How can you prevent this during labor (maybe tmi for some people)

Rrrrrachel · March 2014

I was SO SURE I was going to poop. The whole time i was pushing I felt like I was pooping, and I loudly and repeatedly warned everyone in the room I was surely going to poop. I did not poop.

TheMrs820 · March 2014

I am a FTM & was really freaked out about this for awhile, to the point where I was considering doing an enema @ home.

I have now come to the conclusion that if it happens then it happens.....except I had a dream that I had explosive diarrhea during labor.....that still freaks me out a bit!!

hfooter · March 2014

I'm not freaked out by this at all. I have already decided I would be extremely surprised if I didn't. And my husband agreed LMFAO. So don't worry about it. And like PP said, if you are so concerned get an enema.

beccam1230 · March 2014

I agree with everyone else... my son was born a week ago and I was nervous about my husband seeing everything but when the time came, I didn't give a crap (ha no pun intended). I didn't even realize who was in the room most of the time and I really didn't care if I pooped. You won't care either when they hand you your sweet, beautiful baby right after birth!

julesf817 · March 2014

anyone who has made it to the third tri and still thinks poop is TMI, i think i envy you.

sschwege · March 2014

Just lurking here, but as everyone has said it's not a big deal and your SO might not even notice. I'm convinced I pooped with my first, could feel it happening, and felt my MW wipe me. With my second he was born so fast and I had pooped so much beforehand I'm pretty sure I did not. Much later I said to DH something like, "Hey, I didn't even poop that time!" To which he replied, "I don't think you pooped the first time either." I explained to him why I'm sure I did, but he says he didn't see it and he was in a better position to notice. The point of the story is, it may happen, it may not, you or SO may notice it, you may not, either way it's not a big deal! It's not like they announce it and hold it up for all to see, they just discretely get rid of it.

ElTrain5 · March 2014

I'm hoping to have a water birth. Just the thought of the midwife chasing my turd around with a fish net like a tricky little goldfish makes me giggle.

veetveet · March 2014

The clean it up so quickly- you usually don't even know you've done it.

Plus there is so much rectal pressure there is no way to control it.

Embrace the poop.

enjaye316 · March 2014

I got the enema with my first baby, and plan to do it again if I don't have to have a C-section with my second. Got that out of the way and didn't have to worry about pooping on the table or having to go too soon after delivery. I would recommend it, but it's looking like I'm in the minority…

GinnyJ2012 · March 2014

I pooped with my first and I noticed. The nurse cleaned it quickly and I didn't apologize about it or call attention to it. The nurse just laid a rag over it and then cleaned it up. No big deal in the moment. I was terrified before birth about it before his birth though. The urge to push hit and that was the end of the pooping fear!

Stacey1181 · March 2014

Enema! That's a great idea. I will ask my Dr about that. Thanks

enjaye316 · March 2014

ClrkKntismyAE said:

Nicb13 said:

All this good advice and the OP didn't even have the decency to come back

That is because nobody told her the secret to not pooping during labor.

I did! Enema!

FemShep · March 2014

Ehhh.... I've had enemas because of other digestive issues, and frankly, I'd rather poop on the table. Enemas are no fun, even when you're not nine months pregnant.

Things can go....wrong.....with an enema. If you've been constipated and you have lots of backed up stool, some of the enema fluid can squirt out (along with poop) as soon as you have the enema. You may need to poop unexpectedly and suddenly for quite some time afterwards. You may have painful cramps. You might vomit or have diarrhea. And those are just the "normal" side effects! An enema can also, in rare cases, cause a bowel perforation. I think dealing with all that crap from the enema (pun intended), WHILE IN LABOR), would be absolute hell.

Now how's that for TMI?

enjaye316 · March 2014

FemShep said:

Ehhh.... I've had enemas because of other digestive issues, and frankly, I'd rather poop on the table. Enemas are no fun, even when you're not nine months pregnant.

