Poo in pool?

[Notthepootroll]

TMI warning I'm afraid. I am hoping to use a birthing pool and know I'm supposed to bring my own sieve... and I can see how this would work in the normal scheme of things...but recently my "movements" have been rather loose and definitely on the "un-scoopable" side of things so I'm wondering how this will work - won't the pool just end up being a horrible mess and not really an ideal environment for a baby to enter?!

This is DC2 so I'm reasonably blasé about the poking-during-birth in general, it's just the pool bit I'm unsure of as I didn't use a pool last time.

I'm glad I decided to name change for this one!

Should have been "pooing-during-birth"!

Um well when I had DS they just tried to get as much out as poss....

I have had 3 DC with two water births and never pooed with any of them. Good luck - water births are lovely.

Didn't make it into the pool however I didn't poo either time

If you are a bit runny, you'll probably clear out beforehand anyway! When it happens in birth, it's less because you have pushed it out by bearing down and more that the baby's head has pushed it out as it has descended. If it is not that solid, I would imagine that the baby's head will smoosh past it, rather than push it down and out. (sorry if that is a bit blunt :-/ )

Thanks everyone, I'm feeling a but reassured! It's not a major worry I know so I'll just try not to think about it!

Do you definitely need your own sieve? I wasn't sure if you do or you don't, was going to assume not. They'll have to sort it out somehow surely!

Am aiming for a water birth, hopefully this won't be too much of an issue...

I laboured in a pool, but was given no advice of bringing my own sieve. While I was labouring, the mw poked holes in a few of those cardboard sick bowls with a pen to catch the poos I did do a bit later (I know this happened because DH told me after; I don't remember doing it myself!)

Every hospital is different with the sieve situation. Im planning a water birth and on a tour last week was told the hospital provide the sieve. I'm dreading poo in the pool don't have any advice - hopefully you will just have a clearout before hand - or stock up on fibre to make them harder?

You probably won't have any idea you have done it. The midwives are usually quick and discreet. If you do know what has happened, remember that poo is A REALLY GOOD SIGN! It means you/your body is doing all the right things and your baby will soon be here. Where there is poo, a baby's head is usually not far behind....

I was kind of phobic about pooing in the pool, if I am honest. I could just imagine it floating up in front of everyone..... Oh the embarrassment! But the reality is that you are usually deeply in labour at that point.... Which is exactly how it was with me. I was vaguely aware I'd done it, but in a frame of mind that I really didn't care :)

I had a pool birth and it was brilliant, the water really helps you to relax. I asked my DH and apparently I didn't poo, but im surprised I didn't as giving birth felt like doing a big poo!

The midwife was really discreet and scooped out the gunk and messy stuff quickly and with minimum fuss, I was too busy concentrating on breathing to worry about it tbh.

I did poo about three times the day before I went into labour, I think nature clears your system out prior to labour anyway, so it reduces the chance of pooing during labour.