Does your facility still give enemas ?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I just wanted to know if the hospital you work for still gives enemas to maternity patients when they are admitted to labor and delivery. Is it good policy to administer them? Do you wish your hospital did? Is the enema just more mess and humiliation for the patient?

I'm not on my soap box, just want to know.

I guess the reason why I have questions and concerns is because I have had nurses and a OBGYN to make rude comments when I did poop while pushing. I can only imagine how they would have reacted had I accidently lost the contents of an enema!! One time it was not the pushing stage, but I had a very powerful contraction and was not able to tell the nurses I needed the bedpan. It is possible that I won't be delivering at that hospital this time, so maybe this time will be different.

After hearing these comments, I might would try the enema, since I have never had a real one before. I guess with my past experiences I am just a little sensitive.

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Caregiver1977- how rude of them! When I was in L&D, I actually get excited when my bad-pushing mom would finally have a little stool come out, it meant she was pushing correctly and we wouldn't be in thee forever!

Posting from my phone, ease forgive my fat thumbs! :)

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
I guess the reason why I have questions and concerns is because I have had nurses and a OBGYN to make rude comments when I did poop while pushing. I can only imagine how they would have reacted had I accidently lost the contents of an enema!! One time it was not the pushing stage, but I had a very powerful contraction and was not able to tell the nurses I needed the bedpan. It is possible that I won't be delivering at that hospital this time, so maybe this time will be different.

After hearing these comments, I might would try the enema, since I have never had a real one before. I guess with my past experiences I am just a little sensitive.

Well, it's just awful that they made rude comments to you. Like the previous poster, I always took it as a sign that we had some effective pushing going on. Granted, no sane person enjoys dealing with poop, but it is part of it sometimes.

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I work in a small hospital and we stopped doing that in about 1998. Some of my patients were terrified of getting an enema..and it definitely doesn't stop poop! If a patient nowadays is adamant about wanting one the doctor will order a fleets. Nobody wants to do a soap suds enema unless its a terrible case of constipation!

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Eek I would refuse! No way!

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