Things Your Mom Never Told You About Birth
You Will Sh*t Yourself
Your mom probably spent lots of time and energy ensuring that you mastered toilet etiquette. It’s pretty simple really.
- Poop in the toilet.
- Poop in private.
There are many paths that all lead to independent toileting; cloth diapers, disposable diapers, pull-ups, elimination communication, plastic sheets, tiny toilets, potty books like Everybody Poops and Once Upon a Potty, cartoon characters sitting on the loo, many butt wipings, training undies, accidents & lots and lots and lots of time spent in the bathroom.
These two rules are generally followed on a daily basis with few exceptions – one exception is having small kids in your home that love to spend time with you in the bathroom. So when you are prepping for an upcoming birth and someone mentions poop just being part of the process, it brings the term Oh Sh*t to a whole new level!
Pressure + Poop = Progress
Look at what a tight fit it is in your pelvic bowl. Your bladder, uterus and rectum all negotiate for space on a daily basis. When one is full, there is a little internal shift. There is a beautiful synchronicity in you as it allows the natural rhythms of your body to ebb & flow, fill & empty, shift & move.
The pelvic floor acts as a support network for your urethra, vagina and anus, and all of these sphincter openings are nestled very close to one another. They are friendly neighbors!
When pregnant, the uterus basically takes over your entire abdominal space as your baby grows, and then that baby has to move everything else out of the way as they exit your body. You can see how your baby will make contact with your bladder, birth canal & rectum as they travel down and out.
Regardless of your baby’s position, they will press on your rectum as they move down the birth canal. If there is fecal matter inside, it can get pressed out. If you are pushing with pelvic floor muscles, you are helping move some of it out as well. So it is almost impossible for poop to stay in with all of the forces acting on your body.
Poop = progress as your baby moves through your body!
Beautiful Bacteria
Not only is it virtually unavoidable to experience a bit of birth poop in the process, it is actually beneficial for your baby.
Mother Nature is crafty. Some might think she is a bit nasty, but she actually designed the beautiful mess that is birth. Your baby’s face exits your body looking at your bumhole in most instances. Even if you haven’t just pooped, your entire vagina and anus are covered in a mix of beautifully beneficial bacteria for your newborn.
You can learn all about how this helps develop your baby’s microbiome here, but for now, just trust that poop is part of the process, not just a gross byproduct of it.
Birth Room Bathroom Basics
Here are a few things to keep in mind during the pushing or releasing phase of birth:
- You will usually have an absorbent pad either under you or in close proximity which works great for catching pee and poop spills. (yes, pee, you did see how close the bladder is to the birth canal didn’t you?)
- Every single person who works in a birth space, expects there to be poop, from birthing people and newborns alike.
- Not to get too graphic, but in most cases, it is just little turds here and there, not big, huge bowel movements.
- There are so many other fluids coming out of you, this is just part of the recipe.
- Many people will have no idea that they pooped. Nobody announces it!
- If you are pushing on the toilet to connect with your body, that is definitely a bonus.
- Your pelvic floor is connected – you cannot tighten your butt and release your vagina. Let it go, Elsa!
- Partners: Shut the hell up! Do not under any circumstances bely the fact that they are pooping as they push.
- If you are having a water birth, use little fishy nets as pooper scoopers.
- Everybody poops. EVERY BODY!