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Myira
07-14-2010, 06:11 PM
When I was pushing, I remember I literally died of embarrassment since i was also felling the urge to have a BM. The nurse assured me it was okay even if it happened, but I think it takes the cake as the most embarrassing moment of my life. :shake:

Is there anything one can do to avoid that? Is it a common occurrence or is there more to it I don't know about?

swissair81
07-14-2010, 06:14 PM
It's a common occurrence. When baby's head comes down it squeezes your intestines like a tube of toothpaste. So if there's anything there, it will be coming out.

If it embarrasses you, I suppose you can use a suppository or enema before you go to the hospital. Again, I've seen it so many times, it isn't unusual at all.

ivegotayen
07-14-2010, 07:01 PM
Just about everyone experiences pushing as "feeling like the biggest poop of their life," so that's totally normal.

About half of all women will actually have a BM while pushing, so that's also totally normal. :)

Don't feel embarrassed at all. Doctors and nurses expect to see a little poo -- and often pee -- during delivery. They'll take care of it for you, often before you've realized it's happened.

That said, for many people, they will experience some diarrhea just before they go into labor. It's their body's way of getting everything out of the way beforehand.

A good book to read that talks about this sensation is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. The first half of this book is a collection of birth stories written by women. You'll see over and over women say in their stories, "and then I felt like I really needed to have a bm..." when it came time to push. (This is one of my favorite childbirth books, btw!)

Myira
07-14-2010, 11:10 PM
thanks for the replies may me feel a little better about that.

swissair81, if that enema or suppository is an option, and is safe, I would definitely opt for it. Now a dumb or naive question.

Why don't they just give you one before active labor starts, just like they catheter you to collect urine and empty your bladder? Wouldn't it be more comfortable if your bowels are empty(sorry TMI) when you are pushing?

DebbieJ
07-14-2010, 11:24 PM
I pooped when pushing out DS1. It's totally normal.

wellyes
07-14-2010, 11:27 PM
I think the best labor advice I ever got was, if they ask if you want a mirror down there to see the birth, just say NO.



Why don't they just give you one before active labor starts, just like they catheter you to collect urine and empty your bladder? Wouldn't it be more comfortable if your bowels are empty(sorry TMI) when you are pushing?

I don't think they necessarily want completely voided bowels for labor. Both times I was in the maternity ward after having delivered, the nurses asked me 2-3 times a day if I'd had a BM yet. I have a friend who had a unexpected c-section who was told she wouldn't be allowed to leave the hospital until she had one. I think they use a post-birth poop as measure of health or at least lack of damage from the birth.

Myira
07-14-2010, 11:39 PM
wellyes, post-partum, I was the one asking the nurses if they could give me something to get my bowels moving since I felt so uncomfortable being a regular person. I did not get anything for that and one nurse even told me I was better off w/o a BM for a while since I already had a tear and hemorrhoid to deal with.

Finally when I went though I constipated so much, felt like it was labor all over again :duh:

wellyes
07-14-2010, 11:44 PM
wellyes, post-partum, I was the one asking the nurses if they could give me something to get my bowels moving since I felt so uncomfortable being a regular person. I did not get anything for that and one nurse even told me I was better off w/o a BM for a while since I already had a tear and hemorrhoid to deal with.

Oh OUCH!! Ouch ouch ouch.

Mine gives bottles of stool softeners to every new mom whether or not they want / need it. Maybe you could stock up in advance? They are OTC I think.

Momof3Labs
07-15-2010, 12:57 AM
Why don't they just give you one before active labor starts, just like they catheter you to collect urine and empty your bladder? Wouldn't it be more comfortable if your bowels are empty(sorry TMI) when you are pushing?

When my mom had me, they pushed enemas on everyone when they went into labor. I'm guessing that they stopped because it just isn't necessary.

And I don't know why you say that it's standard to have a catheter to empty your bladder during labor. I had a catheter with DS1 but only because I had an epidural. With DS2, I had an unmedicated birth and no catheter. The catheter is only standard with epidurals and c-sections.

swissair81
07-15-2010, 08:04 AM
thanks for the replies may me feel a little better about that.

swissair81, if that enema or suppository is an option, and is safe, I would definitely opt for it. Now a dumb or naive question.

Why don't they just give you one before active labor starts, just like they catheter you to collect urine and empty your bladder? Wouldn't it be more comfortable if your bowels are empty(sorry TMI) when you are pushing?

