4 reasons why it is good to poop in birth!
Yes… you read it correct.. 3 reasons why it is GOOD to poop in birth! I know.. you probably don’t agree with me right now. But hang fire before you hit the supermarket in search of laxatives to empty yourself when labour starts. (P.s. please don’t actually do this even if you want to avoid pooping - laxatives can bring some nasty side effects for mum and the risk of infection from any bowel movements is so low that the benefit does not overweigh the negatives).
The thought of possibly pooping in front of boyfriend to me was just absolutely mortifying when I was pregnant and chatting about labour. Surely that is just something they should never see. As far as he is concerned I poop out roses, right?! I started to search google on how to avoid it happening. However… I found out some interesting facts about it, and I was quite amazed at some of the information I was confronted with. This intrigued me so I spent ages researching the different elements to this natural bodily function.
So hear me out! Why is it good to poop in birth?
1) In early labour, it is quite possible you will have a ‘clear out’ and this is your body getting ready to birth your baby.
This is exciting because it is a good sign labour is either getting started or is underway. When you are at the end of your pregnancy, you are just counting down the days to meet your little baby. It can be a strange period in time where you feel a little in limbo. Any little niggles or wiggles can have you questioning if things are starting. Having a ‘clear out’ can be an exciting sign to tell you that labour is close. Not long now until your little baby will be in your arms and you will get to meet him or her.
To find out more about what the signs of early labour can look like CLICK HERE to go through to my course booking page. The full course educates on these signs and symptoms to help you feel informed.
2) Having a feeling that you need to poop when pushing your baby out means that it is very likely your baby is about to be born.
Lots of women tell the midwives that they need to poop when they are pushing their baby out. They panic and want to avoid doing this poop at all costs. BUT! Having the feeling that you need to poop is a good indicator that baby is about to be birthed. The pressure down below can have similar sensations with the pressure as a bowel movement can cause. Midwives often get excited when the birther says they need to poop as this is a good sign it is not long at all before baby is going to be there.
3) The correct muscles are being used to push out baby.
Women don’t always realise that it is the same muscles they use to have a bowel movement, to push baby out. It is really common that women believe there will be different muscle to use as part of the birthing system within their body. NEWSFLASH! It is the SAME muscles. If you try to avoid doing that poop, you could be inadvertently slowing down your body from having your baby. By using the muscles needed to open your bowels means you are doing everything perfectly.
4) Some evidence found it can be good for newborn babies to be exposed to the bacteria in the mothers faecal matter as helps improve their microbiome.
Evidence shows that when the baby comes down the birth canal they are subjected to the bacteria in both the vagina and also potential faecal matter. This means that bacteria can go into their sterile gut and allow them to start building up their microbiome. Which, in English just means they start to build an immune system. It has been found in research that this particular bacteria has good benefit to this process in building up an effective immune system!
So… there you have it! Maybe it is important to poop in birth after all. No need to try and avoid it!
Don’t get me wrong though, its still wasn’t something I looked forward to, or something that my boyfriend and I need to discuss afterwards. However, it was good to know that there was a function for it and maybe it wasn’t all doom and gloom. I was also surprised to hear that it really does have to the large majority of people giving birth. It is actually rare for it not to occur.
Plus, when your in labour and you have 101 other things going on, the last thing on your mind is going for a poop. To be honest, you don’t even know that it occurs! Midwives are amazing at clearing this away before anyone need every know that it has happened! This includes in water births too! Your main focus will be getting to meet your little one. Once you have given birth and they are in your arms, it won’t even cross your mind to whether you poop or not! So… don’t worry about trying to avoid it!
If you want to know more about how your body works during labour, take a look at my FULL COURSE details. The course covers the science behind how your body works in labour, what the different parts do and how you can maximise their full benefits.