Things can go....wrong.....with an enema. If you've been constipated and you have lots of backed up stool, some of the enema fluid can squirt out (along with poop) as soon as you have the enema. You may need to poop unexpectedly and suddenly for quite some time afterwards. You may have painful cramps. You might vomit or have diarrhea. And those are just the "normal" side effects! An enema can also, in rare cases, cause a bowel perforation. I think dealing with all that crap from the enema (pun intended), WHILE IN LABOR), would be absolute hell.

Now how's that for TMI?

Diarrhea, yes, but I sort of figured that was the point.

Vomit and bowel perforation were never brought to my attention as possibilities. Yikes.

I think I must've gotten the timing right on mine… I had the enema after my water broke, but before the Pitocin kicked in, so I wasn't in actual labor pain yet.

Yay, TMI!

spacepotatoes · March 2014

FemShep said:

Ehhh.... I've had enemas because of other digestive issues, and frankly, I'd rather poop on the table. Enemas are no fun, even when you're not nine months pregnant.

Things can go....wrong.....with an enema. If you've been constipated and you have lots of backed up stool, some of the enema fluid can squirt out (along with poop) as soon as you have the enema. You may need to poop unexpectedly and suddenly for quite some time afterwards. You may have painful cramps. You might vomit or have diarrhea. And those are just the "normal" side effects! An enema can also, in rare cases, cause a bowel perforation. I think dealing with all that crap from the enema (pun intended), WHILE IN LABOR), would be absolute hell.

Now how's that for TMI?

Yeah...there is a reason they are not given routinely anymore. I'd rather poop during labour than deal with any of this.

jasperc0748 · March 2014

I wasn't replying because most of the stuff that people advised was exactly what I said I already knew people said which was "you won't care." I wanted to wait a while and come back to see if there was other advice. So thank you for those of you who did give recommendations!

spacepotatoes · March 2014

jasperc0748 said:

I wasn't replying because most of the stuff that people advised was exactly what I said I already knew people said which was "you won't care." I wanted to wait a while and come back to see if there was other advice. So thank you for those of you who did give recommendations!

No snark intended at all, but I'd be curious to see your thoughts on this thread after you experience labour.

I'm not excited about the prospect of pooping during labour either but when nearly every single person I talk to IRL and on TB gives the same advice, I tend to start believing it and make my peace with it. Again, not trying to be snarky, you feel how you feel, but I'd be curious to hear how things go for you and whether or not your mindset changed in the process.

WashingtonQueen · March 2014

jasperc0748 said:
I wasn't replying because most of the stuff that people advised was exactly what I said I already knew people said which was "you won't care." I wanted to wait a while and come back to see if there was other advice. So thank you for those of you who did give recommendations!

How about grow up? Seriously.

BeesKnees181 · March 2014

Trying to "prevent it" will only make your labor longer and more miserable. Loosen up. It is natural.

awc1986 · March 2014

jasperc0748 said:

I wasn't replying because most of the stuff that people advised was exactly what I said I already knew people said which was "you won't care." I wanted to wait a while and come back to see if there was other advice. So thank you for those of you who did give recommendations!

Perhaps take the hint? If the overwhelming majority are saying you won't care, then you probably won't care.

I hope you have a magic butthole, because that's the only way you're going to guarantee not pooping.

cerafina205 · March 2014

They get it cleaned up so quick you won't even know it happened. Just don't ask if you did and you'll think you went through labor without pooping.

aaroberts33 · March 2014

This was also a worry of mine when I was pregnant with my first. I was induced, so a few days before I had it ok'd by my obgyn to do an at home enema. It just cleaned me out. It gave me peace of mind. I honestly don't know if I pooped while pushing or not. So it really is true- you won't know and you won't care! I hope this helps!

atmaloney · March 2014

I worried about it too. But hey, if it happens, it happens. My mama pooped all 3 times with us. She had the same doctor deliver all 3 of us girls over a span of 14 years, but I think it was with me where she she pooped on him. She started freaking out and apologizing and he just looked at her and said "honey, you're not the first, you won't be the last...just keep going!"

atmaloney · March 2014

tjkdlhb said:
You are seriously just going to want the baby to be out of your body at that point.

For most of my labour I felt like I had to poop, so I actually labored in the bathroom on the toilet most of the time. That actually ended up being more comfortable than other positions.

