Poop
what’s poo got to do with it?
Birthing and poop have a lot more in common than you think.
You may have heard people say that giving birth is like taking a big poo. While comparing the birth of your child to a bowel movement might not be the most graceful imagery, it holds some fascinating truths…
So, why am I discussing birth and poop? What do these two bodily functions have in common?
It’s more than just the sensation of something being expelled from your body; it all comes down to our autonomic nervous system.
What is our nervous system?
The autonomic nervous system activates and relaxes our body while serving as a communication system between our mind and body. All natural bodily functions are governed by our nervous system. Our autonomic nervous system is built to act automatically. The mind and nervous system are complex mechanisms that pick up signals without us having to think consciously. That’s how it can work so quickly.
There are two branches of the autonomic nervous system that govern different functions: the parasympathetic (which we refer to as “the healing zone”) and the sympathetic (known as “the emergency zone”).
The Healing Zone
When the healing zone is activated, we are free from stress and tension, our muscles move easily, and feel-good hormones flow freely. Our bodies are in a state of repair and regeneration. This is why it’s called the healing zone. We can activate this state through relaxation. Birthing is a natural process best facilitated by a state of relaxation, just like sleep, going to the bathroom, or digesting a meal. These all are core functions of the parasympathetic nervous system.
The Emergency Zone
On the other hand, when we are stressed, our nervous system shifts into the emergency zone, causing us to tense up, preparing for defence against perceived threats. Blood diverts away from areas not needed for defence (the uterus and digestive tract are two functions NOT needed for defence).
Have you ever found it hard to poop when you were in a rush? Or felt embarrassed to use a public toilet? Or noticed how much easier it is to poop in a squatting position rather than sitting down?
There are some interesting things going on here and they all have to do with how the nervous system responds the environment. Read more about the relationship between environment - mind and body here. The fact is, it’s hard to poop when you’re feeling pressured to do so. Sitting down to poop also ends up closing off the pathway vs. opening it and forcing the bowel movement against taught tissues can lead to issues like hemorrhoids. Just look at the growing popularity of Squatty Potty devices to see how many people are recognizing this disconnect. This trend highlights how our environment and historical practices can lead us away from our body's rhythms and design.
The same can be said for birthing.
If we’re rushed in the process, feel forced into positions that contradict gravity and our body's physiology, or are nervous due to an unfamiliar or busy environment, it can make birthing difficult. In this scenario, the nervous system is most likely to shift away from the healing zone and into the emergency zone, interpreting environmental signals as indications that we are not safe.
What I want you to take away from this is NOT that birthing can only occur in serene, comfortable, and predictable conditions—every birth is unique and rarely predictable. And while the environment matters, and there are ways to promote a calmer atmosphere, the most powerful factor is learning to work with your nervous system so that it can support you when needed.
This means cultivating a practice of “CALM” to shift us away from our dominant pattern of “EMERGENCY.”
In fact, most people in modern society spend 95% of their day in the emergency zone and only 5% in the healing zone—ideally, this should be the reverse. Our health suffers as a result. Stress is designed to be useful; it signals that something is wrong and needs attention. However, when stress becomes chronic and dominates our functioning, it negatively impacts our organs, muscles, and systems—especially those involved in essential functions like digestion and reproduction (I write more about what’s happening in that process here).
While it seems counterintuitive, you have to take intentional action to get into the CALM zone. Our modern environment is filled with fear, stress, information overload, and pressure—ESPECIALLY during pregnancy and birth. Relaxing can require considerable effort at first…until it becomes easier. The more frequently you place your body in the desired state, the more likely you are to slip into it when it is needed, especially if birthing takes an unexpected turn. Achieving this isn’t always straightforward, especially in a world filled with noise, pressure, and stress. But I can help you get there.
How I can Help
Just like a personal trainer helps you get into shape and can be a motivating and supportive force in your wellness journey, as a HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator, I work like a coach, helping you to create a safe space to explore these practices, enabling you to access relaxation more easily while we are together so that during your home practice and when birthing time comes, you can more easily slip into this powerful healing zone, regardless of what is going on around you.
Birth is a natural process, and we have innate abilities within us. However, the noise of life can interfere with those abilities. And that is not our fault. It just is the context in which we are living and birthing.
you can absolutely learn to navigate through the noise and emerge on the other side feeling more confident and calm than you ever thought possible
I’m a self-proclaimed birth nerd, and I truly enjoy helping people find their own path through this experience. I believe the best gift you can give yourself is the opportunity to embrace this journey fully. Birth is the most intense transition in life and because of that it can be the most rewarding. It’s not something to fear but to embrace.
I believe in your capacity to birth with confidence and ease. This is a gift that will carry you through life.
The practice of calm helps us heal postpartum too, keeping our nervous system regulated amidst the ups and downs of early parenthood with a newborn. So that even after birth, we sleep and poop a bit easier too :)
I’d love to meet you.