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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Taboo - water birth - poo?

26 replies

TrinaJ · 30/07/2007 10:39

Am hoping for a waterbirth this time, and my only concern - sorry if you're sensitive - is poo-ing!!!
I know it's natural and expected etc.. but in water worries me - if you know what I mean?
Any advice?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

edam · 30/07/2007 10:40

Apparently midwives are used to this - heard of some giving the dads a fishing net...

WigWamBam · 30/07/2007 10:41

They won't care. And, more to the point, neither will you when you're in labour. The midwives will just scoop it out and dispose of it - they won't even mention it.

Original poster

TrinaJ · 30/07/2007 10:42

The fishing net sounds concerning!!!

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 30/07/2007 10:43

It happens, it's perfectly normal and you probably won't even notice if you do. We pack a plastic sieve in the labour bag for precisely that reason.

bookthief · 30/07/2007 10:43

Yes, apparently there is a little net on hand for this very purpose - that's how normal and expected it is

SweetyDarling · 30/07/2007 10:45

Have watched lots of Water births on the baby channel and they just scoop out the poo in a net (like a pet shop uses to catch goldfish). The woman in labour never seems to notice.

Original poster

TrinaJ · 30/07/2007 10:47

Glad to hear there's no concern a little relieved now - thanks.
Just hope I get to use the pool this time.

OP posts:

KerryMumbledore · 30/07/2007 10:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

TrinaJ · 30/07/2007 10:51

It could be swimming in it's own poo for all I know at the moment anyway - what's the difference?

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 30/07/2007 15:45

Kerry, it doesn't matter a jot. I asked the mw about this very question and she said most babies are born onto a surface which has had a poo on it within the previous few minutes. They don't get the Dettol out mid-labour and wipe everything down! Certainly my ds2 didn't come to any harm from the experience (and they lost the turd when they tried to fish it out, so it remained in the pool).

belgo · 30/07/2007 15:59

The woman never seems to notice?!!! Of course they notice! At least, I noticed! That fishing net served it's purpose.

If you want to avoid pooing during the birth, then use a small microlax aenema during the early stages of labour.

Pooing during child birth is not comfortable, and I would much rather use the microlax.

Except that using an aenema during labour is even more taboo for some ridiculous reason.....

SweetyDarling · 30/07/2007 16:09

Belgo, in almost all the births I've watched the woman is leaning forward and certainly didn't notice.

SweetyDarling · 30/07/2007 16:09

Apparently most women don't notice when they're on a bed either.

belgo · 30/07/2007 16:14

Well I'm obviously the exception to the rule, because I did notice, and it wasn't comfortable. It inhibited my pushing. I would much rather use a microlax in the privacy of my own bathroom then have my dh fish my poo out of a birthing pool.

belgo · 30/07/2007 16:14

really wish I'd name changed for this

SweetyDarling · 30/07/2007 16:23

Belgo!

Why are enemas not used any more? My NCT teacher the other said that having an enema was horribly painful and a terrible expereince, but I know a number of people who have them regularly and find them wonderful!

belgo · 30/07/2007 16:26

enemas are widely used during childbirth in Belgium where I live. The small ones are very small, you can administer them yourself and are not painful. I do wonder what your NCT teacher was talking about.

mrsmalumbas · 30/07/2007 16:27

Don't worry, normally by the time any poo emerges the baby is very close behind so it's not like the water is really "contaminated". And it's usually not some huge log you are talking about, just a small amount that gets squeezed out by the pressure of the baby and the pushing. It's actually less bothersome having someone discreetly fish it out of the water than it is dealing with poo in a "dry" environment. Using an enema is not a bad idea though, it can actually be quite a good way to get labour going - anything that stimulates the bowels will tend to stimulate contractions, hence the traditional use of castor oil and orange juice to induce labour (no longer common, and not really to be recommended!). The thing is, even if you use an enema, the bowel is rarely completely empty, there is always going to be a bit of fecal matter there. Actually some people think it's a good thing for the baby to be colonised by the mother's "friendly" bacteria - according to some, there is even a jelly like substance in the bowel that emerges when the mother is pushing and it is really rich in vitamin K. So maybe a little bit of poo is not such a bad thing!

PrettyCandles · 30/07/2007 16:32

Oh yes, mrsm, I read a lot about that (the vit K jelly) but had completely forgotten it.

Loopymumsy · 30/07/2007 18:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

belgo · 30/07/2007 18:23

finally, somewone else brave enough to admit it

MrsTittleMouse · 31/07/2007 18:30

Hm, I was told that I'd probably poo and that the MW would discretely whisk it away, but I pushed so hard that I had diarrhea! I was quite glad that I was out of the pool by then, but there was nothing discrete about it!
No point changing my name when you all know about my perineum in great detail, and in real-life DH went straight home to my Dad and told him about all the gore in great detail.

zazas · 02/08/2007 23:26

Just saw this and had a laugh. I too was worried about it - had a home water birth 3 months ago. I certainly knew it was happening (kept saying sorry ) when I was very close to pushing the baby out. Apparently it was very little but I was aware of it but overall it was the least of my concerns and I happily sat for 20 mins in the slightly brown tinged water. Baby healthy but other DC thought it very funny indeed

MunchiesMama · 03/08/2007 09:12

I didn't even realise I had pooed. DH kindly told me afterwards the the first sight my DD had was my poo! How awful for her, poor lamb, thankfully she will never remember that!

When i think about it now what a sight DH must have had as i was on a fours, he had full view of piles and poo . But strangely afterwards he said that he has never loved me more , weird pervert!

Sorry that was very graphic!

milfAKAmonkeymonkeymoomoo · 03/08/2007 09:13

I had a homebirth in a pool and they fished out the poo with a sieve!

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