Is It True?? (A Series): "Everyone Poops During Birth"

When people know you're pregnant, they love to tell you absolutely everything they think you don't know/should know/want to know -- whether or not you ask. 

As a result, you've probably heard: "everybody poops during birth." But is it true??

Answer: Almost true. 

Clarification: The untrue part of this everyone-loves-to-share bit of information is the "everybody." It is not true that absolutely everyone who gives birth will poop during the process. It is true that many, if not most, will pass some stool during the process of pushing during birth. 

Further Explanation: If you look at a diagram of the female reproductive system, the vagina and the rectum are close neighbors. If there is any waste (stool/poop) sitting in your rectum at the time you give birth (which is very common and normal), that waste will be squeezed out as a result of the pressure of baby's head and body passing through the vaginal opening -- there's simply no ability for the rectum to maintain its contents! It's kind of like what might happen if you stepped slowly on a full tube of toothpaste with the cap off. 

All joking aside, birth involves many normal bodily functions and fluids. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of these functions, but it can feel horrifying to find out that something typically reserved for the privacy of a bathroom may happen in front of other people and without your choice in the matter. If you do pass stool during birth, it is almost always cleared and cleaned almost instantly by medical staff attending your birth. No one will announce that it happened and if your partner is with you, they may not even know it happened. If you think it may help put you at ease, consider talking to your partner well before birth and asking them not to mention anything to you if it happens, either in the moment or afterward. 

It used to be routine in hospitals to receive an enema prior to birth in order to clear out the rectum to avoid passing poop during birth. Enemas are no longer routine. You can still voluntarily request to have an enema, but keep in mind that having an enema does not guarantee that there will be nothing in your rectum during the time of birth and also, an enema can cause additional and unnecessary discomfort during labor. 

If the fear of pooping during birth is all-consuming and causing an overwhelming amount of distress, talk to your care provider and consider also talking to a counselor or therapist about your fears.