Birth Stories

Pooping while pushing

So, I keep reading and hearing that many women poop while pushing during labor.  I know most women are not thrilled about this, but the thought bothers me enough to make me ask the question:  Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?  To make me poop before going to the hospital or before I start pushing...I thought of stool softeners, but then I thought they might actually make me more likely to poop when pushing.  Any ideas???

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Re: Pooping while pushing

  • Even if you give yourself an enema (which I DON'T recommend b/c it can dehydrate you, etc), you will more than likely STILL poop. It just happens when the baby pushes down on your bowels as you are pushing the baby out.

    Your digestive system usually shuts down while in labor, so that's another reason why more often than not, women poop during delivery.

    High-risk L&D nurse...If in doubt, go to triage!

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  • At the time it could have happened (it didn't for me, but was a huge fear of mine too) I couldn't have cared less if I pooped on the table or not.
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  • Nothing you can do about it.  Sorry :(
  • No.  I took a bunch of craps after my water broke and I still pooped while pushing.  DH said a little came out every time I pushed, lol.  I asked him. :)  But trust me, it's the very LAST thing on your mind at the time!  It's nothing to be embarassed about.  I wasn't.
    My best friend, my husband, my everything
    Matthew Kevin
    7/31/83-7/20/11 image
    Met 1/8/00
    Engaged 4/21/06
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    Two beautiful legacies: Noah Matthew (2 yrs) and Chloe Marcella (8 mos)
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  • im on my 3rd pregnancy and as far as i know ive never pooped on the table but i could have cuz they dont say "hey you just pooped". so dont worry about it too much cuz even if you do they wont tell you. unless of course you ask if you did or not. but actually you really wont care you will be soooo happy that your little one is finally here.
  • Surprisingly it didn't happen to me during either birth.  I thought maybe it happened with DD but my husband said no.

    Either way, at that point you just won't care what happens.  I promise.  And even if you DO poop, you probably won't even notice.  The OB will wipe it away and continue on like nothing happened.  Trust me, they see MUCH worse!

  • You are going to poop no matter what but in the moment YOU WILL NOT CARE!

    I had a water birth and I saw them scooping the poop out of the tub (they used a fish net, LOL) and I was thinking to myself "I must be pooping while I push, oh well GET THE G-D BABY OUT OF MY VAGINA). 

    Plus, since everyone does it the nurses are very adept at cleaning it up as it comes out- you will probably not even notice them doing it. 

  • I oozed crap for hours. I didn't really care from an embarrassment stance, but the constant wiping really hurt. By that point I had some pretty nice hemorrhoids, so that contributed to the discomfort. 

    I am seriously considering the enema this time.

  • chillax my dear. You won't give a hoot when you're 10cm and crowning.

    TRUST ME

  • Believe me.. I was so constipated during my pregnancy I was happy I crapped on the table!
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  • I understand it is scary...I was worried about pooping, but not so much that I tried to prevent it.  If you are worried about this....just wait till you see the rest of the substances that come out of your body.

    DD #1 Amber Lynn 12/2000, DD #2 Leia Elizabeth 6/2009, DD#3 Aayla Ruth 08/2012. Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • hmmm - maybe you could ask for a c-section to avoid all of that.. Just kidding.  Seriously I had a c section, but after 27 hours of labor and like 5 peoples hands up my cooch I could have cared less if I pooped on the table

    Now did you know you fart uncontrollably when you get your epi?

    Happy and Healthy 9 months  :)

  • I totally worried about this when I was PG too.  I ended up not eating for awhile before I delivered because I was induced and they would only give me jello (which I do not consider food), so I was completely empty when I delivered.  I do not recommend starving yourself though.  Anyway, by the time I actually delivered there were about 10 people in the room that I was not planning on being there and a baby that was stuck.  I didn't care about pooping at that point and when I got the bill from the hospital I almost wished that I would have pooped just so I would have received one more service for my money.  LOL
  • Sorry if TMI--After my water broke I had the craps at home.  During delivery I didn't poo--and was downright shocked I didn't.  I am also the type that wouldn't have cared if I did cause it's so common.  No worries!
  • I pooped. I was pretty constipated the few days before I went into labor, but I did have a nice big poop on my own right as labor was starting so I thought I might avoid it. Nope.

    I had a mirror so I could watch DS being born (which was totally amazing BTW), but I never actually saw any poop! The nurse was very very good and with every push she moved the paper pad and covered up my newest poop nugget and tossed them away every couple pushes.

    And fwiw, DH says he didn't notice. And he was watching.

    - Jena
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  • The thought of pooping while pushing honestly doesn't even bother me. Who cares? The doctors/nurses see it all the time and DH will be too excited to see his baby come out to care if you poo.
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  • imagecarrie204:
    Believe me.. I was so constipated during my pregnancy I was happy I crapped on the table!

    LOL

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