Soiling yourself in labour with epidural??

qwertytlk · 21-04-2011 12:04am #1

Hi, i know this prob seems a ridicilous thing to be worrying about in the grand scheme of things but i heard that you can soil yourself while pushing baby out and was wondering does this happen to many people? Is it because of the epidural and being numb,therefore not able to feel the need to go to the toilet?or is it just something that happens sometimes on account of the pushing? For some silly reason im worried about this....

Orion · 21-04-2011 12:59am

Don't worry about it. It may happen with or without epidural. The midwife will be discrete about cleaning. You will have more important things to worry about at the time anyway

January · 21-04-2011 8:27am

Happens whether you have the epidural or not... don't worry, the midwives don't make a fuss and clean it without a word to yourself. They're well used to it happening.

Cat Melodeon · 21-04-2011 10:17am

It is kind of mortifying but there's not much you can do about it. Once you go into labour, eat very lightly. If you are going to be induced, only eat salads and get lots of fluids in the run up. We rarely have a completely empty lower gut and the movement of the baby down pushes everything out, whether you have an epidural or not. Very few Irish hospitals offer an enema routinely, although many women experience diarrhea and loss of appetite just before they go into labour - quite often your body knows what is coming and gets ready without any outside intervention.

In any case, the staff have probably delivered as many poos as babies so they won't be bothered. Just warn whoever is in the labour ward with you that it may happen so if it does happen to you, everyone is prepared and you can focus on the main job in hand.

RachaelVO · 21-04-2011 10:24am

Fully concur with what has been said above. On my first child I really thought I would be really browned off with people coming and going in and out of the room and me with me nether regions showing... Seriously, I could have cared less, the pope could have come in a given me a blessing and I'd not have noticed.

As for the poo thing, it'll be like water off a ducks back. When you push in labour, you push your bowls too. Not a dam thing you can do about it, and as so eloquently put above, midwives had delivered nearly as many poos as they have babies.

Going slightly off thread, I did make them laugh, when I got to the hospital I puked and puked. They handed me one of those tine cardboard kidney shaped bowls, I had to slap it out of the nurses hand and reach for the bin, it was the only thing big enough within reach to puke in... So your midwife has seen it all, and there is nothing you can do to shock or embaress her!

Gloomtastic! · 21-04-2011 10:43am

Another reason why Dads should never look down 'the sharp end' during childbirth. It's a different world down there to how it normally is! ;-)

qwertytlk · 21-04-2011 12:25pm

Thanks everyone! And gloomtastic thats more what im worried about-my oh seeing me pooh myself! I know it prob sounds shallow but thats what im worried about. Thank god he's a bit squeemish and wont be looking! From the replies i gather this happens to everyone then?

Ayla · 21-04-2011 12:54pm

It's one of the "untalked-about" parts of labour, but I'd imagine it's quite common.

Afer suffering with horrible piles on both of my pregs, the midwife on my first had quite a lot to deal with...god love her, she seemed very unbothered by the whole thing.

On my second labour, I took a bit of castor oil to get the labour going (and avoid an imminent induction) and the oil took care of everything. There wasn't much time for poo in the end anyway, but I think the system was "cleaned" even before getting to the hosp.

In any case, there's so much going on, between fluids, poo/pee and (most importantly) a baby that no one really cares about any of it (other than the baby, of course)

crazy cat lady · 21-04-2011 1:52pm

Speaking as a midwife, I can honestly tell you that we do not give a monkeys butt if you poop during labour! And any good midwife will scoop it away before you or anyone else even knows about it and we certainly won't tell you if you pooped if you ask

Speaking as a mother, I couldn't care less if I pooped during labour! One out all out! I did, however, care very much about getting my epidural! Priorities priorities!

metrovelvet · 21-04-2011 4:32pm

Ayla wrote: »

It's one of the "untalked-about" parts of labour, but I'd imagine it's quite common.

Afer suffering with horrible piles on both of my pregs, the midwife on my first had quite a lot to deal with...god love her, she seemed very unbothered by the whole thing.

On my second labour, I took a bit of castor oil to get the labour going (and avoid an imminent induction) and the oil took care of everything. There wasn't much time for poo in the end anyway, but I think the system was "cleaned" even before getting to the hosp.

In any case, there's so much going on, between fluids, poo/pee and (most importantly) a baby that no one really cares about any of it (other than the baby, of course)

They gave me an enema beforehand.

They also no longer recommend castor oil because of risks of causing the baby to poo and choking on meconium in the womb.

January · 21-04-2011 4:57pm

metrovelvet wrote: »

They gave me an enema beforehand.

