Labor Poop

digwriter

I honestly think this is one of my biggest non-pain related fears. I don't care about the mucus plug or my water breaking in some public place, or any other embarrassing happenings. However, the thought of accidentally pushing out poop while trying to push out baby, horrifies me. And ya I know, I know, when I'm in labor i won't care, but up until that point, this totally freaks me out.

jengelz

I know it's your fear, but I don't think there's anything to worry. Your doctor/midwife/nurses will have seen everything and anything. They're prepared and probably aren't fazed in the slightest when this happens. Now, if you accidentally pooped during say, a pedicure, THEN you can be freaked out. But during pregnancy, you're fine!

pink100

You wont even know you did it if you even do so what you dont know, wont hurt you! 

digwriter

I think it may be DH's reaction that worries me.

salt78

I've just recently made peace with the fact that this might happen. If it does...oh well. I wouldn't be the first.

SheenaNash1

I can understand the fear, but just tell them not to tell you when it happens (like they would anyway) and you'll never know! I always try and tell myself there's no sense worrying about things that are out of my control, and this is one of them. Although I will say that my friend who was TERRIFIED of this gave herself an enema when she first was in labor and I guess that made me feel better. So to each their own! 

kmhunt11

I don't know either if I did with DD.  DH was so focused on what was going on he doesn't know, but he thinks I did.  I remember the nurse pulling the top-most paper sheet off and throwing it away, and we assume it's because I pooped.  The nurse will make it disappear in a split second- she/he doesn't want to stare at it any more than you do  Maybe if you don't think of it as "What if I do?" and just embrace that you will it might be easier to accept.  You are giving birth to your DH's child- he can handle a little excrement.  

McGibbon51311

It still freaks me out but I keep hearing the "nothing you could say or do would surprise the doctors/nurses because they've seen everything" which helped a little. Being told "you won't know it happened until afterwards" and if you ask to not be told you'll likely not even know helped a little more. Telling my husband he has to stay on my side of the bed because I don't want him seeing any of that... helped the most. 

Cholzmei

You can request an enema at the start of your labor that will clean out your lower colon.  I think I'm going to do that.  I'm pretty regular (even now) so I don't think there will be tons of poop in there, but I'd rather not poop in front of a room full of people, even if they have seen it before.

nickert2000

Just tell yourself if you poop you are using the right muscles   [b/c it is the truth]

McGibbon51311

Cholzmei:

You can request an enema at the start of your labor that will clean out your lower colon.  I think I'm going to do that.  I'm pretty regular (even now) so I don't think there will be tons of poop in there, but I'd rather not poop in front of a room full of people, even if they have seen it before.

I thought about this, but realized that in the end, there is so much coming out of me that some poop is not a big deal. Between the two waters breaking, two babies and the two placentas I guess I can deal with a poop. I must be getting comfortable because I never thought I'd say that. 

mcp

I have no idea if I did when delivering my son.  I'm sure if anything was in my system at all then I must have because pushing during delivering is really just like pushing out the biggest poop of your life.  But it's true that when you get to the point of pushing the baby out you really don't care.  I had tunnel vision at that point and all my focus was on getting the baby out.  All modesty goes out the window, which is by necessity because your lady parts are hanging out for all to see, and they aren't very pretty after all that pushing.  But they've seen it all before!   

mommy2be1991

My 16 yr old sister cannot wait til i poop on the table so she can eternally mock me and let everyone else know.

I'm more scared of her finding out than I am of the actual action.  

lostaspen

It is so common that your Dr./midwife and the nurses won't even blink an eye.  In fact you may not know it happened!  I never got to push, but my bowels emptied repeatedly while I was in labor (in the bathroom, thankfully).  I would have been surprised if anything was left to come out during pushing!

RACox

I pooped with DS. I wouldn't have even known it happened if DH hadn't told me. He makes fun of me every now and then saying I pooped on our son. I was a little worried about it, but I think it happens to a lot of people, and the nurses just wiped it away when it happened.