It's not standard at all to cath women. Only if they have an epidural (some places put one in) & some don't or you have a c-section. Otherwise they don;t

Oh and they used to routinely shave & give enemas, but we are moving away from that kind of assembly line birth & most women are grateful for that.

ewpmsw
07-15-2010, 03:43 PM
I can see why some people would be embarrassed about pooping during labor and am not making fun here. I'd avoid an enema or other measures for a lot of reasons, one being that you just can't know how fast things are going to go. How embarrassing would it be to get great results at the same time as you're laboring? I've never had an enema or used a suppository and I'm guessing they could cause cramping or discomfort. I was sick all through my first labor and can't imagine making that time even a little bit more uncomfortable.

Our midwife and several of the prenatal instructors we had before DD #1 adressed this topic and tried to minimize the embarrassment by stating that, yes, many women poop while laboring, and in most cases aren't even aware of it. They're otherwise engaged, and nurses or MW's are expecting it and get it out of the way ASAP. It's a routine part of the experience and not one that is announced or acknowledged.

swissair81
07-15-2010, 03:46 PM
You have a really good point. This isn't really a fix for someone who is just embarrassed. OTOH, if someone is stopped up (like many pregnant woman are at the end of their pregnancy), it will prevent the baby's head from moving down. The enema/suppository thing isn't for everybody, just for the people who are really truly desperate. I've given a few enemas in labor to women for this very reason & there was what to be concerned about.

SnuggleBuggles
07-15-2010, 03:49 PM
I can see why some people would be embarrassed about pooping during labor and am not making fun here. I'd avoid an enema or other measures for a lot of reasons, one being that you just can't know how fast things are going to go. How embarrassing would it be to get great results at the same time as you're laboring? I've never had an enema or used a suppository and I'm guessing they could cause cramping or discomfort. I was sick all through my first labor and can't imagine making that time even a little bit more uncomfortable.


That's the reason I never understood wanting to do castor oil to induce labor. If it doesn't work then you are stuck miserable and no baby. if it does work, you are stuck with an upset stomach during labor. No thanks! While sitting on the toilet would be a fantastic labor position (far, far better than being in bed!), I would want to be there by choice vs necessity.

I had a bm with both boys. A fond memory? No. But, it's to be expected and usually a good sign that you are doing things right.

Oh, and no catheter at all during labor (no pain meds). I wish (wish!!!) that they gave me stool softeners after ds1! Those would have been very welcome rather than the constipation I wound up with since I was afraid to go.

Beth

swissair81
07-15-2010, 03:53 PM
I was terribly constipated before delivery & I then proceeded to have diarrhea for the next 2 weeks. How I wish it had been the other way around.

Having taken castor oil/enemas/suppositories for other reasons than inducing labor (I have IBS), castor oil is the only thing that really makes you cramp terribly. The enema is the next worst & suppositories are pretty user friendly.

slworld
07-15-2010, 04:00 PM
I have a friend who had a unexpected c-section who was told she wouldn't be allowed to leave the hospital until she had one. I think they use a post-birth poop as measure of health or at least lack of damage from the birth.

I remember the nurses asking me several times if I was passing gas until I had a BM after c-section.

swissair81
07-15-2010, 04:02 PM
I remember the nurses asking me several times if I was passing gas until I had a BM after c-section.

one of the complications of surgery can be a paralytic ileus. there can also be other serious bowel (or other organ) problems that could have been caused by surgery. it is simply prudent to make sure the plumbing works before discharge.

Tanya
07-15-2010, 11:44 PM
With all the fluids coming out during childbirth, I didn't care if I was pooping or peeing too. In fact, I didn't even know I was pooping until my midwife mentioned cleaning me up a bit and dh later confirmed that there was a little.

When I went into labor with my first, I had to go to the bathroom and the nurse practically barged into the bathroom to make sure I wasn't pushing the baby out...I was just pooping. So, even after going, I still had some left for the pushing stage I guess.

My first daughter peed all over me right after being born. My second pooped all over me. Clearly, we were all related. Ha ha.

Really though, I was so busy during labor and delivery that my nakedness or any fluids coming out just weren't that big of a deal at the time.

I have a friend that when she had her first baby, her doctor prescribed her to have an enema when she went into labor. I was shocked and really upset about it, but she was worried about pooping in the table, so it was fine with her.