the baby was out and my doctor said, now the placenta - don't push! And he just kind of tugged on the cord. That was it! Good luck!
nectarine / 2436 posts
@avivoca: me too! I had an unmedicated very fast labor and delivery. Delivering the placenta didn't hurt at all. It almost felt like a relief.
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