Hospital bag list: “small plastic sieve”?!

[Awfulknitter]

I was checking out my hospital’s list of things to bring along when I go into labour. Under the heading ‘Useful things if you are wishing to use the birthing pool’ there is “small plastic sieve”.

Now, I’ve been in an outdoor spa pool that came with a little net for fishing out leaves, insects, etc, and that made sense. But I’m kinda hoping there won’t be any of those things in the birthing centre. As a sieve is likely to be too small to fish out the baby, there’s only one other thing I can imagine might need disposing of and that’s… Well, there’s no nice way of putting it. The only thing I can think of that might need scooping out of the pool is my own faeces. EEEWWWW!

So I’m wondering whether there’s an obvious more sanitary reason that I might need a sieve. Suggestions?

Now you are right. I've not used a birth pool but that is exactly what the sieve is for. Don't worry about it - it won't be you doing the scooping and you likely won't even notice!

Nope no other reason. It's for poop.

Childbirth is completely undignified but when your in labour you don't care.

Don't worry about it, I used the birth pool and didn't take my own sieve.
DD2 poo'd just after being born and once the midwife emptied the water it was just rinsed away.
They will be very used to dealing with it and as said above you probably won't even notice if it does happen.

FWIW, I didn't poop in the pool. When I got out I doubled checked (I actually birthed on a bed).

Nope, it's for poo. Plain old common or garden poo.

Didn't happen with DD1, pretty certain the midwife did a quick removal with DD2 . Didn't actually ask!

Welcome to the end of dignity OP.

And for slimy gooey stuff too! Not sure what it was, but there was all sorts coming out of me before my waters broke!

Yes, poop-scooping. I remember bearing down on the final small plastic sieve in Sainsburys at the same time as another couple with a heavily pregnant woman. I won, but ended up with an ELCS, so we now use it for keeping coffee grounds from clogging the sink!

Yep, poo. I knew as soon as I saw the thread title. Dignified, birth ain't!

On balance, I think I'm more amused than grossed out! As somebody else said to me, dignity is not an item they tell you to put in your hospital bag...

I wonder what my husband will say when I tell him that 'poop scooper' might be one of his birthing partner duties?

He might as well get started. He'll be dealing with a lot more poo in future...

I'm surprised they ask you to bring your own though.

You might think you'll have some control over whether you poo or not - you won't, sorry!

Can't believe you have to bring your own!

"I remember bearing down on the final small plastic sieve in Sainsburys at the same time as another couple with a heavily pregnant woman. I won, "

Hahhahahahhahaha

I pooed ALOT when I was in the pool but the midwife kept picking it out with her hands! Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to stop it!

You've all made me laugh so much! I never thought Mumsnet would be so scatalogical. I'm off to buy my sieve.

A colleague has told me of the joys of chasing baby poo around the bath, so it sounds like it might not be a single-use item (as long as it can be sterilised...)

Ds1 is almost 13... I only learnt recently that I pooped in labour with him. Dh did a very good job of saving my blushes and pretending it never ever happened!

Off topic, I'm giving birth in Coventry too :)

Yes, a sieve in the bathroom would have been useful. Too late now, they're teenagers!

I remember being in the pool (in my front room ) and shouting 'I'm doing a poo! I'm doing a poo!'

The midwife was quick to reassure me that I wasn't.

Then I heard her surreptitiously say to her colleague, 'just get rid of the poo quickly, would you?'

Re single use.

I went to a MLU and there were sieves in all rooms and by the look of them they were not single use ....

Never used mine as had emcs after no labour. But it was well used by DS1 who habitually shat in the bath. When he has a pregnant partner I'm going to bring that up. Actually maybe before then!