Definition of "afterbirth" []

• The placenta and fetal membranes expelled from the uterus following birth. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The placenta is also called the afterbirth; however, birthing the placenta is an important part of the process of birth."
• "The placenta (sometimes called afterbirth) connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall and supplies the fetus with oxygen and food."
• "The placenta, often called afterbirth, is no afterthought she says, but a real tool for future health care."