Push through bottom...?!

[Dontjumptoconclusions]

Sorry for such a silly question but don't know who to ask.

Im 39 weeks with my first and i've heard a lot of midwives saying the phrase "push through your bottom" when giving birth, YouTube video advice etc.

What does this actually mean?

Am I supposed to be pushing out of my vagina? Like when having an orgasm? Or actually pushing through my anus like having a poo? Because the baby isn't coming out of my anus, so I'm feeling so confused!

Sorry for any tmi this may have caused.

It helps if you do a slow count to 10 as you're pushing too.

I had bad constipation and did the worst poo ever. DH didn’t know as he was at the top end and the staff dealt with it all very discreetly. I had no idea at the time but realised later why they were swiftly bagging up paper towels etc.

As PPs say, shit happens.

It is simply put a bit like shitting a football. When the contractions come you do it automatically.

When I gave birth without an epidural I didn’t need any coaching from the midwife, my body just sort of took over and did it all involuntarily.

When I had an epidural and forceps that was obviously different as I couldn’t feel a thing.

As someone who hasn't yet given birth this is all so interesting! My worry is I'm someone who has always had constipation and IBS even before pregnancy. I'm worried this will make me more likely to get things like piles etc? Or does this not make a difference at all due to all the labour hormones, kinda like a 'period poo'?

[quote MSG92]@Dontjumptoconclusions so glad you asked this.

Don't judge but I am more nervous about pooing myself than pushing a baby. I haven't had the best pregnancy regarding my bowels so far, either diarrhea or constipation, and I suffered occasionally with IBS but it only plays up every few months. My DH will pass out if I poo not through seeing the baby coming out!![/quote]
If he stays up the head end he won’t even notice

I have no idea if I poo’ed or not, I had good clear outs in early labour

But if there is faecal matter in your bowel it will come out when you push, you won’t be able to hold it in.

My midwife friend says most people pass a bit of faecal matter, which is a positive because it means they're pushing correctly. Actual poos are rarer but they're not bothered, they just discretely clean it away. They're constantly changing the incopads under you anyway.

With my first I'm as confident as I can be that I didn't poo. With my second I thought I did, but I lost a lot more blood and my DH said it was such a mess down there he genuinely couldn't have said whether any of it was poo 😂

[quote MSG92]@Justmuddlingalong love your post! Haha.

I don't care what anyone says, I WILL care. When I go to the toilet, I do so in private and don't want it to be a public affair!! I'm thinking of trying a glycerin suppository as soon as labour starts.[/quote]
I was so determined not to poo I ended up having DD on the bathroom floor. Having insisted I was totally fine, I just needed to visit the loo ALONE

No idea if I did poo or not

Agree you won't necessarily poo yourself but your body does tend to want to clear your bowels out to make way. Not everybody is ok with pooing in front of strangers in labour or not. With dd1 I did get diarrhoea but managed to get off the bed to the loo, and clean myself up 5 mins before she crowned. Dd2 I made a point of going to the loo a lot before I got to fully dilated to try and empty my bowels before things ramped up as I really didn't want to poo myself in front of dh or midwives. I'm pretty sure nothing other than baby related stuff came out with her.

@Megan2018 I was mortified that a stage of labour they actually record a time of is AD on your notes. It stands for anal dilation so you aren’t wrong on the bum front 😂🤣

with ds i had a really funny tummy the day before i went into labour. this didnt happen with dd.

i don't remember pooping when i was in labour with either of them, but no one mentioned it....

i have memories of feeling this overwhelming urge to push and not being able to control it. this came naturally, and my body took over. you push down through your bum.

whatever you do, don't believe the midwives who tell you that "this will sting a bit" they lied. it did more than sting....

The sensation of bearing down is just like having a poo.