Always hear the phrase "What happens in labor, stays in labor?" Alas, it'south not a real thing (still), just information technology definitely should be, peculiarly when it comes to pooping. Indeed, i of the nitty-gritty details that your friends likely omitted from the labor stories they've related is the fact that you'll probably poop during the process.

While it doesn't audio like a 1000 time, pooping during childbirth is very normal and even expected. Here'due south a bit more about this less-than-fun bathroom topic, why it happens to and then many women and possible means to avoid it (or non worry about it) altogether.

Is pooping during labor normal?

It'southward completely normal to poop during labor and, in fact, almost women exercise feel information technology.

Ever worry whether doctors care if you poop during labor? It's actually one of the meridian childbirth fears that expectant women harbor. But residuum assured your health intendance provider is solely focused on the wellbeing of you and your baby on the way — and almost nothing else. A safe and healthy delivery is all that really matters to doctors and nurses.

A little escaping poo may even occur more than than once, but everyone in the labor and delivery room is ready for information technology considering information technology happens all the time. The hospital staff is trained to quickly and efficiently make clean up the mess, so you might not even notice information technology. The ready: 1 of the labor team nurses volition whisk information technology away, without announcing its inflow, with a chip of gauze or a clean towel.

Why do y'all poop during labor?

Women often poop during labor for a number of normal, natural reasons:

Irresolute hormones

As your body preps for labor, your hormones are in flux, causing the muscles of your uterus, neck and rectum to loosen. Some pre-labor diarrhea and pooping during labor tin can result.

Infant'southward position

Sure movements during labor tin shift your infant around and put extra pressure on your rectum, particularly if she's caput down but facing out towards your front (called the occiput posterior position).

Begetting down

Truth: Pushing a infant out kind of feels like having a bowel move since the muscles you apply for both are exactly the same. And, of class, as yous bear downwardly, anything in the general vicinity will get eased out along the fashion — hence the pooping during labor.

Can yous avoid pooping during labor?

Back in the day, nurses had women empty their bowels before labor via enemas. But information technology turns out that this practice didn't offer whatsoever medical benefits — and if you've always had one, information technology's not very pleasant to, um, sit through.

Luckily, science backs up the alter in practice. A review of studies found that enemas didn't reduce infection rates and many women weren't bully to endure them either.

Of class, you tin ask for an enema when you go far at the hospital to try and prevent pooping during labor. And you lot tin stay hydrated as well equally swallow lightly as your day approaches in the hopes of avoiding big bowel movements. But even with these efforts, keep in mind that it's pretty likely you'll nevertheless laissez passer some poop when yous push.

Pooping during labor happens to many women, which means not only is it a normal occurrence, you're also in very good visitor. The best communication is to effort not to focus on this fiddling sideshow since the main outcome is what labor and delivery is all near: the birth of your cute baby.