Most embarrassing moment of childbirth?

[rainbow1982]

As I'm now 7 weeks away from giving birth I can't stop thinking about the big day and laughing at what mortifying things are pretty likely to happen, I.e pooping in front of my fiancé, swearing in front of total strangers etc.

What's the most embarrassing thing you've done/said during labour?

And to think the first fart I did at the very early stage of labour I was embarrassed and apologised 🤦🏻‍♀️ I also told my dh that the doctor had his finger in my bum when he was stitching me up 😳 There's loads more I did but frankly I'd be here all day recounting it !

A roomful of students were brought in to witness me in absolute agony screaming and yelling whilst my baby was literallybwrwnched out of me ( shoulder dystopia). One of them came to see me several days later. He was still traumatised and in shock.

I pooed, I puked, I was naked on all fours mooing. None of those memories make me feel embarrassed. They are all par for the course when you’re giving birth.

The only time I remember feeling embarrassed is when I said I felt like I needed to push and then the midwife examined me and said I was only six centimetres dialated. I felt a bit silly then.

I shat myself too! Wasn't embrassed by it though. Midwife change the bed pad over so quickly I didn't even realise I had done it. Also before I shat myself I had pethidine threw up all over myself and pissed myself at the same time.
Who said childbirth isn't glamorous!

Embarrassed*

I’m a bit surprised by the sheer number of women on here who have involuntarily emptied their bowel when pushing in second stage.
In the very old days (1970’s) it was standard to give an enema to clear out the rectum in advance, and when mothers objected to this (1980’s or so onwards) midwives were taught to put a pad over the anus and press firmly during pushing, to prevent any faeces exiting. That was still the case when I had my DDs in 1989 and 1990.

That was still the case when I had my DDs in 1989 and 1990

It my experience also.

I don’t get the hang up about a bit of poo tbh

I was on all fours, no idea if there was poo. Not something I was bothered about tbh! Ripping in half was my main fear (I didn’t)!

Off my tits on gas and air ‘A Whole New World’ came on the radio, I grabbed DH’s hand and told him through gritted teeth “I love this song, it’s what I sing to Ellie” (my best friend) and proceeded to warble along at the top of my voice.

I don’t like that song and have never sung that song to my best friend.

I don’t get the hang up about a bit of poo tbh

Its not a hang up about poo. Its the fact that some people seem to think its something you should be awarded a badge for.

I had an emergency caesarean, I HAD planned a birth with no painkiller as any pain killers make my very poorly. After they did the epidural and I was wheeled into theatre I remember feeling a bit sick, I turn to my partner and as I was saying, 'I dont feel very well...' I projectile vomited all over his face and over mine. I couldn't see with the amount of sick over my face and the last thing I remember is screaming, 'please just put me to sleep'! Which they luckily did and I awoke (apparently after fighting the doctor who was trying to remove the breathing tube) to my gorgeous son, who I cannot remember being born 😂

Projectile vomiting and then trying to help clean it up while having contractions 😂
After my c section it was night time, my husband had gone home. Person next to me was in early labour I asked her husband if he wouldn't mind to pass me my baby, he passed me the baby with the cot mattress 😂😂

I remember during the birth of my DS I was on my knees holding onto the headboard part of the hospital bed when the midwife change happened and three midwives came in the room. One of them was wearing perfume and it made me feel really sick and I remember yelling at them whoever was wearing that strong perfume needs to get out
I also pooped both times but like others have said it is because you are pushing in the right area.

All these PPs talking about students coming in I really hope they asked permission/consent first!

I remember telling a friend quite happily after labour that I hadn’t pooed and DH was like hmm - had no idea!

This. I remember straight after giving birth thinking ‘Ahh thank god I didn’t poop! I was so worried about it!’ Honestly, from my perspective I hadn’t pooped at all. I said to DH how glad I was and he went along with it and agreed. It was only months later when I asked him truly, honestly whether I had that he admitted that I did multiple times So I’m always a little bit suspicious when people say they didnt, I suspect many just didn’t realise!

