Enemas Before Childbirth

Agracier: True, but apparently studies show that, with an enema (perhaps only with the large volume, soapy ones that used to be common for childbirth), you have a risk of backflush. That is, some water does not come back when the lady goes to the loo, but later during childbirth. And it's much worse to have liquid excrement than solid. So it's not that great either.

As I said, my wife was advised to take a suppository and go poop before going to the maternity ward. No risk of backflush with that.

The whole question of fecal contamination of wounds during child birth is a moot point anyway. Any wound is thoroughly irrigated with sterile saline before it's repaired. Remember that the perineum is colonized by gut flora anyway all the time. Read the link I provided earlier for an exhaustive review of the subject. It's a scientific study. Everything else is just conjecture.

And isn't there some kind of Shakespeare quote about people being born amid 'blood, piss and shit' ? ... doesn't sound very hygienic ... if you can reduce at least one of the trio ... 😢 😢

Not Shakespeare but St Augustine: Inter faeces et urinam nascimur. (Nasty way of putting the human condition!)

Liquidsky: I think this is not so much a medical problem as a social problem. A woman in labour may be horrified to poop over the midwife, child and obstetrician, even if this has no medical adverse consequences, or may be anxious not to do so.

Plus, at least my wife tells me from personal experience, when one is pregnant, urges to poop or pee have a particular urgency (not enough room).

So I guess our maternity ward advised the glycerin suppository and pooping before going to the hospital rather for the mother's comfort and ease of mind rather than medical reasons.

(A comparison comes to mind: apparently, some people are horrified that physicians may see them with dirty underwear. This is of course silly, since physicians, especially those dealing with emergencies, see much worse things, but...)

(Another comparison comes to mind: my mother was horrified at the idea that somebody, especially a male, could see her peeing - as if she was the center of the attention of the universe. So if we were on a hike or road trip and she felt a strong urge to pee, she would resist all suggestions to go behind a bush, and would be obnoxious until reaching a real toilet. This is irrational.)

It used to be a common practice in the UK to administer an enema and shave the pubic region prior to childbirth. I'm not sure when the practice stopped but i'd say towards the end of the seventies and certainly before the mid-eighties. My sister-in-law gave birth twice in the mid to late seventies and she was given an enema and completely shaved on both occasions. When my wife gave birth in 1983 we had a visit to the maternity hospital with my wife's antenatal group and one of the midwives explained that all women booked under the consultant would be given an enema and shaved whilst those booked under the midwife would not. She was quite apologetic and said that although she didn't think it was necessary, the consultant was insistent. For the birth of our second child a couple of years later at the same hospital it was not even mentioned and the practice had been discontinued completely,

Oh no, haven't we flogged this dead horse enough? I myself am fed up to here with it! From what I know many women do fear defecation during labor. We just don't recommend enemas for the reasons previously noted. Some of the deliveries I've attended have been graced with poo. Nobody even cared. There were far more important things to be concerned about.

When my son was born in 1969, my wife was shaved and given an enema. I wish I had been there to watch, ha ha. When they were done, she pulled up the sheets to show me her shaved area. When she came home, she brought the plastic enema bucket as it was part of the cost, later, I used it many times. I used it on her once as a "surprise." I don't recall her getting upset about it, one morning she tried to use it on me. She has been gone for many years, but that bucket got used many times.

the hoseman1

Just to report an experiment: I prepared an enema a bit like what one sees in Call the Midwife (large, milky soapsuds).

Well... after maybe half a quart, maybe more, I just could not hold it, it was like my anus was opening by itself and my rectum was trying to expel the suds, so I had to run to the toilet or make a mess (things might have been easier if somebody had been here to hold the nozzle but my wife was away). I just cannot imagine of a woman nearly entering labour could withstand the full quantity.

Had enemas/shaving before children 1 and 2 (1977 and 1981). Did not have enema before #3 (1984), but was shaved. Neither for #4 (1992).

All four babies were born in different locales and hospitals, so not sure if this is indicative of change over time.

Two daughters, 1986 and 1989, no enema. Had GI "runs" at home before my first, so certainly didn't need an enema at the hospital.

When my ex girlfriend gave birth back in 1996 she got an enema. She was not asked. The midwife simply came with a small chemical enema (similar to a 4 oz Fleet). She was told to hold the enema for 10 minutes, but after around 5 minutes she ran to the toilet.

I guess it was the policy of the hospital with small enemas before birth. Actually the midwife said that it was just a small enema. Probably meaning that enemas were more than 4 oz in the past.

In general, I see enemas as a sexual issue, but before birth... No.

My wife had one before the birth of all 3 of our kids and put her off for life.

When my wife went in they didn't even ask. If she had asked then I'm not sure if they would have given one. If she had wanted one I would have been willing to give it to her at home right as things were getting started so it would have been as comfortable as possible. I don't think they're best done during active labor when the mom is all worked up, and I don't think they're necessary.

Like VikiV said my wife had many movements during prelabor because of the prostaglandins.

My ex-wife was given enemas before the birth of each of our children. In California, enemas were pretty small. In Indiana (#'2 & 3) she was given MUCH larger ones. This was all in the '70's. So apparently such things are somewhat regional.

I got to watch the last one (California), and that was given with a standard bucket, but the nurse told her she only needed to take as much as she could.

One nurse I knew gave enemas of about 2,000 cc's to all her OB patients (some midwestern state), and she always gave the full amount ordered. If the woman couldn't take it all at the first injection, she gave another.

Tha last lady I referred to was what one might call a very strict enema nurse. We did some online roleplay for a while with me as her giver, and she was a painslut.

So you can imagine what she might have been like when she "switched." Couldn't have been fun for the women she cared for.

