If you had Forceps 1st time- What happened 2nd time?

[lemonbonbons]

Hi all,

I'm de lurking for my first post.

I had a forceps delivery 3 years ago - my notes say 'failure to progress' and the baby and turned sideways on. The whole 'giving birth' expierience was horrendous and I thought the care at the hospital was terrible.

Afterwards I had an awful time- my episiotomy stitches came away completely and got infected. I had to return to the hospital for weeks afterwards for 'packing' of the wound and had problems with toilet control. I also got post natal depression.

I'm now 27 weeks pregnant with No 2 - I am at a loss as to what to do regarding the birth. The midwife has suggested I might look at having a C Section- as I'm so scared of having problems 'down there' when another comes out. I have a consultants appointment as 36 weeks to discuss this option.

If you had a forceps delivery with one of your children- what happened when you had the next ?

[Bunsouttheoven]

Didn't have forceps 1st time round but ventouse (several attempts), episiotomy etc (I have small frame, little hips, size 4 feet!)

2nd time natural, unaided birth in pool with much larger baby ( 9lb 12oz ). Much better birth experience, it can happen.

[Mmmango]

I also had a much better time 2nd time round - did lots of optimal foetal positioning stuff, baby was in a good position and labour was straightforward (and the contractions didn't hurt nearly as much as with posterior birth the first time). Still needed an episiotomy in the end, but it was fine. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[SmallShips]

Forceps first time - baby turned back to back just before labour started. Hideous.

Second time was a gas and air, natural birth, baby again turned to back to back, but the whole experience was lovely in comparison.

[lemonbonbons]

Thank you for your replies so far.

bunsouttheoven- 9lb 12 OMG ! I am encouraged by the water birth- and if I do go for a vaginal birth I think I would def use the pool.

I would like to try and have the baby as naturally as possible- but I just know if ANYTHING happens- like they mention it's the wrong way, the baby seems distressed ,or I'm going to need to be cut etc- I will go into absolute panic mode, probably be hysterical and this is not the best way to be when giving birth!!!

Waswondering - interesting you say recovery was faster with C section. If the C section went smoothly .i.e. no infections or anything. I think the recovery would def be faster than my first.

[lemonbonbons]

smallships + others who went for a natural birth -were you panicing about giving birth the second time (or considering a c section) or did you feel okay about everything from the start ?

Thanks again for your views

[SilveryMoon]

My first was a forcep delivery. He was back to back and I'd been pushing for a couple of hours and he wasn't coming!
I had baby number 2 18 months later.
2nd time I just had gas and air and it was fine. I mean it was painful, but no more than how you'd expect child birth to be iyswim. The scars from where I had been cut tore again, but healed fine.

I was a bit panicy from the start about delivery and the closer to the due date I got, the more I worried about if I'd be able to get him out.
My consultant told me I might find the second one easier as my body would know bertter what it was doing.

Goodluck

[solo]

I had Kiellands forceps with my first baby after labouring in a pool for 12 hours. Ds was looking to my left and I just couldn't get him past my pelvis because of it. Had episiotomy which tore open every time I had sex and was so sore and painful for over a year.
8 years later I had my Dd and only got into the pool about 20 minutes before she was born much to my annoyance(so no softening of the area etc), but I got away with just a graze and it was fine.

[meandmaisie]

I had a forceps delivery 9 weks ago with my first and it was horrible, although my stitches healed very well and i've had no problems or pain when having sex after. It's really made me think twice about having any more children though.

[abroadandmisunderstood]

I had almost word for word the same birth experience as you. I was advised to not attempt natural birth again as the slight incontinence issues would almost certainly be worse. I had elective CS second time round.

[solo]

But they can sort out the continence issues. I think I'd sooner have a forceps delivery than a cs which is major.

[jabberwocky]

Did not have forceps delivery but very traumatic experience with ds1. I went with an elective section for ds2. It was really nice and I recovered quite quickly. Ironically, dh and my mother came down with a terrible d&v bug a couple of days after I gave birth so came home and took care of myself, ds1 and ds2 and did fine!

err, I left dh and my mother to take care of themselves!

[kittykat77]

I had forceps first time round - and recovery was horrendous. Was a little worried with my 2nd (understatement!) but he was fine and no complications - bigger baby but managed with only G&A. Felt completely recovered in less than a week!

Am now 22 weeks with my 3rd, so hoping for a repeat of my 2nd birth...!

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

had ventouse the second time

[ahedgehogisdueinMarch]

forceps with ds, episiotomy etc - labour was less than 12 hours start to finish but he got stuck and was too far down for a cs at that point.
2nd labour 4 hours from waters to DD arriving - used gas and air and pethidine but much nicer experience.
mw suggested home birth if we decide to go for number three!!!

[mitochondria]

I had forceps first time. Sort of inevitable consequence of a chain of events starting with induction and ending up with me too knackered to push the boy out.

As you said, aftercare in the hospital was non-existent. I couldn't sit down properly for weeks but had no permanent problems, thankfully.