@Babdoc I’m surprised that you’re surprised. My prenatal midwife said the majority of women do and it’s more unusual when it doesn’t happen. I also remember watching a midwife who was on This Morning answering questions and said that in her experience ‘most women’ poo when pushing.

The days of a routine enema are very long-gone. I know it’s usually argued that women were often forced into having one during labour which isn’t pleasant (along with shave) but there’s no option at all now. I was very worried and asked whether there was any sort of suppository or enema I could have in early labour (not necessarily to stop pooping all together but reduce the amount) and was just told no. I think women should at least have the option and be taken seriously if they’re worried?

Honestly, any embarrassing stuff - you won’t care. You’re too busy and in the zone. The midwives don’t care, they’ve seen it all.

I was in labour for 48 hours with my first. Had every drug they could offer and was completely off my face with drugs and exhaustion. Baby became distressed and the consultant came to examine me. Whilst doing an internal he commented “you have a lovely pelvis” and my response..... “if you think that maybe we should go out for dinner after this” he laughed. He ended up doing an emergency csection.

To make it worse after the birth of my second son (planned csection) the consultant came to check on me and said “you probably don’t remember but I did your first csection”. Me response “we never did go on that date”!!!! He looked at me as if I was mad. I can’t even blame drugs that time.

I shouted at a consultant because her shoes didn't match her outfit no recollection of this and I am the least fashionable person you could hope to meet. I apologised the next day and she laughed and said it was definitely something she'd remember as one of the oddest things she's said to someone whilst telling them their baby was in danger!

After the baby was born I was completely out of it and decided that there was a "sign" that we should call DS an old family name which is definitely not due a comeback. I apparently lay there asking where is baby X whilst dh, who thought birth certificates were given at birth, pleaded with me and the theatre staff to not give the baby that name.

I didn't poo but at one point thought I had and started crying and apologising to have the midwife tell me that there was nothing there and assure me that if I did poo she would let me know and then I could apologise.

Such a glamorous time!

doratonks, enemas were v unpopular with patients, hence the use of a pressure pad over the anus instead, which was effective in preventing faecal soiling.
If modern women are suffering the indignity of soiling themselves in such numbers, I wonder if midwives no longer use the pad technique- and if not, why not? Perhaps any midwives on here could enlighten me?

@babdoc that’s interesting I never knew it was even a thing, I just thought any poo would need to come out to ‘make way’ for the baby sort of thing?
I don’t think there’s much emphasis on dignity when it comes to giving birth. Women are dismissed if they’re frightened about pooing, the attitude is very much ‘you won’t care, everybody does it, you leave your dignity at the door’. It’s become an accepted part of giving birth so maybe that’s why they don’t bother?

I had a midwife say to me "I'm just going to wipe your bottom as there's some poo dripping down your leg and its marking it hard for us to see what's going on"
DH and I have not discussed this! When I think about it I'm torn between totally mortified and who cares!

Babdoc, I think pooing is actively considered a good sign as it indicates the baby's head is moving down and compressing the bowel. Or so I heard during my last birth.

Why have midwives' attention concentrated on pressure pads when they could be focusing on the progress of the birth? It's poo, who cares, midwives deal with it quickly, many women don't even know unless they're told.

The lengths that you describe birth attendants going to to prevent poo just sound fairly silly to me.

I ended up totally naked and in some truly unflattering positions 😬 But you're so out of it you really don't care, and the midwives have seen it all before. Not sure DH will ever recover though, although the mega post-birth poo that followed ten days later that blocked our loo probably traumatised him more... 😂

Childbirth is when you stop being embarrassed.

Absolutely, ThanksForYourHelp, that is when you stop being embarrassed. When I was pregnant with my first and thought about being half naked and pooping and having my legs spread open for all to see, I was mortified.

When it's happening, you just don't care; you really don't.

Thanks for the laughs, everyone. These are great!