question about water birth and, um, poo...

[danav]

I need to ask one of my midwives this question next time I see them, but until then I thought I'd ask here...

Although I labored in water with my second, I haven't yet had a water birth. It's a definite option in my birth plans this time, however. I do know that with my second birth, I had a BM while pushing. It was not a big deal, the midwife cleaned it away without a word and I only know about it because I happened to see it. I know this happens frequently in birth.

So...what happens if you have a BM while pushing in the water? I guess the midwife could fish it out, but what if it's a bit messy? Does having some poo floating around in the water pose any increased risk to the baby at birth? I've seen quite a few photos and videos of water births and never have noticed anything like this, so maybe it just doesn't happen as much in water birth, but I have to believe it's possible. And I'm not sure why it never occurred to me until very recently to think about it! :LOL

Any thoughts or personal experience?

[Glittergal]

yup, it happens. we usually scoop it out with a mesh strainer type thing. no biggie, usually moms don't even notice

[Rach]

What glittergal said. I've seen birth stories and pictures online, and they just use a little mesh scooper [like a fish scooper] and get it out.
I wouldn't worry about it contaminating the birthing tub. There's so much water, compared to so little poop.

[MamaTaraX]

I attended a beautiful homebirth earlier this year which did indeed include poo in the ater. It was scooped out with a homemade net and no big deal. I plan on making the same homemade net for my birth though I have never pooped while pushing either time so I figure I probably won't this time either. It's really no big deal.

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (6), Butterfly (2), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[Undercover Hippie]

My friend pushed for 4 hours, the first part in a jacuzzi tub. Her DH just scooped the poop out with a little fish net. She jokes that you know someone really loves you when they scoop your poop out of the tub for you. :LOL

[sarahloughmiller]

I was wondering about this also. I also laborer in the pool with ds, but did not have him in it, but I may have these guys in there. It sounds like it is no big deal though.

[danav]

Thanks for the reassurance, ladies! I don't think pooping during birth is a big deal, either, but I wasn't sure if doing it in the water added a different twist or not!

[WinterBaby]

Originally Posted by adenlilysmama

My friend pushed for 4 hours, the first part in a jacuzzi tub. Her DH just scooped the poop out with a little fish net. She jokes that you know someone really loves you when they scoop your poop out of the tub for you. :LOL

[Monica]

Well I just can't resist this thread LOL - Apparently I am pooper when I push and while I was actually giving birth I never noticed it but in my black and white waterbirth birth photo's, there in the background of almost all of them are terds. In hindsight my midwifes weren't scooping fast enough :LOL

[danav]

:LOL :LOL

That's one of the things I was thinking about...having beautiful water birth photos with poop floating in the water beside me!! I could do a little creative editing on the computer before having them printed, though... :LOL

[Messac888]

I didn't poop at ds's out-of-water birth, but pooped at dd's home-water-birth. No one noticed until after the fact. I'm actually the one that saw it first. Not a big deal, since I pooped while delivering my dd and was out of the tub a few minutes later (since I was freezing after giving birth). Oh, well...