Oh, whoever said you're pushing right if you poop... I pushed 4 or 5 times and DS was born in less than 20 minutes!

kmiller1012

I had a fear of this too.  But when it happened it wasn't a big deal.  The nurse wiped it away so quickly.  I did notice every time it happened.  I kept saying sorry, but she said it happens all the time and that it means I was pushing correctly.  The last time I thought it happened she informed me I didn't that it was hemrroids I felt.  Which was even worse, but I did push for 3 and 1/2 hrs.

kel716

Apparently I did with DS.  I don't remember.

DH remembers me asking, and she told me I did.  I still don't remember.  I guess that's what happens when your son is born at 3:43 AM after an induction that started at noon the day before. 

Seriously, don't worry about it.  These things happen, and it's not worth fretting about. 

Irisheyes1247

I pooped. I am pretty sure there were about 12 people in the room (I delivered in the ER). Before labor I was super stressed and grossed out about it. No one told me I pooped, and generally if you ask, the nurses will tell you no. But hey, if you poop that means you are doing it right, so there's something. And you can take comfort in the fact that you aren't the first. No, it isn't something I am super comfortable with even now, but in that moment, you kind of get caught up and you really aren't concerned.

Babycakes29

digwriter:

I think it may be DH's reaction that worries me.

Yep! I hear ya on that one! Especially when DH keeps saying how that's HIS biggest fear and saying things like, "Oh man, if you poop yourself, I swear I'm gonna throw up!"

K, thanks babe!

gekeler6

I pooped the second labor.  I had an epi, and no one made a big deal about it.  I didn't even know it happened.  The nurse removed it just as fast as it came out.  My husband told me later when I asked, but it didn't phase him....he was watching the birth.  I think everyone is worried about pooping during pushing, just try not to think about.

kmhunt11

I'd forgotten to mention the puking!  I Exorcist style vomited on everyone around me- DH, overnight nurse and her trainee, morning nurse and trainee, and my OB.  The heartburn got so bad that the nurse said "Sometimes it helps to throw up."  I said ok and then freaked out when it started. DH is pretty wimpy, and he got over it

kiarstin

digwriter:

I think it may be DH's reaction that worries me.

 

My husband is ABSOLUTELY not allowed at the business end.  He doesn't need to see a sexual place ripped open and have a baby come out of it!!! Chances are your honey wont even see it, and docs/ assistance clean it up soo quick.

Fergie+1

mommy2be1991:

My 16 yr old sister cannot wait til i poop on the table so she can eternally mock me and let everyone else know.

I'm more scared of her finding out than I am of the actual action.  

First off, take the power away from her by saying "Whatever. I don't care. I'll bet Grandma and Mom did, too. Not a big deal. It's not like you'll be there to film it." (I would be super p!ssed if anyone dared to say they'd use something like THAT to try and embarrass me- come on; GrowTFU. I know she's only 16, but still.)

I have no idea if I did or not with my son. H was nowhere near that end (Hell, he was afraid of me and didn't even want to hold my hand!) to tell me if I did or not.

digwriter

This has been very helpful advice. I think I'll definitely keep DH up at the head of the bed with me. Then we can both be oblivious.

Babycakes29

digwriter:

This has been very helpful advice. I think I'll definitely keep DH up at the head of the bed with me. Then we can both be oblivious.

This is def the plan that both of us readily opted for. Neither of us want to see any of the "goings on" down there. But Ok I was in the room with my bff for the beginning of her pushes and though I didn't see the poo, you could smell it. THAT is the part that made me most worried about DH later. They can change the pad all day but if it smells what are they gonna do? Its not like they have a special nurse on hand to come febreeze the room!

ETA: I suppose the best part about it is the timing... Once the poo happens at least that means you're in the home stretch! And once you're able to get that baby out, the poo will be a distant memory. It'd be worse if it was some odd side effect that happened at the beginning of labor or something but the fact that its in the very end makes me feel a little better.

BakerMommy

(lurker, obviously)

I pushed for 3 hrs. with DD to no avail--until I concentrated on pooping.  Then she was out in short order!  So, thinking of poop might just help.