Anyone choose an enema?

[AAK]

I am thinking about having an enema this time around. I realize that it isn't needed, and is thought of as backwards but even in the middle of labor I have issues with poop. The last time it was the only thing I cried about afterwards. I thought I had pooped on my baby--my dh had a time trying to reassure me that I only pooped a little and none of it was on my baby. This time since I will be at home and in water, I really don't want floating poop. My kids will also be present and I think I may become self conscious about it. SO, am I the only one?

Amy

[AngelBee]

This is something that made me really uncomfortable during labor as well. I had NO CLUE that you could poo while giving birth.

Good luck with whatever you decide

[sevenkids]

I didn't personally choose to have one, but I have had several clients ask for it for those reasons. They have all said that they felt more secure and able to let go knowing they were squeaky clean inside.

Personally, I don't think enemas are evil. Unnecessary for the most part, but not necessarily a bad thing. Whatever works for you.

[MidwifeErika]

I haven't done an enema myself, but do know that even if you take one, there is still a chance that you may poop during the birth. I didn't do one last time because I was afraid it would make my stools loose which would be more difficult to get out of the birth pool than a solid one. We bought a small fish net ahead of time and DH knew his job would be to fish out any floaters, act mature about it, and not even mention a single word about it to me. Still, not something I was excited about! I really do understand the anxiety over it (who wants to poop in front of others?), but really there isn't a whole lot you can do to promise it won't happen.

I wish you a poop free birth!!! And if you do poop, don't feel bad about it AT ALL!!!! poop is more common than no poop. It just means that you are pushing correctly and that baby is really making room for themselves on their way down. Don't be ashamed, be proud of how hard you worked!

[minkajane]

From what I've heard, it's common to poop even after getting an enema, especially if it's given at the beginning of labor. Don't be embarrassed! You really think your birth attendant hasn't seen it before?

[CrazyCatLady]

I would have done one except for they seem to make things worse. I'd rather have a little solid than a bunch of runny (eeeewww). As it turned out, I never pooped at all. Not even a little bit so it would have been pointless anyway But don't be embarrassed, it happens and more times than not.

[UmmBnB]

Ds was a castor oil baby so I was quite cleaned out by the time I was laboring in earnest. I ended up with a giant hemmorhoid from the labor.

By the time dd was born I was having to do enemas on a daily basis just to keep things moving. She was just crushing me and I had horrible hemmorhoids. So, yes, I definitely had one just as soon as I realized I was in labor. I didn't want there to be anything in there while I was already doing lots of pushing.

As it ended up, she literally fell out with only a tiny little push to get her arm free (sort of a nucal arm but not completely). My rhoid was gone after the birth!

[myducklings]

I never had an enema, and wouldn't want one either. I don't think I pooped with any of my 3 births.

[Aka mommy]

I didnt get one, never thought about it to be honest. But i have a thing about my bum and poop as well. I didnt like laboring on hands and knees without a towel covering me. And it was very worried that the pizza i ate might find its way elsewhere during birth. But i firmly believe your body takes care of itself. About 15 mins before transition hit i had to go poop and my mw's even sat at my knees while i did. Talk about getting over fears hee hee. But my body cleared itself out which im thankful for as i ended up delivering my posterior dd on hands and knees and am mortified to even imagine how that would have ended up with my bum in the air and possible bowel movements. Funny thing is my dd pooped in my dh's hand the sec she flew out! At least it wasnt mine hee hee!

[Muslimah]

Originally Posted by Aka mommy

Funny thing is my dd pooped in my dh's hand the sec she flew out! At least it wasnt mine hee hee!

I think that is actually cute.

I am thinking about an enema.. the only thing is usually after I had an enema I feel pretty weak. I told my DH that sometimes women poop in labour and after the initial shock he seemed ok. I personally do not want to poop infront of anyone either. I can only pee in front of family, but I do not like to anymore. My mom and all her sisters to this day will meet up in the bathroom while they take turns to pee and talk. They do it even where there are 2 bathrooms available. I guess that happens when you grow up having 5 women in a house with only one pot.

[PancakeGoddess]

It's not the end of the world, but there was, hm, more than a few little poops at my last birth and it was a drag. I didn't hold back, but I really didn't like it. If it weren't for the risk of something even worse (runny? omg...) I might try the enema. But this will be my 4th and I wonder if it will be a bit quicker than the others, so I think I'll take my chances.

