meconium

hey i was just wondering if anyone can help me with my last pregnancy when they broke my waters the atomic fluid was green meaning my baby had dont her first bowl movement just wondering wat are the chances of it happening with this bubz and why do baby poo befor birth

What had happened before your membranes were ruptured? Had you gone into spontaneous labour when your baby was ready or were you induced? I ask because induction is very stressful for babies and can cause them to poo before birth. Slight mec staining is no big deal and babies are much healthier when not taken away and suctioned. Meconium Aspiration Syndrome is a lot less difficult for babies generally than the treatment used in hospitals. There's no reason it would repeat but if you're concerned, avoiding unnecessary interventions is one way to keep your baby's optimal health continuing through labour and birth :) What recent studies show is that mec itself is not really a problem but induction sure is. If you laboured spontaneously and your baby had mec present, it still depends in what quantity before it becomes problematic. Old mec staining isn't a problem to good MWs but surgeons see it very differently and manage it aggressively.

hey janet

no i wasnt inducted but i did start my labour pain 2and a half days befor chloe was born and i didnt really handle the pain really well

Baiza, when i had Erin, I was 5 days over and I went into spontaneous labour and when my waters broke they were slightly mec stained and she was fine. But with Paige i had my waters broken too and there was a lot of mec staining after a while, so they had to induce me with syncto. She was on her due date and I'd say she pooed because of the waters being broken.

I always thought it happened when either you were overdue and the baby did it naturally or the baby does it when it gets stressed in the womb during labour.

There is no real way of saying if it will happen again. My cousin had meconium aspiration and was really quite sick for a week and was in NICU for a few days.

Perhaps a GOOD birth group or class would help you then so you are much more prepared? There is a cycle of fear, tension and pain that is created when we are frightened or tense in labour but we can work to avoid that. When we are safe and supported, in darkened space and able to move instinctively, our bodies produce many chemicals and hormones called endorphins which move us into a state like a trance. We birth much more happily and safely in that birth trance which some women call labourland. You can do it too! \:D/

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

hey girls

thank you for your replys they made me feel abit better i was thinking last night after iwrote chloes due date was 4th april but my dates were a weeks out so by dates my due date was 28th march so i still recon that she was two weeks late thats probly why she pooed as went i was in labour it started all by it self and i got my waters broken at 12pm that day and my water were light green chloes wasnt in any destress until she got stuck thats a long story if ya wanna read my birth storie its in the birth storie area under the birth og chloe ann anyways so i still think she was way over due thats why she pooed by there dates she was only 5 days over due