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The little surprises of childbirth
“I’m afraid to poop during childbirth”
All the midwives will confirm it to you, it happens to poop during childbirth. This small accident happens very frequently (about 80 to 90% of cases) when giving birth and is completely natural. Indeed, when the dilation of the cervix is complete, we feel an irrepressible urge to push. It is a mechanical reflex of the baby’s head which presses on the levators of the anus. Above all, do not hold back, you risk blocking the baby’s descent. Flare-ups are essential for giving birth to your child. Corn Sometimes women cannot hold their stools at this time, whether or not they are having an epidural. Because it causes relaxation of the sphincters, epidural anesthesia often involves uncontrolled defecation. Don’t worry, the medical staff are used to it and will take care of this little incident without you even realizing it. Besides, by the time this happens, you usually have other priorities to deal with. However, if you are concerned about this question, you can definitely take a suppository or make a enema when the contractions start. Note, however, that in principle, the hormones secreted at the start of labor allow women to have a bowel movement naturally.
In video: Do we always poop during childbirth?
“I’m afraid to pee while giving birth”
This event can also occur because the baby’s head presses on the bladder going down into the vagina. In general, the midwife takes care to empty it with a urinary catheter just before the expulsion in order to leave room for the baby. This gesture is systematically performed when the mother is on an epidural because the bladder fills up more quickly due to the products injected.
“I’m afraid of throwing up during labor”
Another inconvenience of childbirth: vomiting. Most of the time, they occur during labor, when the cervix is dilated to 5 or 6 cm. This is a reflex phenomenon that occurs when the baby’s head begins to dive into the pelvis. The mother then feels a high heart which makes her want to vomit. Sometimes it is when the epidural is put in that vomiting occurs. Some mothers have nausea throughout childbirth. Others only at the time of the expulsion, and some even say that throwing up relieved them and helped them relax just before the baby arrived!
The important thing in childbirth is above all to stop intellectualizing everything!
We must not forget that giving birth is a return to our state of mammals. In our societies, we tend to want everything to be under control and perfect. Childbirth is something else. It is the body that reacts and you have to know that you cannot control everything. A word of advice, let go!
Francine Caumel-Dauphin, midwife