From Push to Placenta: Your Post-Birth Reality Guide

We spend so much time preparing for labor, but what about the moments that come right after your baby is born?

In this episode of Tend and Befriend, I’m walking you through what really happens after the final push. From skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping, to delivering the placenta, the fundal massage (you've probably heard of it), and the quiet start to postpartum recovery.

Whether this is your first baby or you're preparing for another, understanding what to expect in those first few hours can help you feel calm, confident, and prepared.

Inside this episode:
 ✨ What pushing is really like for first-time parents
 ✨ How and when the placenta is delivered
 ✨ What the golden hour looks like and why it matters
 ✨ The truth about fundal massage and your right to say no
 ✨ What happens in the birthing room before you’re moved to postpartum care

You deserve to feel supported through the entire experience, not just during labor. When you know what’s coming, it’s easier to speak up, advocate for yourself, and move into postpartum feeling grounded.

Chapters

• 0:00 Episode Introduction
• 0:35 Disclaimer and Welcome
• 0:54 The Pushing Stage Explained
• 1:56 The Golden Hour After Birth
• 4:23 Placenta and Postpartum Protocols
• 6:17 Recovery and Empowerment
• 7:43 Episode Closing and Support

Transcript

Deborah: 0:12

Hey Mamas, you're listening to Tend and Befriend, a podcast about women's mental and physical health. This is Debra. I'm a mom of two, a labor and birth coach and birth advocate, a health professional, and today I'm your host. Let's dive into today's episode. Any information you hear or that is suggested or recommended on these episodes is not medical advice. Hey, mamas, welcome back to Tend and Befriend. It's Debra, your favorite doula and massage therapist, who has seen a lot of babies come into the world.

Deborah: 0:46

Today we're diving into something that doesn't get nearly enough attention what actually happens right after you push your baby out. We put so much focus on labor, and rightfully so. It's long and intense, but what about that moment? You're holding your baby on your chest and wondering wait, what now? So let's talk about it. I want to walk you through what really happens in those next few minutes and hours, from pushing and placenta to postpartum recovery and everything in between. So you've made it to 10 centimeters, you're in the second stage of labor, also known as the pushing stage, and if this is your first baby, you might be here for a little while. The average push time for a first time mom is about two hours. Yeah, yeah, I know this sounds like forever, especially when you're exhausted. But let's be real. Your body knows exactly what to do and it has never done this part before. So it's going to take a little bit of time for the baby to move down that path. That baby has to do a full-on wiggle, twist and squish through your pelvis and that takes time, but it's instinct for them. Sometimes people push once, sometimes they push for two hours either way, and your body is going to do it Usually as the baby starts to crown. If you have a midwife, they're usually with you the entire time, and especially during the pushing. But if you're in a hospital with an OB, this is typically when the everyone shows up moment happens. A charge nurse might come in, the baby team is getting ready and we're making sure that all hands are on the deck. I like to jokingly refer to this as the after party, because we sometimes get to 10 centimeters and think, oh, thank gosh, I made it. But it's really just starting this part. So you might hear something about the APGAR score being thrown around here. It's a quick little check that is done at one minute and five minutes after birth and it's a reading of the baby and it's rating baby's appearance, their pulse, grimace, so basically their facial reaction, their activity and their respiration. This tells us how baby's transitioning to life on the outside and most of the time everything is just fine.

Deborah: 3:06

Immediately after birth is known as the golden hour. The cord is still attached at this point and if baby is doing well, most hospitals now practice delayed cord clamping and will typically do a minute. If you want more and we always love more you will want to watch in the hospital that they don't cut it before that minute is up and advocate for longer. We do really feel that, unless there's an emergency, that cord shouldn't be cut right away. So immediately after baby is born it goes right onto your chest and skin to skin begins and once the health team gets the green light, your partner or whoever you choose gets to cut the cord. We call it the golden hour and it's not just sweet, it's scientifically powerful.

Deborah: 3:58

Baby can initiate breastfeeding here. It stabilizes the baby's breathing, the heart rate, the baby's temperature. It helps the mom's uterus contract and it supports bonding like nothing else. You get to just be. Baby is here and you're together. But wait plot twist you're not quite done yet. You still have a placenta inside and part of that umbilical cord is on the outside. The placenta usually comes within 5 to 30 minutes after birth and it doesn't feel great, I'll be honest, but compared to the baby, most women don't seem to mind A lot of times. If there is an OB in the birthing room, they will do a few things to help the placenta come quicker than waiting for it. You really need to advocate here in this moment.

Deborah: 4:52

Next, we get to watch your uterus do that thing that they do, and that is to contract down. So once baby and placenta are on the outside, the spotlight turns to the uterus and there are protocols around this now, and if you don't want that protocol, don't forget to advocate for it before baby arrives. This protocol involves a dose of Pitocin and even if you didn't have it during labor, you will get it here, unless you advocate not to get it. This helps your uterus contract and doesn't usually create cramping at the level of labor, but you can definitely feel them for sure. Next comes the fundal massage a massage therapist's least favorite massage ever. You're going to hear the words and I know it has massage in the name and it's very misleading.

Deborah: 5:55

This is where your nurse or primary provider presses hard on your abdomen, on the top of your uterus, to make sure it's firm and not filling with blood. They will tell you that it's necessary. They will tell you that it's effective. Whether or not we agree, here's one thing I do know for sure it hurts and it's not fun, and they will continue to do this every 15 minutes for the first couple of hours. And it's up to you to advocate for this to stop.

Deborah: 6:26

And here's where the postpartum recovery begins. Once things are stable, your uterus is firm, bleeding is under control and baby is doing well, things typically get a little slower in the birthing room, and this is some of the most special moments to be present, for you might still be in your labor room for a little bit longer. Usually you're there for two hours and then you'll be moved to the postpartum floor. Some hospitals do keep you in the same room the whole time, which can be great for continuance of care. Usually you finally get to eat something here, you get cleaned up a little and maybe even get to visit with your family that have been waiting to see you and to meet the newest little human in your life. That's it. You have the pushing, you have the placenta, the pitocin, the fundal massage and the golden hour, bonding and the beginning of postpartum.

Deborah: 7:17

My hope is that this episode helps you feel a little more prepared and a lot more empowered, because when you know what's coming, it's easier to feel confident in your body and your birth and you're able to prepare for the things that you don't care for. And remember you always have a say in what happens to your body and your baby. You get to ask any questions, you get to say no and you get to advocate or have someone beside you who will advocate for you. You've got this mama, and if you need more support, I'm always here. Thank you so much for listening to Tend and Befriend. If you found this episode helpful, please share with a friend or come say hi to me on Instagram at Debra Dadula. This is your baby, your birth and your way. You don't have to do it alone. Let's talk soon. Talk to you soon. Okay, let's talk soon.