Avoiding 'floaters'?

[thebluenoser]

I'm going for a water birth, but what about the whole poo issue? My widwife says it's quite amusing and you don't really care about it at the time, but my DH isn't convinced. I think he's worried he'll be given sieve duty!

Can you ask for an enema? Or any tips to avoid the dreaded floaters (or I suppose, depending on what you eat, sinkers!)

[Spidermama]

I don't like the poo bit either. You'd think I'd be ok with it by now having had four home births but I don't like it.

I often wondered about an enema. Women used to have it routinely. It would certainly be tidier and might help keep the illusion of romance for a bit longer,

PMSL at the image of 'floaters' in the water birth tub.

[Yorky]

I honestly couldn't tell you if I pooed or not, but the birth was great.

[LuckySalem]

I tried to have a waterbirth and in all honesty I was pertrified during it that I was going to poo and it kinda stopped me letting nature take its course.
Someone said that sometimes the body "clears the system" before labour and this can sometimes be the first symptom of labour, didn't happen with me.

[moondog]

I haven't yet dared to ask my dh if i crapped myself giving birth......

[jingleyjen]

I poo'ed both times but to be honest I had such great births that it was worth it.. can't imagine pooing on the bed or onto the floor any less embarrassing.

[maxbear]

I did have a big clear out before labour with both of mine thankfully. I thought that I hadn't poo'd at all until I saw the photo's of the birth and was a little worried to see small bits of poo at the bottom of the pool. I guess that makes them sinkers

[jessikart]

My body 'cleared the system' in my first labour - not pretty and went on for aaaaages, but I can say with 100% certainty that I didn't deliver anything other than a baby once we got to hospital

I think the midwives will be pretty matter of fact about any floaters/sinkers and should scoop them out before you notice!

[maxbear]

At least if you poo in the pool no one can smell it, if you poo on the bed it is not very pleasant.

[thebluenoser]

Good point maxbear , never thought it about it that way!

[FrannyandZooey]

you probably won't know unless you ask
they are pretty nippy with the sieve I hear

[moondog]

When you are going through partic. agonising push, close your eyes for a minute or so.
Hopefully by the time you have opened them, mW will have been quick off the mark with rogue floater(s) and you will be none the wiser.

[Spidermama]

I've just run this by dh and he says the poo fearers amongst us must accept their bestiality.

He likes it when the poo comes because he knows the head will follow soon after. It means we're on the home straight or 'game on' as he puts it.

I don't know how people can not remember whether or not they poo'd. I could feel then smell it every time.

TMI?

[moondog]

Yes

[moondog]

'He likes it when the poo comes'

Dear God, good job(by) you are a regular or you would have had your ass drummed out of town sooo fast, lady!

[FrannyandZooey]

oh I didn't know wtf was happening
I asked dp afterwards and he said "oh loads of stuff came out - they just kept sweeping everything into a bucket"

[Spidermama]

Moondog.

[Spidermama]

I remember DH and the MW's using wipes on my big fat cow arse. It was mortifying even in my bovine deep birthing state.

[moondog]

Ooh ,am cringeing for you Spider.
(I read the Torygraph in the birthing pool and discussed learning Welsh as adult in final stages with MW. Moi? An uptight control freak? Not really. )

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

To avoid the shark attack in the toilet look......apparently you can ask for a glucose sepository which will sort you out. Alternatively you can just not worry about it and rest in the knowledge that it doesn't smell in the water and that you won't care anyway.

At our antenatal class with the midwives at the birthing centre, they made a huge point of saying that you're bowel is like a toothpaste tube and as the baby descends then anything that's in it will come out and that's just how it is. Everyone had a titter but DH was then fully expecting it and was under the impression that it happened more than it didn't. Thankfully.

[Spidermama]

LOL @ reading the Telegraph in the pool.

I never had a pool. One arrived for me once ten minutes after ds3 had made his appearance.

No. I was braying like a donkey and doing a wild, tribal dance, my trance only broken to express imminent poo mortification to my collective assistants.

[Spidermama]

thankyouandgoodnight I had the toothpaste tube talk too. Quite a vivid image isn't it?

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

If you're a dry lander, do you end up with poo all down your legs??

[Spidermama]

No you shouldn't. I make sure my helpers catch it as it squeezes out the neck of the tube if you will. Wipes at the ready.

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

Either way, it is really undigifying! Dreadful - I wouldn't care if it was just the midwives I don't think - I really don't enjoy DH seeing me in that state!

[heronsfly]

Noooooo please dont anyone ask for an enema,when dd1 and ds1 were born it was normal to give every women in labour an enema,maybe im a wuss or had sadistic midwives but they were horific,worse than the birth and ive had 3 with no pain relief and they really leave you with no dignity,I know you dont care about that at the end,but its very important when in early labour.
By the time I had ds 2 I was confident enough to say no way are you putting that up where I think you mean too,and by ds3 they had stopped doing it