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Childbirth

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

Original poster

number two during labour (TMI warning possibly!!!)

38 replies

jooseyfruit · 01/12/2007 18:06

bit embarrasing this, and i'm sure there must have been threads about this before, but am terrified of pooing whilst in labour!! think i did one last time (can't be sure, but after one tremendous push, the mw said "oops" and shoved some paper towel down there!!)

wondered if i could get an enema prescribed and self administer!! am planning on home birth.
Anyone heard of that being done?

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amytheearwaxbanisher · 01/12/2007 18:15

got a cork handy

BroccoliSpears · 01/12/2007 18:27

When my midwife told me to push I flatly refused on the grounds that I didn't want to do a poo in front of the throng of people at the end of the bed (rather a long and complicated birth). She laughed and said "I tell you what; if you poo, you won't know and I won't tell you - how does that sound?" I agreed that would be okay and I have absolutely no idea if I pooed or not. And no desire to find out.

( I think I probably did though.)

LOVEMYMUM · 01/12/2007 18:29

I have to ask, how will you be able to aim it correctly (sorry).

Original poster
jooseyfruit · 01/12/2007 18:31

i was the same last time broccoli, i remember saying "i don't want to poo, tell me if i poo" over and over. mw ignored me totally!!

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Original poster
jooseyfruit · 01/12/2007 18:32

what, the enema or the poo lovemy??!!

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TwinklyfLightAttendant · 01/12/2007 18:34

Wouldn't an enema erm, start things off, possibly? [thick]

peatbogfaerie · 01/12/2007 18:35

Awww, it's OK joosey -- I was sooo worried about it, then when I needed to push I knew I was gonna do one, but just didn't care anymore. Just warned the midwife and she dealt with it ... When I say they see it all the time, I mean they see it EVERY time.

And the next thing to remember is that soon after you poo, you do something much more exciting out the front!

AMerryScot · 01/12/2007 18:38

It won't faze the midwives.

Original poster
jooseyfruit · 01/12/2007 18:38

i know peatbog, i think i'm more worried about my dh seeing. don't know why, he's a nurse!!
i'm sure, come the event i actually won't care less!!

oo, it's all so undignified

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Loopymumsy · 01/12/2007 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

walkinginaWILKIEwonderland · 01/12/2007 20:21

Ha ha - I remember the exact same thing deliriously saying 'I need to poo, need to poo...'

MW just said 'That's the babies head making you feel like that, just push!!'

Don't think I pooed!

Maidamess · 01/12/2007 20:23

If you're anything like me, my early stages of labour consisted of a vicious attack of the squits, so no worries about pooping on the midwife. They have seen it ALL before.

walkinginaWILKIEwonderland · 01/12/2007 20:24

Hey Maidamess - you following me??

Hassled · 01/12/2007 20:27

I've only managed not to poo with one of my four - no midwife has batted an eyelid or even commented. It's so normal - please don't be embarrassed.

MaeWest · 01/12/2007 20:28

I had squits early in labour but still managed to poo a little rabbit dropping whilst pushing. The exchange went something like:

Me: I need to poo
Midwife: That's good, that's the baby's head
Me: No it's poo
a few pushes later...
Me: See, I told you

I think the midwives are fairly used to it tbh

Kerri28 · 01/12/2007 20:28

i was just as worried as you jooseyfruit, and when i waddled into the labour ward at 4am with massive towel between my legs (waters had broken at home) in a lot of pain i was shouting "the indignity, the indignity, give me an emema so it doesn't get any worse"!!!

my mw was prepared because at the top of my birth plan in huge letters i had typed ENEMA!!!!

so i didn't poo....

your mw should be able to get enema stuff for you for safe home birth, wouldn't have thought there'd be much of a problem there!! good luck

whomovedmychocolate · 01/12/2007 20:30

Yeah, everyone poops in labour, but given the amount of fluid and stuff that is sloshing about it's very minor in the great scheme of things.

liath · 01/12/2007 20:31

Whe I had my HB it all went so fast that the second midwife didn't make it in time so my mum stepped into the breach (she's a nurse) and I still feel ever so slightly odd that she was at the business end as I did poo a lot.....

She told me afterwards that I was magnificent (hopefully that wasn't a reference to my crapping abilities ).

Honestly, the midwives won't give a monkeys btu you could see if your GP would prescribe you some glycerine suppositories to use in early labour if the thought of doing a jobby on the job (so to speak..) freaks you out.

Maidamess · 01/12/2007 20:32

Walkingina, I'm hoping to start my very own clique with you, where we can talk irrelevant nonsense that no-one else gets. Oh, am I doing it now? Sorry!

And Mae west, what a hoot!

MaeWest · 01/12/2007 20:34

Oh, yeah, and my mum was at the 'business end' with the mw too (I was squatting/hangin off DH's lap)

MaeWest · 01/12/2007 20:35

I wasn't actually 'hangin' makes me sound all gangsta

walkinginaWILKIEwonderland · 01/12/2007 20:35

Maida - PMSL

bekkaboo · 01/12/2007 20:41

i know someone who had to have it netted out the birthing pool. best of it was it was her DH that had to do it! Very common hence why nets on hand!

bohemianbint · 01/12/2007 20:43

I had a HB and didn't poo - but I think I got it all out beforehand when I locked myself in the bathroom confusing stomach pains with very advanced labour!

Original poster
jooseyfruit · 02/12/2007 08:20

Thanks for all the poo-based reassurance!!

kerri28-yes i think enema included in my birthplan may be the way forward!!

I'm not really embarrased about it tbh, and i know i won't care really, i just don't want to worry about it!!

over on my ante natal thread, someone descibed the poo as being the babys "ugly twin"!!

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