They also no longer recommend castor oil because of risks of causing the baby to poo and choking on meconium in the womb.

My mam was surprised they didn't give enema's anymore... not routinely anyway. She got one on all four of us in the Rotunda!

Penny Dreadful · 21-04-2011 5:02pm

January wrote: »

My mam was surprised they didn't give enema's anymore... not routinely anyway. She got one on all four of us in the Rotunda!

Mine got them for all 6 of us in the Coombe (one Holles St) too. She thinks it was the meanest thing ever to do to a woman in labour.

Ayla · 21-04-2011 8:36pm

metrovelvet wrote: »

They also no longer recommend castor oil because of risks of causing the baby to poo and choking on meconium in the womb.

Not to pull this thread off topic, but I mentioned my use of the castor oil b/c it had a drastic effect on pooing during labour...I was not in any way advocataing its usage, just mentioning that I took some. Every method of childbirth and induction has its risks, don't think this thread it the place to discuss them.

RachaelVO · 21-04-2011 8:40pm

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Mine got them for all 6 of us in the Coombe (one Holles St) too. She thinks it was the meanest thing ever to do to a woman in labour.

I agree with your mam, I've never had one now, but a woman is labour is going through enough without all that. I'm getting shivers up and down my spine just thinking about it!:o

crazy cat lady · 21-04-2011 9:10pm

Enema's were stopped a good few years ago now, along with shaving! Thank god!

I've heard from some othe the 'older breeds' of midwife that they used to do rectal examinations instead of vaginal examinations to assess the cervix too :eek: We should consider ourselves lucky that we weren't around for that!

January · 21-04-2011 10:01pm

Ayla wrote: »

Not to pull this thread off topic, but I mentioned my use of the castor oil b/c it had a drastic effect on pooing during labour...I was not in any way advocataing its usage, just mentioning that I took some. Every method of childbirth and induction has its risks, don't think this thread it the place to discuss them.

I didn't have the pooing during labour but it was enough to break my waters (taking the castor oil that is!)

bulmersgal · 22-04-2011 8:59pm

metrovelvet wrote: »

They gave me an enema beforehand.

They also no longer recommend castor oil because of risks of causing the baby to poo and choking on meconium in the womb.

Oh my god i feel mad guilty that i use castor oil now as there was meconium in my waters. Ah sure she's here asleep upstairs and grand but wouldn't advise taken it as its horrible.

I was so afraid to push incase i poo'd or tore in the end after 45 min of half pushing I was like i'm squeezing this baby out before the drag me up for section

Joey the lips · 22-04-2011 9:03pm

From a partner perspective this will be the least of your worries. Relax about that the midwife or your partner will be on hand to help. They have lots of tissue roll on stand by

Just luck forward to the arrival.

Ayla · 22-04-2011 9:14pm

bulmersgal wrote: »

Oh my god i feel mad guilty that i use castor oil now as there was meconium in my waters.

You can have meconium in the water regardless of the castor oil. There are many reasons why it might be there, and it doesn't always cause serious issues.

qwertytlk · 23-04-2011 1:31am

January wrote: »

My mam was surprised they didn't give enema's anymore... not routinely anyway. She got one on all four of us in the Rotunda!

what is an enema?is it like a suppository or a laxiatve? Sorry,im clueless! Why is it an unplesant thing to get as more than one post here said?! Also whats the castor oil for-if u go overdue its meant to bring labour on?? And apoart from the risks already mentioned,it gives you dihorrea etc too?

Mimikyu · 23-04-2011 9:20am

This post has been deleted.

January · 23-04-2011 9:30am

qwertytlk wrote: »

what is an enema?is it like a suppository or a laxiatve? Sorry,im clueless! Why is it an unplesant thing to get as more than one post here said?! Also whats the castor oil for-if u go overdue its meant to bring labour on?? And apoart from the risks already mentioned,it gives you dihorrea etc too?

Captain Morgan explained the enema haha so I won't go there..

On the castor oil, yes it's said to bring on labour but it brings many risks with it and in my case (some people do have successful births with it) just was not worth it at all. It gives you diarrhoea, which can stimulate the uterus to bring on contractions and you go into labour that way.

All it done for me was break my waters, I didn't go into labour and as a result I needed to be induced (risk of infection) and it ended up in a c section as baby was in distress.

To be honest, it's not something I'd recommend for anyone, I did look up the risks and made an informed decision before I took it but baby will come when he or she is ready and if it's ready to come out the safer labour and birth will probably be.

Soiling yourself in labour with epidural??

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