I probably pooped. I expect I did... but I have no idea. I didn't ask.

FWIW I wanted DH to stay up at my head for more reasons than poop. It was better for me to have him close to me and I didn't want to see any of the 'carnage' from what was happening. Apparently he accidentally looked when they were stitching me up and was traumatized... (not for him - for me)

Lmao! I told my husband "eyes on me" when our daughter finally gets here. If he looks, I don't think our relationship will be the same lol

Tomkat8403 · March 2014

As a doula, I can assure you that it happens 75% of the time. For real. It's not a lot at one time usually, but it does happen. Your rectum gets completely flattened as the baby's head comes through the birth canal. If there is feces there, then there is no way to avoid it coming out.

I can also tell you, there is so much different stuff coming out of your body at that point, it's not always evident to Dad's and other support people that it's feces.

I was the most bashful person in the entire world before I had babies. After becoming a doula, I was shocked at how clinical all of these things are to medical personnel. It's SO DARN NORMAL to them. Promise.

jasperc0748 · March 2014

I don't see how I need to "grow up" or was being rude by my last comment. I was answering someone who asked why I hadn't commented and that was why…I was waiting for more advice because almost everything was the same, which was specifically what I said I had already found on a ton of other websites. The advice that some people had FOLLOWING the "you won't care" was helpful. Like the fact that the nurses clean it up right away, why or why not an enema would be a good choice, just telling their significant other to just look at them and don't look down….those were all very helpful and calming to me, even the comments about how it will just make labor worse to try and prevent it. That is a lot more helpful then just stating the same exact thing I said I already knew. Even then, sometimes a ton of people can have the same opinion but there are 5 that found something that works for them to prevent it. So, I'm sorry, but I do not see how I need to grow up about wanting to try anything possible to prevent it.

So again, thank you to everyone who gave me a bit of advice or their experience.

awc1986 · March 2014

@jasperc0748‌ - it's just a little bit of poo. Not worth getting yourself worried about. The safe arrival of your baby will be so important at that point that you'll happily shart in the doctor's face if it meant getting LO out of there. Good luck though.

WashingtonQueen · March 2014

jasperc0748 said:

I don't see how I need to "grow up" or was being rude by my last comment. I was answering someone who asked why I hadn't commented and that was why…I was waiting for more advice because almost everything was the same, which was specifically what I said I had already found on a ton of other websites. The advice that some people had FOLLOWING the "you won't care" was helpful. Like the fact that the nurses clean it up right away, why or why not an enema would be a good choice, just telling their significant other to just look at them and don't look down….those were all very helpful and calming to me, even the comments about how it will just make labor worse to try and prevent it. That is a lot more helpful then just stating the same exact thing I said I already knew. Even then, sometimes a ton of people can have the same opinion but there are 5 that found something that works for them to prevent it. So, I'm sorry, but I do not see how I need to grow up about wanting to try anything possible to prevent it.

So again, thank you to everyone who gave me a bit of advice or their experience.

You need to grow up because you are being childish. You are about to be a parent, you are going to deal with far more gross things than birth functions. You are acting like a teenage girl who is so sure everyone is staring at her "fat" thighs when you truly are the only person in the world to notice. You have gotten the same exact advice over and over because it is TRUE! It doesn't fricking matter and you won't give a damn.

And for your original comment about stinking up the room because of poop. Really? You think amniotic fluid smells like roses?

RebeccaY1 · March 2014

I'm not too concerned about pooping on the table. It seems like it's pretty common, so who really cares? My DH loves me a lot and has seen me vomit several times during the pregnancy. He's seen me in all sorts of different situations both good and bad. Why stress something so small when something so big will be happening.

Mrs_D_in_KY · March 2014

Shit happens. When DS came out blood went everywhere, including on DH. The little bit of poop was the least of my concerns.

Kageer · March 2014

The first poop after the baby is born is way more traumatic than potentially pooping during labor:)

pigtails1031777 · March 2014

Believe me you probably won't know. I knew because I felt them wipe my butt and change the pad. It was soooo fast. Dh saw it and said they cleaned it before he really noticed it was there.

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