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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Do they fish the floaters out of the birthing pool?

26 replies

hostelgirl74 · 17/11/2011 09:04

I know that sounds horrible but thats the best way i can put it. I have asked for a birthing pool in my plan but i keep thinking that whereas with a normal birth, apparently they are supposed to "wipe away" that sort of thing as and when, what happens with the pool? My other half is squeamish and said he wants to stay at the top end but i cant help but think he may get more to look at than he bargained for if i birth in the pool as things will rise to the top. Do they have a fishing net or something? First baby due end of month.

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Trills · 17/11/2011 09:05

Yes. With a sieve.

sprinkles77 · 17/11/2011 09:34

I was asked to provide my own sieve for the purpose. Never went into pool as induction etc. We now use the sieve for DS's floaters in his bath.

coffeeaddict · 17/11/2011 10:28

Another option: A glycerin suppository (yes, glamorous I know :) ) works so quickly that there is easily time to use it at the start of labour, 'clear yourself out' and try to minimise the chances of this happening. Everyone says 'you won't care'. I would have cared!!

KatyN · 17/11/2011 11:02

Ok can I raise the bar of tmi... I've had the runs for about 6 weeks now so I don't imagine I'll suddenly become solid in labour. It that going to be minging in the pool??

AtYourCervix · 17/11/2011 11:08

seive. sieve. siv. whatever.

if it gets too minging you get hoiked out and the pool drained and rerun.

jocesar · 17/11/2011 12:03

Had a Waterbirth 3 days ago. Had a bad experience with poo. Only just got into the pool at 10cm and already pushing. Could feel myself pooing and was quite upset. The midwife could not find a sieve and I was very aware of the poo bits floating around. I remember having to bat them out the way! They also have a starring role in the new baby photos. Not the end of the world but why not take your own sieve just in case.

Original poster
hostelgirl74 · 17/11/2011 19:08

Sounds awfull. Certainly puts me off which is a shame because i was hoping the water would be a good pain reliever. Think when I go in i will just drink lucozade for energy rather than the suggested "light energy snacks". Perhaps that will minimise the risk. Does this always happen?

OP posts:
jocesar · 18/11/2011 01:59

Don't let it put you off a Waterbirth- they are amazing. Just take a sieve. It is fairly likely that you will poo a bit and nothing you can do to stop it but it really isn't a big deal compared to meeting your new baby which will be imminent once you have the urge to poo.

flippingstupidnickname · 18/11/2011 17:48

coffeeadict - where do you get glycerin suppositories from? I'm willing to try anything...

maybunny · 18/11/2011 18:12

I really would not worry about it - it will be the last thing on your mind when giving birth! I laboured in the pool and then had to get out, but during my antenatal classes someone asked the question re poo, and they said they are very discrete and hoik them out - they provided the sieve! Obv varies at each hospital but i cant imagine turning up with a sieve in my hospital bag!
All vanity goes out the window during childbirth, but it qwill be amazing whatever happens! Good luck x

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 18/11/2011 18:14

Grin yes they do, very discretely and they never mention it.

DH was on poo patrol for my 2 homebirths and the time I was majorly apologising for a poo the midwife kept telling me it was a baby and I argued the point until it was CLEARLY a babies head Blush

TheCountessOlenska · 18/11/2011 18:35

They had to drain my pool and re-fill it Blush Blush

Flisspaps · 18/11/2011 18:38

The only reason I have a sieve is because I planned a HB with DD.

It now lives in the kitchen cupboard (no, it wasn't used and cleaned, it never got used as I had a dry land hospital birth!)

elliejjtiny · 18/11/2011 18:38

One of the reasons i wanted a waterbirth was because I thought the poo would sink to the bottom and nobody would see it. With DS1 (waterbirth) I didn't poo. With DS2 I thought, oh no I'm going to poo while I was pushing but then decided I would rather poo on the bed than waddle to the loo while pushing and baby being born down the loo or in the corridor. I was only 98% sure I'd pooed and thought I would assume I hadn't even though the odds weren't in my favour but then the midwife told me I had, um thanks. With DS3 I thought I might have done but the midwife didn't mention it and it's not on my labour notes so I'm assuming not.

KellyKettle · 18/11/2011 18:41

I did a poo. DD1 announced it very loudly (homebirth).

No one cared. They got it with the sieve.

coffeeaddict · 19/11/2011 21:22

Glycerin suppositories, cheap as chips, Boots or online eg Amazon. They work in minutes. :) Also good after birth, forget all that eating endless prunes and giving yourself wind...

Original poster
hostelgirl74 · 21/11/2011 09:20

elliejjtiny - god - they put that sort of stuff on your notes!!!!

OP posts:
elliejjtiny · 22/11/2011 14:56

Yep, well that midwife did anyway. The midwife I had with DS1 wrote a very flattering account of my birth. I expected the same 2nd time round and got much more TMI stuff than I bargained for.

rookery · 22/11/2011 15:02

There was too much, ahem, debris for the midwife to see clearly what was going on so I had to get out of the bath while they refilled it... only I started delivery on the steps so they never got the chance. Delivered half way out of the bath. Yes, it's gross, but I was completely absorbed with the birth and would absolutely completely and utterly recommend being in the water even if you don't get to stay there. Pooed during other birth too. There's usually poo either way.

cherrysodalover · 24/11/2011 02:26

Have an enema- pretty standard practice here in the States before birth and after a c section- very civilised I must say/I would have cared- bad enough the hubby seeing the piles I found.......which i had managed not to disclose in the previous month......

Nearlypopped · 24/11/2011 02:42

I had a water birth a week ago and it was like night and day compared to my 2 normal deliveries previously. Soooo much better. Don't let the pooing put you off. I second using the glycerin though.

tsunami · 24/11/2011 04:49

Did three waterbirths, poo every time: keep a strainer handy. The pool is JOY: don't be put off. Think of all the muck that gets washed OFF your baby as (s)he swims to the surface. However much stuff there is in the water, 1. It's only natural and 2. There's more water.

coffeeaddict · 24/11/2011 09:00

Oh God. This is why we are all different. I have given birth four times and never pooed. It would haunt me!!!!

EauRouge · 24/11/2011 09:08

I bought a sieve especially and spent weeks teasing DH that he was on poo-scooping duty and.... nothing. I didn't poo in labour either time. I had very long labours so had time for a good clear out before I got in the pool Grin Water births are ace, it's far easier to get in a comfortable position.

youtalkintome · 24/11/2011 09:39

This is stressing me out so much as far as I know i didn't poo with dc1, spent whole of transition with dc2 shouting about the fact that i thought I had pooed, I was on all fours and was begging them send DH out of the room but the mw kept saying i hadn't.
This time i'm having a water birth( hopefully), have been using glycerine suppositories already to keep me, ahem, clear. I've been obsessing about it DH is bored of it now his response the other day was "look if you poo i'll still want to shag you in the future it won't put me off, in fact you could poo on me and it still wouldn't put me off shagging you"< boak> he doesn't actually mean that but it sort of lightened the mood. Still the part i'm dreading the most, silly isn't it.