The placenta is the membrane that connects the fetus with the dam. The button-like structures of the placenta (cotyledons) connect with the caruncles of the uterus (see Figure 1). It is through these unions (placentomas) that nutrients are transferred from the mother to the calf.
After a normal calving, the fetal membranes will be expelled within 30 minutes to 8 hours. If the fetal membranes have not been released after 12 hours, the cow will have a condition known as retained fetal membranes (RFM).