Placental expulsion

Placental expulsion (also called afterbirth) occurs when the placenta comes out of the birth canal after childbirth. The time between the expulsion of the baby and the expulsion of the placenta is called the third stage of labor.

The third stage of labor can be managed actively with several standard procedures, or it can be managed expectantly, with physiological management or passive management. The latter allows for the placenta to be expelled without medical assistance.

Although uncommon, in some countries, such as the United States, Germany, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom,^[1] the placenta is kept and consumed by the mother over the weeks following the birth. This practice is termed human placentophagy and can be harmful.^[2]