# What else do pregnant women deliver? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597 "2009-12-17T04:19:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/1 "2009-12-17T04:19:49Z")
This is something I’ve wondered about for some time. I’ve watched the shows on Discovery TV about women who didn’t realize they were pregnant until right before they delivered their babies. Since these women are bearing down and expending a great deal of energy, do any other substances emerge, such as urine and feces? If so, how do health professionals deal with this? Since I don’t have any kids, I have no idea what happens? Any doctor dopers want to tackle this question? ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/2 "2009-12-17T04:29:53Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > This is something I’ve wondered about for some time. I’ve watched the shows on Discovery TV about women who didn’t realize they were pregnant until right before they delivered their babies. Since these women are bearing down and expending a great deal of energy, do any other substances emerge, such as urine and feces? If so, how do health professionals deal with this? Since I don’t have any kids, I have no idea what happens? Any doctor dopers want to tackle this question? Yes, all other substances emerge, and health professionals deal with it professionally. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/3 "2009-12-17T04:31:50Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > This is something I’ve wondered about for some time. I’ve watched the shows on Discovery TV about women who didn’t realize they were pregnant until right before they delivered their babies. Since these women are bearing down and expending a great deal of energy, do any other substances emerge, such as urine and feces? If so, how do health professionals deal with this? Since I don’t have any kids, I have no idea what happens? Any doctor dopers want to tackle this question? Catherization and an enema. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/4 "2009-12-17T04:32:43Z")
I read some waiting room magazine article about “things you didn’t know about pregnancy”, or something like that, and one of the things was… baby doesn’t come out alone. Specifically, the bowels contract along with the uterus. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/5 "2009-12-17T12:28:59Z")
Medstar? Don’t they cover that in training? I’ve been to lots of births, including all five of my sons here at home. It seems pretty common practice for most women to void before giving birth, as I’ve never seen any instances of feces or urine. Once the waters break to lube the passage, and the baby emerges, you’ll likely see a bit of blood. Sometime after the baby, the placenta is born, along with the rest of the cord. Almost all the births I’ve been to were home births though and the mothers were free to move around and use the toilet as they wished. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/6 "2009-12-17T12:44:50Z")
Just to agree with **bare** , I was present for the birth of both our kids and no problem with feces or urine - just baby, some blood and mucus, and then afterbirth. Both hospital births (in the UK) but again mother free to wander around the room and go to the loo as needed. It’s possible Mrs Marcus had had an enema or laxatives to clear things out early in the process but I don’t remember after 20 odd years. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/7 "2009-12-17T12:53:46Z")
In our case, Pepper Mil delivered Baby along with a rich mix of fluids that doubtless included amniotic fluid, blood, mucus, and other Lovecraftian-adjectived things. Plus the afterbirth. I’m sure that Pregnant women can deliver other things, like pizza, chinese food, and chicken, but with the way they waddle, I’d allow more than half an hour. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/8 "2009-12-17T12:55:00Z")
I guess I did an eight year stint as an EMT too and experienced lots and lots of feces and urine. Didn’t faze me in the least that I recall, but then I’d changed a lot of diapers by then. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/9 "2009-12-17T13:40:22Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Catherization and an enema. Catheterization and enema are rarely done for routine deliveries. We docs just wear those little paper booties on our shoes to keep them clean. And it’s mostly blood, amniotic fluid, and fetal stool (meconium) we have to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/10 "2009-12-17T14:06:55Z")
Obligatory Scrubs quote: “You’ll fart, poop, pee, and scream, all in front of ten complete strangers, all of whom are staring intently at your vagina, which, by the way, has an 80 per cent chance of tearing.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/11 "2009-12-17T14:16:49Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > We docs just wear those little paper booties on our shoes to keep them clean. I’ve been present for the birth of my two kids, as well as a foal. The booties wouldn’t have helped with the foaling.😛 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/12 "2009-12-17T14:51:25Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Catheterization and enema are rarely done for routine deliveries. They gave my wife an enema all 3 times. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/13 "2009-12-17T15:20:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve been present for the birth of my two kids, as well as a foal. The booties wouldn’t have helped with the foaling.😛 That’s what hip waders are for. ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/14 "2009-12-17T15:28:55Z")
> [@howye](#): > > Obligatory Scrubs quote: “You’ll fart, poop, pee, and scream, all in front of ten complete strangers, all of whom are staring intently at your vagina, which, by the way, has an 80 per cent chance of tearing.” I only had 5 people standing around staring at my vagina. I have to say, though, that in my fuzzy state at that point, it reminded me of an X-Files scene where a group of aliens are gathered around someone’s bed just before they either abduct them or perform some horrible probe. I remember chuckling at the idea between the contractions and trying to catch my breath. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/15 "2009-12-17T15:37:44Z")
Scrubs childbirth [PSA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sbLHbxq3i0) ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/16 "2009-12-17T15:42:51Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > I only had 5 people standing around staring at my vagina. I have to say, though, that in my fuzzy state at that point, it reminded me of an X-Files scene where a group of aliens are gathered around someone’s bed just before they either abduct them or perform some horrible probe. I remember chuckling at the idea between the contractions and trying to catch my breath. The hospital my wife was at had a nursing teaching program. At one point the doctor asked if he could have a group of students come in and watch a procedure that was not done very often. It was not an emergency and we had nothing to worry about, so we said yes. What happened next, my wife does not remember. I DO remember turning around to see about 20 nursing students staring at my wife’s netherlands. Of course there is much about that night that she does not remember, and I vividly do. The wonder of drugs. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/17 "2009-12-17T16:02:08Z")
My wife pooped both times. If you weren’t watching you wouldn’t even notice it happened and in the process of pushing she had no idea it happened. They had a stack of absorbent diaper like pads that she was laying on, and when the poop came out the Dr just quickly rolled it up and moved it aside so the next pad was there. My favorite part was the way the Dr would “suit up” right when the head was visible and ready for the last few pushes. Suddenly she went from normal green scrubs to full facemask/gloves/etc in like 5 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/18 "2009-12-17T16:40:35Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > They gave my wife an enema all 3 times. That experience is not typical for US deliveries these days. Where did she deliver, and how long ago? ---
**Author:** ![TerpBE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@TerpBE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerpBE)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/19 "2009-12-17T17:33:57Z")
From the one birth I was present at, the nurse puts a disposable paper-y sheet under the woman’s hips, and replaces it as often as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597/20 "2009-12-17T18:08:31Z")
> [@howye](#): > > Obligatory Scrubs quote: “You’ll fart, poop, pee, and scream, all in front of ten complete strangers, all of whom are staring intently at your vagina, which, by the way, has an 80 per cent chance of tearing.” > [@Crawlspace](#): > > Scrubs childbirth [PSA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sbLHbxq3i0) Damn! I was beaten to it! I know someday when I give birth, I’ll be thinking of this… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-pregnant-women-deliver/521597.md?page=2)