The Truth About Pooping During Labor

It’s one of the most common worries pregnant women have—but almost no one wants to say it out loud: “What if I poop during labor?” Let’s talk about it. Because the truth is, pooping during labor is completely normal, fairly common, and not something to stress over.

In fact, experts estimate that about 50% of women poop during childbirth. So if you’re nervous about this happening to you, you’re definitely not alone. “It’s simple, birth is unpredictable,” says Kristin Revere, certified birth doula, the founder of Gold Coast Doulas, and co-author of the award-winning birth book Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby. You can plan and prepare, but some things might surprise you, like pooping. Let’s dig into why it happens, what to expect, and if you can avoid it. (Spoiler alert: You might not be able to!)

Do You Poop During Labor?

The short answer? Yes, you can. But that’s actually a good sign. During labor, your body is working hard to push your baby out, and the same muscles used to bear down during a bowel movement are also used during birth. Which is why it’s easy to pass stool while you’re pushing. Many other things happen during labor, like losing your mucus plug, cramping, and having flu-like symptoms, which Kristin lists out in her book, Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby—these are helpful to know about, too.

The good news is, pooping during labor is a sign your body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do. And here’s the thing. When you’re in the thick of labor, going through contractions and focusing on bringing baby into the world, you’re not going to care about poop. It’s probably not even going to be a thought in your mind mid-contraction. Truth is, most people don’t even realize it happened until after the fact—if ever.

Why pooping during labor is common

On top of all the pushing and bearing down going on, there are a couple other totally normal reasons pooping during labor can happen:

• Pressure. When your baby’s head descends into the birth canal, it puts pressure on the rectum, which can often lead to stool passing.
• Hormones. Labor hormones (specifically prostaglandins) can stimulate the bowels and lead to looser stools that are easier to pass. And if you’re already pushing? The stool might follow.
• Natural clearing. Sometimes, your body clears out the bowels naturally at the start of labor to make more room for baby’s exit.

All in all, it’s biology at work. Not a personal failure or something to be embarrassed about. This is a very normal part of the entire process.

What Happens If You Poop During Labor

If it happens, your labor and delivery nurses or midwives will handle it discreetly and quickly. And if you have a birth doula in the room too? They’ll still be right there with you, focusing on supporting you through it all. They’ve seen it hundreds, if not thousands, of times and don’t think much of it. If you pass a little stool during pushing, it’s cleaned up immediately. Usually, before you even notice it happened.

There’s no judgment, no commentary, no awkwardness. You really don’t have to do anything about it. Just keep breathing and concentrating, and let your birth team take care of everything else.

How Can I Avoid Pooping During Labor?

Sorry, but you really can’t avoid this one. Some women may try to eat lighter meals once labor starts or go to the bathroom in early labor, but there’s no guarantee you won’t poop. Trying to force this isn’t worth the stress. Remember, if you poop during labor, it just means you’re doing it right. Kristin says there is no formula to follow for birth—just learn to ride the waves and be in the moment.

Instead of focusing on how to prevent pooping during labor, try relaxing your jaw and breathing through contractions. Extra support, like massage, guidance on positional changes, pressure and counter-pressure, and reminders to rest, pee, and relax, from a certified birth doula, are also game-changers. Gold Coast Doulas offers in-person birth doula services and virtual birth classes to help support you, whether you’re in West Michigan or anywhere else in the world.

Kristin Revere, MM, CED, NCS, is a certified birth and postpartum doula and the founder of Gold Coast Doulas in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is also the co-host of Ask the Doulas Podcast and co-author of Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby.