If you're just starting here, stop and go read my birth story! This blog post details the post-birth experience of my second child.
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For anyone who is unfamiliar with labor, birth doesn't really end after the baby is born. You need to birth the placenta as well. The placenta is a large temporary organ that grows with the baby and manages the baby's nutrition and hormones. If the placenta isn't delivered shortly after birth, the uterus is not able to contract back down to size, leaving a massive wound which can cause hemorrhaging, a very serious ...