When I ask someone to share their fears about childbirth, one of the most common worries is the embarrassment of having a bowel movement while pushing. In today’s blog, we open the floor for a little “potty talk.”
A common sign of imminent labor is that the body begins to cleanse itself. This may show in the form of frequent soft stools, to diarrhea, and maybe even vomiting. Many women have claimed to feel flu-like symptoms days, even hours before active labor begins. Naturally, this means your stool will likely be soft through delivery, as well.
If you ask someone who has given birth before what it feels like to push, they may suggest you push like you are pooping. Effective pushing is done by engaging the same muscles used when having a bowel movement. The feeling of needing to bear down and push is explained easiest by an intense pressure in your bottom. The amount of time and energy spent while pushing may be lengthened if you fight this pressure in fear of going No. 2. Try to allow your body to work with the sensation by pushing with the pressure.
What if someone sees?
Go ahead, ask your healthcare provider! I bet their answer, along with your nurses and doula, will be that they are completely unphased by it. It’s simply a part of the job, and there are more important things happening down there… like your baby! As for your support person(s), it may be a good idea to have a candid discussion about it ahead of time, or simply send this blog. They may feel more comfortable supporting you by your head, so your concern of being embarrassed may be moot. If they want to be down in the trenches, so to speak, here is what they may see. Your vulva may look swelled. You can expect blood and other fluids to be leaking, especially during a contraction. As the baby’s head begins to slowly make its way, your partner may catch a glimpse of hair. And as for the stool, it doesn’t quite emerge like you think. Someone once asked me “am I going to push out one big poop?” No, not quite! Your baby is taking up most of the room down there, so only small amounts of excrement may come out when you bear down. A nurse or care provider will likely remove the pad beneath your bottom and dispose of it almost immediately.
So, will you poop while pushing? Well, you just might… but that simply means you’re doing it right! Sh*t happens, literally.
