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Embarrassing Labor/delivery question

post #1 of 23
9/10/01 at 11:45am
Thread Starter 
Ok, since I'm due in 2 1/2 weeks, I better ask.... Has anyone had a bowel movement while pushing or heard of it? This is my latest fear. Please let me know so I can move on to another one.
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post #2 of 23
9/10/01 at 11:47am
LOL Somebody finally brave enough to ask!

I think it is quite common. It happened to me with Jessica, but I didn't realize it until months later when my DH told me. I nearly died!

Of course, they tell you to push like you're having a BM, so I would assume I'm not the first or last that it has happened to!
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post #3 of 23
9/10/01 at 11:52am
I have heard of it but it has never happened to me personally~ that i know of!LOL! I don't think that i want to know if it has! You won't even care if it does happen to you while pushing, you will be more concerned about the new baby that is coming into the world. Plus, if you have an epidural then you won't even know if you have one or not!
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post #4 of 23
9/10/01 at 12:01pm
YEP!! Happened to me. Like Dawn said, they tell you to push like you are having a bowel movement. OK!!! I did!! I never saw how bad it was but I did see my mom and sister's faces when they walked in. Alittle shock. At first, I was embarrassed but then I thought, ha, like I was the first one to ever do that!!! That's why I am going to tell this dr (I am due in 7 wks), get your rubber boots out, not just scrubs.
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post #5 of 23
9/10/01 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
Oh dear God..... You were SUPPOSED to have a different answer.... Oh Lordy..... Nothing we can do about this??????? EEEK!!!!!!!!! I shouldn't have asked, ignorance is bliss!!!!!!!!!
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post #6 of 23
9/10/01 at 1:04pm
I started having diarrhea when labor started, so I think all came out before, when I was still at home. I asked DH if I did during labor, and he said no. I begged the nurse for an enema, since i did not want it to happen and I thought I will be sore enough down there after birth, whatever comes out now is good gone. They refused it (even though I begged for it, can you believe it) since I was too far along and they were afraid I would give birth on the toilet

But believe me, once you are pushing, a bowel movement is the last you think about.
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post #7 of 23
9/10/01 at 1:57pm
I can't believe I am saying this but Happened to me too. Don't worry about it. I am a bit embarassed (sp?) by it but what can you do?
I'm sure the doctor has seen it a thousand times. Keep Dh up at your head and he'll never know!
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post #8 of 23
9/10/01 at 2:09pm
I had enemas both times so it did not happen to me. My doctor did an enema as standard procedure (at least before inductions like mine were). Maybe he preferred it that way Maybe your doctor does one too. Have you asked? If you're really nervous about it, maybe they'll give you one.
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post #9 of 23
9/10/01 at 2:13pm
No-I did not with either of mine.
Wit Cori, my first, I remember unrinating while I was pushing and I started begging the doctor to forgive me!! I was so embarassed over that but he just smiled and said that he is used to it. The nurse then came and said something like---why do you think we have all these drapes and plastic sheets??
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post #10 of 23
9/10/01 at 2:31pm
Yes I did and I wasn't the least bit embarassed about it. I knew when I did it and plain didn't care! I was pushing for 2 1/2 hours, so it was bound to happen at some point. The nurses just cleaned it up and didn't say a word. They didn't even flinch! They've seen this stuff hundreds of times! You know how many babies they've delivered?

Later my dh told me about it. I said, "Yeah, so?" He was so surprised that I knew and more surprised that I didn't care. All I cared about was that beautiful baby I got to hold in my arms at the end of all that.
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post #11 of 23
9/10/01 at 2:55pm
I had an enema too so I didn't. I was glad I did because I was in the bathroom emptying out 3 times. The fourth time I thought I needed to go more but it was just my contractions getting really intense. I had my epidural and my doctor checked me before they put the catheter in so I did pee all over him. I didn't care and just kind of laughed and said oops. This is what I figure. Anyone whose primary work has to do with vaginas and butts has to be used to being peed and pooped on so just don't worry about. If it happens it certainly won't be the first time your nurses or doctor see it. When you push anything that is in your intestines is coming out amd there is nothig you can do really cause if you try to hold back then you won't push hard enough to get your baby out. So don't worry.
Also, if you poop then it could be a good thing because the last thing you will feel like doing for quite a while is pooping cause your bottom will be sore and tender even if you don't tear or have an episiotomy. I am just trying to be positve here. I hope it helps!!
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post #12 of 23
9/10/01 at 3:06pm
On another note -- I do remember them saying something about emptying the bladder and intestines makes it easier for baby to come out since there are less obstacles for that head to push past!
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post #13 of 23
9/10/01 at 3:06pm
I was really worried about that to! But when you are in the middle of pushing and in alot of pain, I seemed to forget all about it. And I have no idea if I did or not. It is not like the doctor is going to tell you or yell "EEWW Gross!!"
I told my nurse about my fears of it and she said if you do, you would not be the first!
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post #14 of 23
9/11/01 at 1:41am
It happened to me with my last, but the only thing that was bad, was I happen to be looking in the mirror at the time LOL.


