Why don’t we talk about Poo?!

Thank you so much for your positive responses to my blogs so far! I must admit, the little birdie (if you don’t know who I’m on about see week one) was right – I enjoy doing them! Here’s the most anticipated blog I’ve done yet (I’m sure!) – Why don’t we talk about poo?!

“MUUUUUUUMMMMMMM I need a poo!!!!!” The words I have heard many times both aimed at me and also from other toddlers to their mums. So how do we get from that – a toddler just talking about what happens naturally, to an adult who barely even mentions it – unless there is a problem and then rather than chat to a friend or family member they probably phone their doctor.

1987 – assembly in infant school and all of a sudden as the head teacher is telling us their wise words for the day “PARRRRRP” from one of the boys in my class. Everybody, and I mean every child in that hall turned around laughing and pointing at him. I still remember that boys name, what he was wearing and how far away I was sitting even to this day. I remember the teachers hushing us all, I can remember some of the teachers blushing and I can remember the boy being called “poop pants” for a long time afterwards. This is why we don’t talk about it – society teaches us that pooing or pooping/trumping/farting (whatever name you want to give it) is something to be embarrassed about. It’s not. 

Pooing is something we all do, look at a baby – they eat, poo, sleep, eat, poo, sleep……. and repeat. What changes? We have to learn bowel control to get around in modern society, we are asked to wait until we are on the potty when we are a toddler. Then we get to school and we are asked to wait until break time. We are made to wait until our schedule allows us to have a toilet break. This combined with us being led to believe by those around us that toilet habits are an embarrassment is why we don’t talk about poo!

But we should be able to, as much as we can talk about what we had for dinner yesterday;  we should be able to talk about our poo! When you come and visit me for a colonic I invite you to be open and honest with me, nothing you can say or do will shock me. As I have alluded to, I am a mum and I have also been a midwife so I am unshockable! I will listen, empathise and support you to understand the gut and have a more positive relationship with it. 

I challenge you to help me tackle this taboo and make it ok for us to talk about poo!

Until next time,

Emma 

Xx