Enema during labour??

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ozmerc

Registered User
Anyone else had any experience with this? I note that there are instructions to administer an enema on my admission letter to the hospital. As I thought this archaic practice was phased out some decades ago, it wasn't something I had even considered as a possibility! I am going to tell my doctor that I will refuse this procedure and the it's already been added to my birth plan. Is this normal practice for labouring women in Hong Kong hospitals?
 
I didn't get one with my first baby at Queen Mary. I didn't know you had to do that. I guess they want to empty your bowels before baby comes? I'm sure you can say you don't want one though.
 
You can refuse an enema. I put that in my birth plan. However, midwives will tell you that if your labor is progressing slowly and enema can actually have an effect of speeding it up in some cases. Anyway, there is no reason why you should have one--it also doesn't guarantee your bowels will be empty when it comes to labor. You'd have to go through at least a 1-hour colon cleanse in order to thoroughly clean out your bowels. An enema will only cleanse the lower part of your colon anyway.
 
i believe enemas used to be quite standard procedure in some places, but they aren't necessary. if you're going to have an 'accident' during labor, it'll happen regardless of the enema!
 
I think most people have "accidents" during labor. Isn't it better if the mess is less and have an enema?
 
No, Rani I don't agree. What women wants to arrive at a hospital in full blown labour and have to suffer that extra indignity? Not me, that's for sure. It could cause significant embarrassment and distress. Birth is messy (this isn't my first time, I've been there) and there isn't much that can be done to change that. I didn't have an enema with my first (unheard of where my son was born) and there were no issues.
 
OK totally understand. I went to the hospital after my waters broke, and wasn't in full blown labour, so having one wasn't a real issue for me either.
 
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I was never even offered one in either of my labours at QMH - and I had a similar situation to Rani - first time around, my waters broke and contractions didn't start, I ended up being induced the next day to prevent infection because my labour was not progressing naturally. I was in the labour ward for nearly a whole day (with nothing happening) so plenty of time for them to offer me one and they didn't. With my 2nd, I was induced via prostaglandin suppository a week past my due date (I could have chosen to wait another week or so but didn't for personal reasons). I again had my waters break before my contractions became strong or regular and then was induced with oxytocin - so again had plenty of time for an enema to be offered but it wasn't.

Just wondering, which hospitals DO offer enemas??
 
I'm not sure it's the hospitals that are ordering these - I noticed it as the only instruction on a letter from my private doctor the the private hospital. So in the absence of that instruction I'm sure it wouldn't even arise. I'm slightly annoyed that this instruction was added but not even discussed or mentioned to me first - but I'm going to bring it up next appointment when we discuss my birth plan. It is a procedure that can be refused in any case. I'm also going through the public system as a back-up and although I haven't asked them yet, I'm certain that they do not do it as a matter of course.
 
Ozmerc - my doctor at the same hospital as you are going also mentioned this although it was not a problem for me to refuse it in the birth plan. There were some elements of my natural birth plans that she did not agree with and we had to negotiate somewhat....but that was not one of them. Explain your position clearly and I am sure the doctor will be happy to comply with your requests. I also felt it unnecessary and explained why and my choice was respected.
 
For the public route, I don't think an enema is standard. I delivered at United Christian and there was no mention it either (and I was at the hospital for an entire day before I was induced like Nicole). Since others have shared their experience at other public hospitals, it appears that this seems to be a general policy in the public system.
 
I had both my kids at the Matilda. WIth my first, i was induced because baby was overdue. I was offered an enema by the midwife (an angel!) while i was in the beginning stages of labor and i took it. Went to the bathroom, wasn't messy and felt so relaxed after it and ready to push! (though it still took a while after that before i actually had to!)

WIth my second, also at the Matilda, i asked for one and was told there's no need. I was not happy. I was more conscious about pushing (but of course, had to push anyway to get my son out and stop the pain his head was causing me!).

In Matilda, a lot of how your birthing experience goes depends on the midwife you get in charge of you. With my first kid, my birth plan flew out the window and i put myself in the hands of the midwife! And was so glad i did. With my second, i was a bit more stressed because the midwife was more stern. And then a different midwife came on duty and went a different direction from the first! (I was in the labor room a looooong time!).

This is not to say anything bad about Matilda, love the place! Just saying every midwife has a different style.

Sorry if TMI or too long!
 
I had an enema (in Europe) when I was in the throes of labor. Imagine, I was in pain from the contractions and was undergoing an enema at the same time. Ended up having a C-section so it was unnecessary. Anyway, wanted to say that with the enema they make it sound a lot worse than it is.
 
I've read some literature about enema usage. If they're just giving you an enema because they want to avoid "a mess" then that's the wrong reason. If they suggest it to augment labor or to make you more comfortable, that would be a good reason to have one. Actually, your bowels do have an effect on labor (hence why some women feel an urge to go poo when actually the baby is coming down and they are nearing the pushing stage of labor). Same thing can be said of why having an orgasm can trigger labor contractions. All of the parts "down there" are so close together that sometimes women who have "stalled out" in labor (labor is not progressing) have an enema and it gets things going again. And as long as you aren't in major labor pain and are able to be touched then getting an enema shouldn't be a big deal--a properly done enema is painless and can be relaxing (when I'm really in the throes of labor, I don't want anyone touching me except my husband and it has to be a specific type of touch--I wouldn't even let them do fetal monitoring on me with a portable wand while I was having contractions as it was absolutely painful and distressing).
 
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