# Do most births really involve "accidental dookie"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298 "2007-08-20T21:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/41 "2007-08-21T18:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] Why would anyone wear a glove on their face? Anyway bless ALL you women for going through the birth process so we can have families, and of course keep the human race going! [/QUOTE] [Degloving](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degloving) is a medical term. The site isn’t TMI, no pictures. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/42 "2007-08-21T19:16:19Z")
But…the anus dilates even during the contractions that don’t involve pushing. If you can’t feel an abdominal contraction, looking at the anus is one way to know that they’re still happening. Something I learnt in India where CTGs weren’t available, and we weren’t sure whether an obese lady was still in labour. Weird but true. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/43 "2007-08-21T19:37:58Z")
> [@](#): > > One midwife friend of mine claims that with practice, anyone can push the uterine/vaginal muscles without releasing the anal sphincters or squeezing the intestines, Well, maybe, but some of us would probably need a lot more practice than others ;). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/44 "2007-08-21T20:26:34Z")
I know I’d crap myself if I had to watch someone giving birth. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/45 "2007-08-21T22:54:19Z")
[QUOTE=irishgirl] But…the anus dilates even during the contractions that don’t involve pushing. If you can’t feel an abdominal contraction, looking at the anus is one way to know that they’re still happening. Something I learnt in India where CTGs weren’t available, and we weren’t sure whether an obese lady was still in labour. Weird but true. [/QUOTE] Very weird. I’ll ask her about it next time I see her. Maybe the outer isn’t dilating at the same time the inner two are open… ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/46 "2007-08-21T23:02:34Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] I know I’d crap myself if I had to watch someone giving birth. [/QUOTE] Me, too. They had a mirror set up so I could see, but I refused to put on my glasses. I’ll look at the kid when he’s presentable. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298/47 "2007-08-21T23:16:38Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] Why would anyone wear a glove on their face? [/QUOTE] [To break into show business?](http://www.woundedbird.com/mandel_howie/5427.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-births-really-involve-accidental-dookie/416298.md?page=2)