Poopin' on the table

Valo2010 · January 2015

I was lucky enough to "evacuate my bowels" before arriving at the hospital for the delivery of my daughter, so I didn't have this experience... But have been pretty constipated this time around, and am worried I won't be able to pull it off that way again.

Have any of you used enemas or any other stimulants to get things cleared up before labor and delivery? My mom says enemas were common practice "back in the day" before deliveries, but I haven't heard much of that recently. I have an OB appointment on Monday, where I will (hopefully remember to) ask my doc, but just wondering what your experiences are.

junebugjam · January 2015

I feel like the thought of this is more embarrassing than the actual event, because I'm pretty sure that'll be the last thing on my mind in the moment.

Valo2010 · January 2015

I'm sure it's not a big deal, and the pros deal with it all the time... I am just hoping to go 0 for 2 in the #2 department! lol

maryxc1 · January 2015

I am a pretty modest person and with DS I lost all sense of modesty or caring during labor and delivery. Also I am not even sure you would know about it. I hear they just clean it up and move on.

KRMcD · January 2015

I asked my husband a few weeks after delivery if I had...apparently I did twice. I asked why he didn't tell me and he said because it didn't seem important.

ConstanceGoodspeed · January 2015

My system cleaned itself out during the first stage of labor (vomitting and diarrhea). I was empty by the time I was ready to push.

Ceefome · January 2015

This is one case where "shit happens" is literal. Honestly, you may not even know and the doctors and nurses see it all the time. And there's even theories that it leads to healthier babies - getting gut bacteria from mom.

I have no idea if I did in my first or second delivery, pretty sure I did with my 3rd, but my husband has no idea if I did or didn't. They'll just change out the big blue pad you're laying on and it's no big deal.

jmcgra06 · January 2015

Totally pooped while pushing DD, couldn't have cared less. I remember thinking, "if I have to get a damn c-section because I'm too embarrassed to push, I'm going to be so mad at myself." They said to push like I was pooping, so I did. I'd been poked and proded and I just wanted it all over.

Valo2010 · January 2015

Gives a whole new meaning to "not giving a $#!7." Heehee!

maltwin1 · January 2015

I'm told I pooped while pushing. I had no idea and no one in the room ever missed a best. I would never have known if I hadn't point blank asked DH. I had an epidural so I had basically no feeling down there and I don't remember anyone cleaning anything up. I think it's just such a normal thing to the awesome L&D people that they just clean it/you up and continue on with the business at hand.

HayleyBug55 · January 2015

I was really afraid to open this thread at first.

racheltherose · January 2015

Honestly, I did with mine. The doctors made it out to be such a non issue it really didn't matter. Even my husband could have cared less. He was so focused on watching our LO progress down, he kept coaching me to do exactly what I was doing. I was very aware it had happened, and the doctors were very quick to clean things up. You'll be so focused on the task at hand, it's the least of your worries

dreemkin84 · January 2015

I think I did (DH isn't sure either). I guess they whisked some layers of padding away quickly at one point. But whatever, who cares!

abrzezinski · January 2015

OB nurse here for the past 11 years. Some girls do and some girls do. It is a sign that you are pushing correctly. Not a big deal at all and you probably will never even know!

Allie429 · January 2015

I did twice. Nurse never mentioned and neither did my husband. It wasn't until we were taking a break and I made a comment to my nurse and the face she made tipped me off. I kept saying I was so embarassed and she said "hey-if you hadn't asked would you have known?" And I said "nope" and she said "well there ya go!" Later my husband confessed I actually did twice but the nurse was so sweet and nice and very used to seeing it she wasn't phased. I am sure it will happen again and oh well if it does.

Zsmommmy · January 2015

Well i just had my lovebug and while didnt poop i had terrible gas it smelt baaaaaaadddd kept apologizing also baby pooped twice before he was born and have been pooping every 2 hours since

excitedbride11 · January 2015

I too vomited and had diarrhea right before labor started both times, and with my first I pooped on the table once! They could care less, and believe me, you won't give a rats ass either! lol! Good luck and no worries!!!

Valo2010 · January 2015

Yeah, No... I forgot to ask... and as many of you have mentioned, I've decided I don't care. I'd hate to be farting though... at least they can whisk the poop away... fart stink is inescapable! lol (Sorry to the mama who farted!). :-\

maryxc1 · January 2015

I threw up all over the bathroom early in labor...like lots of volume and somehow didn't even occur to me to aim for a toilet or trash can. I apologized over and over to the nurse and she told me that was what the janitor was there for. I felt really bad for them.

tropicbreeze · January 2015

I consider myself a pretty private person when it comes to my body, but when I was pushing I didn't give a flying fig if I was pooing or not. I was just trying to get LO out. This was something I was worried about and now I just don't care if I did or did not. The nurses are so awesome they are not fazed by anything.

mattyludwig · March 2015

I took a high enema in the last hour before going to the hospital, before the last two, and it helped a lot, I believe. It was standard practice back then (in the late 70's) to give an enema and a shave when you first arrived in the hospital. After that first nasty experience I decided to do both at home, avoiding a lot of embarrassment, and I could just get on with the laboring without distraction.

StephanieLBerg · March 2015

I didn't poop because I had an emergency cesarean, but I did vomit at least 4 times during labor before the procedure.

lauren889 · March 2015

I pooped twice! And I didn't even care! My epidural stopped working right before I stared pushing and it was actual sort of a relief!

mperez95 · March 2015

I before they induced me they told me if it happened they would just clean it and move on but before the nurse strapped me up to monitors and an IV she gave me a liquid enema that cleaned me out before the process..

em4iowa · March 2015

I had an epidural as well as intrauterine monitors and a catheter and while I ended up with a c-section, I pooped during a hard contraction. I felt some rectal pressure and asked and sure enough... ha. I'm not embarrassed easily when it comes to medical procedures and the nurse was very apathetic about it all.

mamamedeiros1 · March 2015

We were in a birthing tub when I started pushing and I pooped a little in the tub and it was floating around and my husband (who luckily happens to be a plumber, unphased by poo) just scooped it out for me! HAHA. I was actually a little uncomfortable with it, and the midwife suggested I labor on the toilet so I could push without worry that someone was watching me poo. It helped with the embarassment AND the labor. Had DS not too long after.

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