A friend of mine said that her doctor told her as long as her water had not broken, that she could do an enema on herself in the early stages of labor. She said she always did (just had her 6th) and she never had a BM while pushing. But I would check with your doc first.
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post #15 of 23
9/11/01 at 6:14pm
OKay, even though I dont have any kids, that has got to be one of my worst fears so I did a little reading on it. And, I think I am almost as afraid on an enema as I am of pooping on the table. I read in several baby books that you can get gylcerine suppisitories (they are completely safe during pregnancy), and when you know you are in labor at home, just insert one and you should have a BM in about 10 minutes. That is what I plan on doing because I would just die of embarassment if DH saw me go poo, baby or not Anyway, I hope I have helped calm you down a bit, I don't blame you for being afarid of that!!

Love and Laughter-
Alison
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post #16 of 23
9/12/01 at 4:19pm
While I was waiting for my husband to get his butt home from Walmart I made sure to empty myself. The contractions were so bad at home that I probably should not have gone to the bathroom because I think that made it go so much faster......but who cares I did not go on the table.....I would be embarrassed if I did but the doctors have probably seen it more often than not!
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post #17 of 23
9/12/01 at 4:21pm
I should say that I did not give myself an enema it was because my contractions were so strong and the urge to push at home was so bad. Like I said going to the bathroom at home was probably not the best thing for me to do because of how far along I was!
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post #18 of 23
9/17/01 at 12:21pm
I did both times, despite the fact that I had diarrhea before and during my labor. Not only is it normal, when your trying to poop( no pun intended but that is what it feels like) a 6-9lb baby out a hole the size of a quarter I can honestly say you probably aren't going to notice or care!!! I am not the least bit embarrassed and I have Pictures!!!(don't worry I wouldn't post them) . The doctors aren't the least bit concerned,and hubby is probably going to be more fasinated with watching his favorite toy being transforned into something almost unrecognizable, he probably won't care!!
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post #19 of 23
9/17/01 at 2:34pm
I did but didn't know it at the time. Billy told me about it later. But I would assume that pushing for three hours is going to cause something to come out. And like the others have said, it's not like it's the first time the nurses or doctors have ever seen it happen.

And I'm not embarrassed about it, either. It's just something that happens and since my child was born healthy, knowing that strangers saw me poop is the last thing I'm going to worry about!!
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post #20 of 23
9/17/01 at 2:46pm
One other point to keep in mind ... this IS a hospital. These nurses DO are used to dealing with bodily fluids and wastes. They empty catheters and colostomy bags, change diapers on elder patients -- and believe me ... once the nurse comes to you, lifts the covers, and yanks down your underwear to check your stitches and amount of bleeding ... you'll forget all about pooping on the table!

I'm telling you ... your humility will be LONG gone by the time you get home!
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post #21 of 23
9/17/01 at 4:16pm
When I was in having Brandon it got that so many nurses would come in a check you, that I joked with Rich that you dont care anymore who comes in to check you that if the janitor asked i would let him!!!
But what Dawn said is totally true. The nurses do come in and check your bleeding and stitches and other things that it really becomes no big deal. Even when you are trying to breastfeed and you are having trouble, they will actaully grab your boob and the babys head and help the baby latch.
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post #22 of 23
9/17/01 at 4:59pm
Dawn,

That is so true! They come in so many times and check your bleeding.....after 2 times of them doing this I did not care anymore.

Plus they ask you so many embarrasing questions anyways.

By the time I left the hospital they knew more about me than I wanted anyone to ever know about me!
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post #23 of 23
9/18/01 at 12:27am
After Kailyn was born, my nurse ran a bath for me. She helped me in the bathroom, let me use the toilet, and then helped me into the bath. She left the room and I noticed, looking into the full-wall mirror, that I had been completely naked the entire time! When she came back to check on me I laughed about it. She was so funny. She started laughing too and said she's seen it all. It didn't bother me at all. She had just seen me give birth - it doesn't get more personal than that!
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