Hi Baiza,

It was widely thought that meconium in the babies amniotic fluid shows that the baby is in distress. There have been recent studies that show this may not be so. Your baby's heart rate is listened to throughout labour by your midwife using a doppler on your belly. The heart rate and its strength and tone tells us a lot about how your baby is doing. Meconium staining alone without any other signs of distress is now commonly put down to just what it is 'the baby doing a poo'.

The chances of it happening again? Well I don't know if that would be possible for anyone to predict. Each woman's birth is different for each baby and your situation next time will be different to the last.

I would not be too concerned. There certainly is an increase of meconium staining to the amniotic fluid of women who have had inductions. There is also an increase in women who are post dates. However as above meconium staining will make a carer keep a closer check on things but in isolation doesn't usually warrant any intervention.

Personally I had meconium in my amniotic fluid with my last child. Her heart rate was fine and as is the case with a great number of labours my membranes didn't rupture until just before the 2nd stage of labour (pushing). She was born in one push and during the entire labour her heart rate, tone and rythum were all perfect. She was born into the water.

I wish you lots of love and positive thoughts for a beautiful birth.
Deb