Second time was much much better. I decided on a homebirth - my GP had an issue with that after a forceps birth but the midwife reassured her that 'twas not an issue.

Son 2 was born at home, no problems at all.

In my case, I came to the conclusion that the reason I needed the forceps first time was that they had me strapped to a bed with monitors, having kept me awake for three days because they were too busy to do the induction properly. So I decided that if I stayed out of the hospital I'd be fine.

Obviously that's not the case for everyone.

[pinkmook]

Had almost the same experience as you first baby was 9lb 7oz, forceps, episiotomy, PPH, stitches split/got infected ended up having to use vaginal dilators given to me by gynaecologist 2.5 years later in order to be able to have sex again without pain. Am having an elective c section for no2 (8 years later!!) as im worried that baby 2 will be even bigger (family history suggests so) I am a size 8, size 4 feet and small pelvis so just cant contemplate ever going through that again it took around 3.5 years for me to feel normal again. Even if the c section hurts and is difficult the thought of not being able to use the toilet, have sex or sit down for mpnths/years means i do not believe it could be any worse. Having said that I know its major surgery and I am very nervous about having it done but I cant risk a repeat performance

[BalloonSlayer]

Gate-crashing this thread a bit as have not had forceps but I am at solo's comment: "I think I'd sooner have a forceps delivery than a cs which is major. "

Yes CS is a major operation but it does not leave you with continence problems, pains in the vagina and an inability to have sex (albeit hopefully only temporarily).

Forceps sound barbaric to me, although of course I can understand why their use is necessary - the baby needs to come out and fast.

I know a lot of people say "a c-section is not the easy option." However my three c-sections were doddles (first emergency, others elective). What other posters have described above sounds like torture and I remain eternally grateful that I was spared it.

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

Forceps first time after long and hideous labour when ds1 became distressed. I had no after-care either. They sent me home with a packet of paracetomol fgs I had no idea what it was supposed to feel like and was in absolute agony for weeks. I ached for months afterward, especially when I'd been standing a while.

Second time vaginal delivery, quite quick and nowhere near as painful. DS2 weighed in at 10lb 7oz!!

Forceps are hideous and I've since had some gynae prolapse problems which I strongly believe to be related to the forceps delivery.

I hope your birth goes okay op and meandmaisie give yourself some time. It took me along time to heal mentally and physically after DS1's birth but it does get easier

[meandmaisie]

Also my dd's head was a mess after i had forceps, she had several large scratches down both sides of her face and two indents in her skull one of which is still there 9 weeks later.

Had to be done though as dd had pooed inside me and had to be delivered quick.

[NoahAndTheWhale]

I had forceps when DS was born - his heartrate dropped and they needed to get him out quickly. I then had a PPH of 1500ml, got sewn up in theatre and a blood tranfusion the next day. All in all not a great birth experience.

DD was born 22 months later; I was pretty nervous about it but had a vaginal birth again; I had a small graze but that was it. Was also great feeling the head crown which I didn't experience with DS.

[Lovethesea]

solo - they can't sort out all continence problems. Some just don't fix. See the sphincter injury from childbirth thread in General health.

I have longterm bladder damage and v.weak pelvic floor after rotational forceps to get DD out 16 months ago. Did all the good positioning stuff during the pregnancy and labour, just gas and air, went into labour myself 12 days over, got to 10cm quickly, no reason to get stuck but she did. Facing sideways and then emergency in theatre with forceps as heartrate crashed. Horrific pain in labour and total exhaustion. In hospital for 6 days before bladder settled enough to be let home.

This time (am 26 weeks) I am choosing an elective. If my bladder worsens I will have a lot to deal with, but my big fears are bowel incontinence (don't have at present) either from more tears from forceps or tears from fast birth.

I don't want a cs but I am already weak in vaginal and bladder area so want to avoid more stress there. I don't plan on any more kids after this #2 so I would rather have scars in a different area.

Couldn't have sex for 5-6 months after last time, very painful. Had lots of appointments with gynae and urogynae for months after. Saw physio right up until I was pregnant again!

[TheCrackFox]

I had an elective CS for DS1 (he was breech) and I had a back to back forceps delivery for DS2.

The recovery for the CS was an absolute walk in the park. However, I was actually very bitter about how long it took me to recover from my forceps delivery. I was lead to believe that it is always so much easier to recover from any kind of vaginal delivery and it bloody well isn't. It took me a good year to heal physically and emotionally after having DS2.

[missmapp]

I had forceps with ds1, he was back to back, turned en route and got stuck, with ds2 i needed no intervention at all, had natural , normal delivery, I did need a few stitches but felt SOOOOOOOOOOO much better after having him I practically skipped out of the labour room ( as apposed to crawling out after ds1!!)

Good Luck

[solo]

Yes, I wasn't considering the sphincter injuries ~ apologies.

I had more continence problems after my second non invasive delivery including bowel which was not pleasant, but I'd still want to avoid a cs...