Why will i need a sieve??

[Magicpink]

Hi there. I am hoping to have a home birth in 5 weeks or so, and having read a page on here about tips for home birth, i am baffled by several suggestions of having a sieve present without any further explanation! Can anyone enlighten me?! Thanks!

Guess - what might you find floating in a birth pool which isn't a baby

For when you do a poo in the water before baby comes!

...you are horrified now, right?!

No experience here but is it not for when you poo yourself in the pool and the midwives subtly whisk it away so it doesn't float past your face?

Wave goodbye to your dignity.

oh ok. well i'm not having a water birth. how often do women poo when in labour then? i didn't with my son

Most women poo - many don't, but most do. The pressure of the baby's head squeezes the poo out like toothpaste out of a tube.
Luckily MWs are very discreet and you may never know.

No sieve required if your not having a pool, but a shower curtain will come in handy

Yes that's a great idea which i just read elsewhere on here, thank you. I had been looking at waterproof bedding which was looking like an expensive option just for floor coverings, so will get a couple of cheap shower curtains instead. Thanks for your help!

Not all shower curtains are waterproof, some are only splashproof

I expect you did with your son, midwives are very.discreet!

Yes for removing poo. And don't ask anyone after if it happened. I did with my first water birth and regretted it muchly when Dh said yes..

Second birth 2 months ago. Didn't ask, wasn't going to. But we videoed the end bit..... Not advisable.

I'm fairly sure I did first time round. Was numb with epidural so didn't feel anything but saw the midwives switch the mat for a new one.

Second time was at home and in a small, non air conditioned environment like my living room - there was no escaping the fact. All I really remember of the pushing part is me going "im going to poo myself, I'm so embarrassed" over and over again. Which at least detracted from the pain at least.

Midwives don't give a shit though! they see it all the time.

It's this reason that I've chosen not to have a waterbirth, it wouldn't bother me if I did a 'normal' poo because it could be fished out easily but I've read that a lot of women get the runs and I hate the thought of sitting in a pool with runny poo in it.
Farting is another, lol, they sound so loud in water and I'd be mortified at the bubbles!

I don't understand how anyone can push a baby out and not poo!

I didn't think I had pood with ds, dh later confirmed that in fact I had :0/
With dd I knew i was pooing and Couldn't stop, nor did I care actually!

I couldnt see any poo, no-one said anything but i could smell my own poo so knew i had. Hated that whilst my partner was there. A nurse told me most people if not everyone does poo in labour. Like they say, sh*t happens.

In preparation for my homebirth which didn't happen but that's another story... I bought some enormous plastic dust sheets from B&Q and put them under a fitted sheet so they draped onto the carpet as well...
Good luck