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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Way TMI but what happens if you defecate in the birthing pool?

26 replies

outthere · 25/09/2011 10:24

Sorry, I know this should probably be in the "Childbirth" section but I've been avoiding it recently because reading the threads there is doing me no good at all!

This is a stupid thing but I'm REALLY worried about it. I know that defecation is normal during birth but from what I understand the midwives are so discrete that you never really know if it's happened (I certainly couldn't say whether I did or didn't during my last labour).

But what if it happens in a birthing pool - do you end up sitting there amongst a load of disgusting waste or, even worse, sitting there among floaters? How do they deal with it?

God, sometimes I hate all this - there's no dignity allowed is there?!

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AtYourCervix · 25/09/2011 10:25

a little seive sieve-- strainer sorts it out.

AtYourCervix · 25/09/2011 10:26

sieve? is that right?

TrillianAstra · 25/09/2011 10:27

i before e except after c

I was going to say the same thing :o

yok2t · 25/09/2011 10:27

I believe they swiftly fish it out with a little net.
No first hand experience here though as my waters broke early and I wasn't allowed in the pool. [not bitter at all emoticon]

AtYourCervix · 25/09/2011 10:40

and if it gets really manky you might get hoiked out to empty it and re-fill - but honestly - it all gets a bit gooey anyway so I wouldn't worry too much.

Wallace · 25/09/2011 10:43

I'v had two water birth and never noticed any floating poo. :)

Grandhighpoohba · 25/09/2011 10:44

yep, I wouldn't even have noticed during my waterbirth had I not heard the midwife asking her colleague to pass the sieve!

Dartfordmummy · 25/09/2011 13:39

My friend was asked to bring in her own sieve - she had to go to wilkinsons to buy a cheap one!!!

themightyskim · 25/09/2011 13:43

I shouldnt be chuckling but I am, god pregnancy is such a dignified time in a womans life!! I often wondered about the poo business myself, Mumsnet, the ultimate myth buster :)

Original poster

outthere · 25/09/2011 13:56

Oh my God, that's so grim. I can't believe she had to buy her own sieve!!! Is it something my DH is likely to notice?

I'm hoping there'll be so much other goo and gunk that he won't realise!

OP posts:

MainlyMaynie · 25/09/2011 14:43

We had to provide a sieve for our home waterbirth. Never used it though, I didn't poo at all, it's not inevitable!

saoirse86 · 25/09/2011 20:17

In my antenatal classes at the hospital the mw told us that the birthing partner will be in charge of scooping it out. I genuinely couldn't tell whether she was joking or not!

dustyhousewithdustypeople · 25/09/2011 20:21

I can remember one floating past me when I was in there, not sure who fished it out, I was past caring by that point! And I was sick in there, yuk.

Glad I gave my boy the best start in life

purpleturtletoise · 25/09/2011 20:24

I think DH had to go fishing with a seive.

Restrainedrabbit · 25/09/2011 20:26

I've had three home waterbirths and pooed every time! Each time dealt with swiftly by a sieve, DH did notice but he didnt judge or comment in any way. To be honest by that point the whole royal family could have come in to watch and I wouldn't have cared less :)

MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours · 25/09/2011 20:27

The midwife very calmly and quietly sieves it out with said sieve there already on hand.

To be honest, the fact that I'd just popped one out was really NOT what was concerning me at that point!

ThatsNotMyBabyBelly · 25/09/2011 20:32

DH said it it happened to me and he was in there he'd say it was him and "take one for the team"

Couldn't have one with either of mine, probably just as well as DH and his sense of humour may have been fully appreciated.

FessaEst · 25/09/2011 20:39

I didn't poo with DD1 (waterbirth)

DD2, I definitely did, and announced it very loudly . No idea who or how it was removed but ther's no floaters in the photos!!

I mentioned to DH that I was embarrassed about it after and he said he had thought no more about it (tbh, he's done his fair share of nursing me through various bugs so the mystery was lost a long time ago )

Original poster

outthere · 25/09/2011 21:54

God, DH and I don't even fart in front of each other. I know you're not supposed to care at the time but I distincly remember it being on my mind throughout 99% of my last labour... think this might be putting me off a water birth

I guess you could say I'm truly anally retentive...

OP posts:

DownyEmerald · 25/09/2011 22:09

I think you need to start practising farting in front of your DH!

Caz10 · 25/09/2011 22:16

Ha farting will sooo be the least of your worries!

Poo scooped by midwife, subtly with dd1, dd2 the midwife commented I'd been taking my iron tablets

Our pool room has very dim lights, v peaceful, but with the added bonus that you can't really tell what state the water is in!

iarebaboon · 25/09/2011 22:34

But what if it's less than firm?

LoveInAColdClimate · 25/09/2011 22:37

I am assuming that at that juncture the fairly immediate prospect of having my bits ripped asunder by another person's giant head is likely to override any worries I might have about poo...

Dutchie77 · 26/09/2011 20:11

Brilliant question! Sure was wondering about it as well. But my sister in law said that the last thing you think about when you are giving birth, is what else is coming out besides your baby.

lindy100 · 26/09/2011 20:32

This happened to me a few weeks ago.

I was pushing and shouting out 'I want a baby but I'm having a poo!' over and over

The mw said 'You're not having a poo, your baby's coming'. Then I heard her say in an aside to someone else 'Just get it out quickly'!

Tbh, I wouldn't have noticed, the water looked like a bloodbath anyway. But then pooing in the pool was never something I gace a shit about in the first place...

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