The placenta is an incredible, life supporting organ that is attached to the wall of the uterus and connects you to your baby via the umbilical cord.

It is basically your unborn baby's life support system, and serves a range of very important functions.

The placenta allows oxygen and nutrients to pass from your body into your baby's blood, thus enabling your unborn child to grow and develop. It also enables the removal of waste products and carbon dioxide from your baby's blood, which prevents the baby from retaining any potentially poisonous materials.

Additionally, the placenta protects the foetus from many (but not all) harmful substances, and also prevents the foetus from being rejected by your own body.

Because the placenta is vital in nurturing and protecting your baby, its condition will be monitored at every ultrasound scan and antenatal appointment.

At full term, the placenta will weigh around a sixth of your baby's weight! Once your baby is born, your body will deliver the placenta in what is known as the third stage of labour.

In a small number of women, there can be problems with the placenta's development, and these include placenta previa – where the placenta is situated too low within the uterus; placental abruption – where the placenta becomes detached from the wall of the uterus; and retained placenta – where the placenta fails to exit the woman's body after childbirth.

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