ETA, now that I read over this I hope this doesn't stress out any first-time birthers or h-birthers - seriously, I was the ONLY one with the issue. Midwife, sister and spouse were all way too focused on baby to care a bit about my turds.

[Bleu]

Here's an excellent reason to make sure you never labor in the lithotomy position with your feet in stirrups. My former neighbor used to tell this wonderful story about spraying her arrogant male ob/gyn with poop during the early '70s when she birthed her youngest. He was furious and while he was cleaning up, cursing and muttering, the nurses all had a good (quiet) laugh.

[Pariah]

I'm on the other side of this, where an enema would weird me out MUCH more then pooping during labor. I'm not embarrassed by poop, and I'm sure my midwives have seen poop and worse. By the time it comes to the pushing stage, I'm sure it'll be the last thing on my mind.

[AngelaB]

By the time I was in transition and just past it I had lost all modesty I could have done anything infront of anyone at that point! I did have a natural vbac hospital birth with ds2, but I was peeling off clothes while I was walking into my room! I asked if I pooped and dh said no. I wouldnt have cared during labor and neither would anyone else but afterwards i was curious.

I wouldnt have an enema. I feel more modest about that then pooping during pushing. You are pushing from your bottom, of course poop would come out if you are doing it right. ALthough I hope there is none in there to come out!!!

[sciencemama]

Originally Posted by benjalo

It's not the end of the world, but there was, hm, more than a few little poops at my last birth and it was a drag. I didn't hold back, but I really didn't like it. If it weren't for the risk of something even worse (runny? omg...) I might try the enema. But this will be my 4th and I wonder if it will be a bit quicker than the others, so I think I'll take my chances.

ETA, now that I read over this I hope this doesn't stress out any first-time birthers or h-birthers - seriously, I was the ONLY one with the issue. Midwife, sister and spouse were all way too focused on baby to care a bit about my turds.

This totally describes me as well! I was pretty constipated in the days before my first birth so ummm... there was a lot that needed to get cleared out. However, if this is any consolation, in the days after the birth (when many people have constipation issues) I had almost the opposite problem.... :

[Smithie]

I had some runny castor oil poop during my first labor, and while it didn't really embarass me at the time (mw and dh certainly didn't care), I seek to avoid it this time around. So no castor oil, and I plan to do regular enemas as soon as I feel like things are getting close, and not the little 4 oz. Fleet bottles either. I have a enema bag (like a hot water bottle with tubing) from they days when I had severe 'roid issues, I'm going to pull that out and use it for a week or so.

The biggest reason I'm doing this is that I want to have several days before my first postpartum poop. After that castor oil, it was SIX DAYS until I needed to poop again. That helped me get a little healed and unswollen.

[abigailvr]

My midwife said that it's perfectly safe (and actually good!) for your baby to be exposed to your own intestinal flora, to help them get colonized.

I remember someone wiping me during my first birth (at a birth center) and not caring. This time I will be at home in a tub. I assume I'll poop and I assume that again, I won't really care when it happens.

[Seie]

I had an enema for my first birth though it was in hospital. It was no big deal. The midwife offered it to me and I accepted. She emptied a 250 ml bottle of saline up my behind - I waited a couple of minutes and pooped it all back out in the toilet. No pain and only slightly uncomfortable to hold it in while waiting for it to work - but can be compared to holding a poop for a couple of minutes.

IF you feel more comfortable having one then by all means have it. You can get an all saltwater-enema. It is as far as I know 100% safe to have one of those and I really don't see why you shouldn't have it if you think it will make you feel better.

I would not go for a chemical one though, but sterile saltwater is absolutely harmless..

[Ell-Bell]

I'm glad you posted about this, DH and I are very private poopers, and I do worry that by fear of embarassment will cause me to not relax and instead hold things in when I shouldn't. Plus, we are planning a water birth and the idea of DH fishing out floaters...

I haven't spoken with our MW about it, or my DH yet (except to tell him that some people poop during labor... gotta take it one step at a time!) and am glad to read the different replies on this thread. Still not sure if I will try an enema or not, but at lease I'm not the only home-birthin mama who is shy about her sh*t!

[HomeBirthMommy]

I pooped while on the birthing stool. I didn't even realize it at the time, but dh told me later. Dd also pooped as soon as she was born-we actually have a picture of the poop falling out of her in mid-air.

A little OT-As soon as I got on the birthing stool and started pushing, I heard a long dribble and asked, "Did my water break?". My MW replied, "No, you're just peeing". Normally that would have embarassed the heck out of me, but at that moment, it didn't even phase me.