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Pregnancy

The sieve!!

33 replies

Meringue33 · 03/10/2012 22:48

Just been to a water birthing lecture and I have to ask - is the sieve really for that purpose?!!! And how likely actually is it that I might do a poo right there in front of everyone and that my DP would have to scoop it out?! This is really my room 101 :(

OP posts:

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newtonupontheheath · 05/10/2012 15:00

I didn't have a water birth...

Did do a poo though. Had no idea I had done!

Mentioned it to DH afterwards and he said "yes, a little bit of poo did come out" "I didn't mind though"
Thanks DH.... Too kind!

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merrygiant · 05/10/2012 17:59

I can confirm that it is very common to poo in labour. I'm a midwife, and delivered a baby earlier today to a woman who had a good ol' dump just as her baby's head was crowning.
As others have said, at this point, its the last thing on your mind. Although I've had SO many conversations with women who are terrified of this happening and appalled that their partners might witness it.
The sieve is a handy midwife's tool, you can scoop it up often without the woman even realising.
If you are really squeamish about it, have your baby on all fours or kneeling forward on the bottom of the pool. That way anything that comes out can be quietly dealt with behind your back.
I'm actually 5weeks preggers myself right now and have suddenly found that I can't handle women vomitting. I always used to be fine but not at the moment. I had to turn around to wretch the other day and I think the dad thought I was being really unhelpful!

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chipsandmushypeas · 05/10/2012 18:15

My sister tore like a mother because she was trying to hold the poo in but push the baby out! Ridiculous. Let it all out I say, who cares!

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Couchsweetpotato · 05/10/2012 18:18

Also, you might not poo! I didn't. It's fairly common to have diarrohea either just before labour starts or during it, and that cleans you out nicely.

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ContinentalKat · 05/10/2012 18:25

I gave birth abroad and had an enema when I got into hospital. Is that not done here?

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chipsandmushypeas · 05/10/2012 18:26

Apparently that was done as standard Kat a few years ago, doesn't seem to anymore. Makes sense though

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ContinentalKat · 05/10/2012 18:30

I thought it was ok, at least you weren't worried about pooing any more...
Mind you, dc2 was so quick we didn't have time for an enema, and that was ok as well.

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5madthings · 05/10/2012 18:34

nope they dont do enemas in the uk anymore there is no need and i think many women found them unpleasant and undiginfied?

anyway 5 babies here, no poo with no 1, with no 2, 3 and 4 i pooed a LOT in early labour but i managed to get to the toilet, not pleasnat sat on the toilet having contractions but it was fine. with dd i think i pooed a bit as her head crowned and they just wiped it away.

i had ds4 in the pool and had pooed LOTS just before i got in the pool and idont recall them having to use the seive, and dp has never mentioned it! i was only in the pool for 40mins before he was born tho, and didnt have to push he delivered himself all 10lb 13oz!

but yes lots of women poo in early labour and at delivery as the baby presses down and will clear our your bum passage! but honestly you may not even notice and its all dealt with very discreetly, as your baby comes down the birth canal you WILL feel like you are pooing even if you are not, there is a certain point when it literally feels like your baby will come out your bum! but its all good really!and you wont care at that stage or once baby is born, they will clean up any mess and you will be too busy cooing over baby to care xxx good luck :)