This is something that many of my clients worry about. At the time of delivery, the baby's head occupies 100% of the available space in your pelvis, which means that any poop in your colon will simply be pushed out with your baby. And that's NORMAL.
_The body does a couple things to minimize this..._
Before labor and in early labor, a hormone called relaxin prepares the pelvis to be flexible but also speeds up the digestive system. Soft poop or light diarrhea in the late days of pregnancy are a sign this is working.
Then, during labor, the body slows the digestive system down (it is busy with other things), meaning less of what you eat in the day before or during labor will make it to your colon before baby is born.
_What can you do to minimize this? _
Be well-hydrated and get fiber in your diet. Fruit is really good at doing both. Being induced may shorten your body's preparations, increasing the food in your system during labor - fear of pooping should not be a reason not to have an induction if there is a concern for your or your baby's safety. Spend time on the toilet during early and active labor. Poop if it happens, don't strain or stress if it doesn't.
When poop comes out during pushing, all of us supporting (nurses, doctors, and doulas) get excited because we know that the pushing efforts are moving BABY. The poop is just our outward sign of that.
It may also be helpful to recalibrate your imagination for the kind of poop - no one poops a big ol' cigar while pushing out their baby. We're talking little pebble poops. Dry, because the digestive system has been slowed, and small. Nurses are always on the look out and they swipe it away with a clean cloth before anyone has a chance to notice it. The most I've ever seen was maybe 2-3 thumb-sized pieces. Tops. And if there's any smell, it doesn't linger.
And by the time the baby's head is visible, the colon is empty and there's no more poop.
So when it comes time to push your baby out, I hope you don't hold back for fear of a little poop!