When the caregiver manages the 3rd stage physiologically (or naturally), they are aiming not to interfere with a complex, interconnected process that completes a normal labour. If the labour has not been
induced or
augmented, then the woman's body continually releases surges of her own oxytocin hormone during the labour to stimulate the contractions.
Once the baby is born this natural hormone release continues, as the uterus still needs to contract to detach (and deliver) the placenta and membranes (or sac) that have contained and sustained your baby throughout the pregnancy, labour and birth. The woman's body still has work to do, and the contractions (although usually not as severe as labour contractions) are still needed for the placenta to be expelled to complete the process and to control the bleeding after the birth.
The woman's first physical contact with her baby will often produce a rush of emotions that are accompanied with a release of her own natural oxytocin hormone. This natural oxytocin 'surge' or 'rush' makes her uterus contract to facilitate the separation of the placenta, so it can deliver spontaneously.
The 3rd stage of labour, if left to run its own course, can be divided into 3 phases. They are:
The resting phase
The separation phase
The expulsion phase
You may experience all three phases or you may not have a distinct resting phase, moving straight from the 2nd stage into the separation and expulsion phases.
The resting phase
After the baby is born, it is normal for the uterus to stop contracting (or to rest), for about 10 to 20 minutes. You could liken this 'need' to rest with your body's need to have a resting phase before the active pushing in the 2nd stage of labour. While 10 to 20 minutes is an average rest time, it could be as little as 5 minutes or as long as 30 to 60 minutes or more. A few women will not experience a rest phase, and a few will take up to an hour or more to deliver their placenta.