strange question about waterbirth

Was just chatting with a gf about the midwife supplying a pool if I want to use one, and the thought occurred to me.. what happens if you poo in the pool? OMG how embarrassing! I can just imagine it floating up to the surface, or else lurking at the bottom and DH stepping in it LOL.

I know in hospital it was discreetly dealt with... but what about in the pool? Is it discreetly scooped out? or what? ick!! Am picturing myself doing what DD did the other day when she poo'd in the bath... she couldn't climb out of there quick enough and was screaming.. poor pet LOL.

I'm trying to convince myself of the beauty of a waterbirth... and I'm not doing a very good job of it. LOL. I'm not drawn to water during my labours, but I'm wondering if I'm missing out on something.. so am considering it being an option this time around.

I imagine they'd see the poop coming and be able to catch it with a bag/gloves and chuck it straight in the loo. Or it'd float and they'd just scoop it out. I think someone would be there during your pushing stage, so I'm not sure the poop would get a chance to sink. :think: You could always ask the midwife, I'm sure they'd have a plan.

If you don't want to waterbirth then don't push yourself for one - you want to birth in a way that's comfortable for you, not for others. (Although having said that I loved mine. :lol:) It's great that you're keeping an open mind. xo

yup its scooped out... (if it can be ;) )

Well, I won't lie, the water does get a bit murky after a watebirth, mostly from vernix or bleeding after the baby is born. Most women pass a little bit of stool during the birth, but if this is something that concerns you, have a strainer or a little net on hand and give a support person strict instructions to discreetly remove it before you see it. In all honestly, although you feel self-conscious about it now, I suspect at the time you really won't notice, or care.

LOL oorki - what's that supposed to mean! :o lol

Don't worry.. I won't be doing anything just 'because'. I told the midwife today it'd probably be something I'll decide towards the end of the pg, cos then I'll know how I'm feeling and what might appeal in terms of comfort & pain relief.

Schmickers - yeah... I did poo in DD's labour, and didn't care then... don't really care now.. still have a laugh about it. Think I even wee'd on the OB LOL. It's just the whole floating in the pool that adds a whole other perspective...

I have seen a couple of births on youtube and the water is very murky and bloody after the birth. Is that common? I've also seen plenty of other waterbirths where the water is quite clear whilst they're holding their new baby tho.

i didnt do a solid poo with my DD ;) it couldnt be scooped! hahaha
and instictivley i moved away from that spot and dd was born in the cleanish water at the other side of the pool...

Mine was really, really clear....you can see it in the photos. Would have been a little better if it was murky though. Xp eagerly took the photos into my workplace and showed my colleagues....

My water was really clear too. I had a few little pellets of poo that were scooped out pretty quickly by me or my midwife

You know those nets you use to scoop out fish when cleaning their tank? Just get a big one of those.

However, like Oorki, mine wasn't solid either. But it just stayed at the other end of the bath.

The midwives are pretty good at being discreet, sometimes they are the only people who realise as they scoop it up and get on with it. My DH didn't even realise!

Sorry but I had to :lol: at Schmickers... Some people pass a little stool!!! :rofl: Is it just my sense of humour or did anyone else get a picture of a chair coming out the rear end!!!!

Liz - a sieve is used for this purpose to fish it out...! Most women will do a poop in labour - I've got a nice photo of a head coming out of one orifice and a poop out of the other one!!! Gorgeous!

It's all good - and as Mick says it can get a big cloudy by the end the birthing pool - but it's not consequential in the end - truly! :hug:

I think we had like a kitty litter scoop which would only work for solids. I did most of my own scooping because I was happy to be left to my own devices while my midwife chatted to DP

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Sorry but I had to :lol: at Schmickers... Some people pass a little stool!!! :rofl: Is it just my sense of humour or did anyone else get a picture of a chair coming out the rear end!!!!

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LOL. Yes I had a little giggle at it. I thought he was just sounding more professional ;) or maybe he doesn't like to say... poo

Thanks everyone. Nice to know if it happened I wouldn't be the only one. Fuzzy - omg - you sound like you were constanting pooping! haha. I thought I would only do it in that crucial pushing stage.. hopefully no one is standing around chatting while the baby is actually coming out haha.

He was being professional which is wonderful - I've just got a wicked sense of humour! :lol:

my MW just scooped it out with a sieve and put it in a bucket. DH got rid of it the next day when EVERYTHING (apart from pool) was wrapped up and taken to the tip. :D So I didn't even see it. I was only aware of one time she scooped some out. They don't talk about it, it's just dealt with. ;)

It's beyond your control anyway. Imagin you had a post-pack tube, then stickytaped a tube of toothpaste in it. And then tried to pass a cricket-ball through the tube. Nothing you can do, toothpaste has to squeeze out to let the ball (head) through!

I ran and sat on the toilet before I got in the pool. MW said "don't you DARE push", but I knew it wasn't the baby.....so no pool poo for me!

I sat on the loo too. Bloody hurts while going and having a contraction at the same time! But because my labour started so suddenly and was so quick, my body hadn't cleaned itself out before labour. Sorry if TMI. I REALLY needed to get in the bath when i hit transition, so it was inevitable.

**Sorry - I was reading this and didn't mean to reply, my phone went crazy and replied for me! But it's good stuff to know for eight months time!**