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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

how can I avoid it!

15 replies

Kristal123 · 08/03/2014 14:49

Hello I'm 40 weeks plus 10 days over due. I'm booked into the hospital to be induced today. This is my 3rd child and with my second I was also induced. My son was very big and I had an epidural, I knew I was going to poo and kept asking the mws to let me go to the toilet but they said no, I told her how I felt and one of them said it was fine and just to do it if I needed to. Anyway the urge became too much and it happened, now bare in mind the room was full of about 10 people at this point as my son was stuck and a woman who I have no idea who she even was screamed at the top of her voice "oh my god she's doing a poo!" I was humiliated I've read story after story how discreet they are when this happens and how I may not even notice so can't understand why that happened and now feel very worried about it this time as I feel may need an epidural again! Is there any way to avoid pooing in labour?!

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Mmolly2013 · 08/03/2014 18:59

No previous experience of this as its my first baby. But think.of it like this if you done a poo in front of them then how many other women have of course most of them.

I would have been very angry with that person who pointed it out and if fully aware I would have had her swiftly removed from the room and complained about her unprofessionalism.

Perhaps ask the hospital about an enema or few days before try have a clear out if at all possible

Tbh ive warned my partner it might happen and if he comments he will get a slap around the head. Dont stress about it your pushing in the same area its bound to happe. Everyone poos

Mmolly2013 · 08/03/2014 18:59

No previous experience of this as its my first baby. But think.of it like this if you done a poo in front of them then how many other women have of course most of them.

I would have been very angry with that person who pointed it out and if fully aware I would have had her swiftly removed from the room and complained about her unprofessionalism.

Perhaps ask the hospital about an enema or few days before try have a clear out if at all possible

Tbh ive warned my partner it might happen and if he comments he will get a slap around the head. Dont stress about it your pushing in the same area its bound to happe. Everyone poos

ScarletStar · 08/03/2014 19:02

I was induced and this happened to me too, to be honest I pooed a LOT. No one was insensitive though and when I mentioned it later, embarassed, the midwife said to me that they really don't mind because it shows your delivery team that you are pushing correctly! Sorry you had such a bad experience, they probably got told off for it at the time I'd imagine. Could you bear to mention it to your midwife this time around if it's bothering you?

Cariad007 · 08/03/2014 19:34

I was worried about this pre-birth too but after reading horror stories of tears, prolapses and post-partum incontinence I realised that if pooing is the worst that happens in labour then bring on the shits!

chattychattyboomba · 08/03/2014 19:44

Kristal that's awful I can't believe that reaction! How rude! Anyway I have heard some controversy about this so do your own research before taking my advice but DD was 4 days over so not really late, and I took castor oil to get things going. Good thing is I went into labour that night, and since castor oil is a diarrhetic, I had emptied my bowels pre-birth so was a poo free birth she was also a bigun' at 4.7kg.

Pregnantagain7 · 08/03/2014 19:45

How awful for you what a vile rude woman! I don't actually know whether I pooed during any of my births but I'm guessing I probably did! I had a conversation with my lovely midwife during my last birth and she said that the baby's head squeezes your back passage like a tube of toothpaste so if there is anything in there it's coming out whether you like it or not!
She also said most women do poo but loads don't realise (or care)!

I don't really think that there is a lot you can do but try and be reassured that what you went through is rare and hopefully this time you will gave a better team looking after you good luck :)

KiwiBanana · 08/03/2014 20:30

I would try not to think about it too much otherwise it's going to become a really big deal for you. The more attention you give a negative thought, the bigger and more important it becomes to you.
You may poo again but it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, as long as you and baby are safe and healthy. I can totally understand why you were so embarrassed after that stupid woman though!

Jakeyblueblue · 08/03/2014 21:20

I'm a nurse but did train as a midwife years back and I can assure you most people poo. It's nothing the midwives haven't seen before and they are really quite used to it, shows you are pushing correctly so actually considered a good sign. No one usually even bats an eyelid at it so try not to worry. Think you were just unlucky to have a very rude and unrealistic woman present.

HelenHen · 08/03/2014 22:08

Oh that's horrible! You poor thing!

To be honest I can't remember if I pooed or not and I don't care lol. I'm sure I must have though. I asked dh the other day if I did and he genuinely couldn't remember either

I really wish you wouldn't give this another thought but I completely understand why you do after that cow!

PastaandCheese · 08/03/2014 22:49

I had my second baby on Thursday. I don't think I actually did poo in my first labour but i also didn't get an urge to push.

This time the urge to push was incredible and I said I thought I was going to poo. Of course, I was minutes from delivery so couldn't use the loo and the midwife just said 'no, it's just the baby's head'.

The next thing I know there was some warm tissue being used to gently clean me up and I started to apologise to which the midwife still insisted that no, I hadn't poo'd and it was just the pressure of the baby's head.

That is a normal and professional reaction from a kind midwife. Forget about the awful person in your last labour because she won't be there and someone less ridiculous will be.

I hope your baby arrives really soon.

ItsSpringBaby · 08/03/2014 23:21

I pooed with my second (despite going earlier on when I felt a bit 'gappy' downstairs but didn't realise I was 6cm dilated), I do recall a slightly horrified look on their faces but they didn't say anything in particular and just cleaned it up. It was all over and done it a hurry and I think it happens to so many women that I wouldn't really worry about it. It's not really an urge you can control.

My son was born with poo on his head, and had a slight whiff to him for a while.

CantUnderstandNewtonsTheory · 09/03/2014 00:54

What an absolute cow! I hope she got a bollocking afterwards!

I pooed with both dcs, I realised I was going to do it but I was at the point where I couldn't stop pushing so just went with it and apologised after, both times the midwives just quietly cleaned it up and told me I hadn't pooed. Literally every woman I know well enough to discuss these things with has told me they pooed too and it was one of the things we were told in our antenatal class would definitely happen.

HeartShapedBox · 09/03/2014 01:14

I never defecated in labour, but I don't think it's something you can actively avoid- if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen!

however, no-one should make you feel awkward about it, it's a perfectly normal thing to happen whilst labouring. I think (hope) the random woman last time was an anomaly.

HarderToKidnap · 09/03/2014 02:03

I remember pushing like bloody billyo in the pool shouting "I'm pooing!!! I'm pooing!!!!" Then the poo came out and I screamed "I've pooed!! Thank fuck for that!!" Next thing my mum came past with two tiny brown peas in a sieve and took it upstairs. Honestly I could have sworn I shat a melon but it was just two peas worth. Couldn't have cared any less if it had been a melon!!

Anyway, I've delivered many many babies and everyone poos. That woman was a total idiot. Don't even think about it again. All the bodily excretions are involved in childbirth and poo is no exception. The midwife will have delivered another three babies that week (or even that shift) and all the mums will have pooed. She'll be no more interested or shocked than she will be when your waters break or you're a bit sick.

squizita · 09/03/2014 09:44

I'm a 1st timer but of the age where everyone else is having their 1st or 2nd and universally every single female friend or relative has said "Oh and of course I pooed or did a massive s**t if they're relaying the story over a glass of wine lol everyone does!"

I was kind of expecting this to be the case. I'm a bt that someone who works in a labour ward wouldn't have seen it all before!

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