In Russia and the post-Soviet countries, from the early Soviet era until the 2000's, an enema of approximately 2 liters of water was mandatory for all women in labor admitted to the maternity hospital, regardless of whether the woman wanted it or not.

It must be said that the knowledge of this fate almost always exacerbated the already nervous state of women before childbirth. Enemas in maternity hospitals were always administered with very cold water from the tap and right in the emergency room (the room where the woman in labor stayed between admission and transfer to the maternity ward). Many women (I've read about this on forums) recalled that, heading to the maternity hospital, they feared the enema even more than the birth itself! In the 2000's, the situation began to change.

The country was transitioning to new medical standards (including those aligned with Western ones), as a result of which the need for an enema before childbirth became controversial. Nowadays, enemas are no longer mandatory almost everywhere. A woman in labor may or may not request one upon arrival at the maternity hospital. Furthermore, with the availability of a large number of pharmaceutically available local laxatives (suppositories and microenemas with pre-made solutions), many prefer to use them. Moreover, such an enema can be administered in the comfort of home, before heading to the maternity hospital. Or after arriving, but still independently, rather than with a rude nurse.

Most of our women prefer this method now. Few completely forego bowel cleansing before childbirth. After all, everyone understands how important it is.

I was born in 1950, and for her entire life, my mother spoke with a mixed tone of dread and awe of the "big, big enema" she received prior to my birth. I was a C-section birth, and she would frequently tell me that story about "when you were born" and the enema story, and a reference to the large volume was always included and referred to as "a massive enema," "roaring enema," "huge, huge enema," in addition to "big, big, enema," in reference to the large volume. In those days, a standard "3H" enema was at least 2-quarts, but some nursing manuals from that period reference 3 and 4-quart enemas, and since my mother was chronically constipated and well known to the medical staff, my uncle delivered me, it would not surprise me if she was prescribed a 3-to 4-quart enema. Anyway, it left a lasting impression on her, and she was not a stranger to enemas. Gotta love the 50's! 😃

Enemas in Hospitals, were commonplace during the mid to late forties, when my siblings and I were born. Something, both mom and grandma told us about growing up. During that era, from what we were told. It didn't matter what you went in the Hospital for, you received an enema on admission. Something our mom wasn't a fan of, the enema that is, from what grandma told us.

Enemas in Hospitals, were commonplace during the mid to late forties, when my siblings and I were born. Something, both mom and grandma told us about growing up. During that era, from what we were told. It didn't matter what you went in the Hospital for, you received an enema on admission. Something our mom wasn't a fan of, the enema that is, from what grandma told us.

So even if you went in for a broken arm, they gave you an enema?

@DarkWuff said,

So even if you went in for a broken arm, they gave you an enema?

I'm only repeating, what I was told by mom and grandma seventy plus years ago. This much I can say, when I was twenty-five, I was in the hospital for a few days and never received an enema. However, being my grandmother was a retired Registered Nurse. I stronger suspect, what she told us, all those years ago was pretty accurate. Maybe not all admissions received an enema on entering the hospital, but I dare say, most did.

@DarkWuff

I don't know for sure, but I'd venture to guess that it all depended on the type of medical care provided and the patient's status at the medical facility. If a person simply came to the hospital for medical care and wanted to go home immediately or as soon as possible (as in the case of a broken arm), of course, no one would prescribe an enema; that would be absurd. But if a person was admitted to the hospital (for several days), regardless of their diagnosis - an enema might well have been prescribed among other procedures to make their stay within the hospital walls easier from a hygiene standpoint - both for the hospital staff and for himself.

Both my kids were born in the 80s. my wife was not subjected to enema/shave ritual.

My kids were born in the 70’s. Prior to the first, my mom warned me that I would probably get a big soapy enema while in the labor room. My first progressed slowly but eventually the nurse declared, “It’s time for your enema.” I was not afraid of the enema since I had been giving myself enemas for years. I got a Fleet enema. I don’t remember much about it because I had other things on my mind at the time. My second child was three years later and came so fast we barely made it to the hospital. No time for an enema or anything other than the necessary. When I was packing up to go home, the nurse put a Fleet in my bag. I asked why. She said every labor room kit has one and even though it was not used, I paid for it, so I might as well take it because some day I might need it.

It does seem that enema administration during labor/childbirth seemed to disappear in the late 70's or early 80's. Many ob/gyns were also aging out of their practices or being replaced by females who seemed more inclined to leave the option to the patient. I have commented many times that those enemas relative to labor and delivery, seemed to turn off many women to enemas as a simple procedure and pleasure. Perhaps, coffee enemas may trigger a change in attitude. It seems that most internet advocacy of the procedure, is mainly posted by a younger generation of female users.

I might add that the literature that we were provided back in the 70's and early 80's, was pretty specific, stating "you will be shaved and given an enema" upon admission. In the later 80's, the literature had changed. It now was stated that you will be "offered an enema", leaving it as an option.

For both the births of our two my wife received and enema, this was certainly pre dating the 1970s.

My standing joke is that there was a time in this country when if you went to the hospital, you got an enema about as quick as they now days ask for your insurance card. 😃

My ex-wife was a nurse and opted to take a quick enema at home (alone) at the onset of labor. Mid-70’s. My current wife did not take or recieve an enema for either of her labors/births. Mid-80’s.

I think there’s a similar thread someplace because I recall answering this before. I had my first kid in 82 in the charity ward of an urban hospital. I had an enema and was shaved. A very, very unpleasant experience. I had my next two at a different hospital with health insurance paying. No enemas, no shaving and a much better overall experience. 1984 and 1988 respectively.

@Cheryl77177 oh, boy a big soapy Fleet. 😃