Understanding assisted birth: what are your options?

Birth has a way of reminding us that life’s biggest milestones don’t always unfold the way we think they will. Many soon-to-be parents prepare for birth with thorough research and a well-thought-out plan of how they’d like their baby to enter this world. 

But the unpredictability of labour means even the best-laid plans may have to shift in an instant, and knowing your assisted birth options ahead of time can make the whole experience a lot less stressful.

In fact, Maternal Newborn Health Innovations (MNHI) places strong emphasis on antenatal education, recognising that “informed women feel more confident, prepared, and involved in their birth experience.”

Resources such as patient guides and educational videos - developed using feedback from women themselves - aim to provide clear, balanced information about assisted birth, helping parents understand what to expect and feel more in control of their birth experience.

What is an assisted birth?

An assisted birth is when healthcare professionals use tools like a ventouse or forceps to help your baby make their way into the world. 

It can sound scary, but it’s actually pretty common and usually safe for both mum and baby. Around one in eight people will have an assisted vaginal birth, with the number rising to one in three for first-time parents. If you’ve had a vaginal birth before, your chances of needing an assisted one are usually lower.

Assisted births are pretty common - around one in eight people will have one

When is an assisted birth recommended?

Devices may be recommended when labour isn’t progressing as expected or when the baby needs to be born more quickly. This might include situations where:

• Your baby is showing signs of distress

• Labour has slowed down or stopped, especially in the pushing stage

• The mother is very tired and unable to continue pushing effectively

• There is a medical reason where it would be safer to help the baby out sooner

The aim is always the same: supporting a safe birth for both mum and baby. 

What are the most common tools used in assisted births and how do they work?

Forceps

Forceps are curved instruments that are placed around the baby’s head to help guide the baby out during contractions. They can speed up delivery if labour stalls and, when used correctly by an experienced clinician, are a safe and effective tool. They can cause temporary marks or bruising to the baby and, in rare cases, nerve injuries. 

For parents, there are circumstances when tearing, bleeding or pelvic floor injury occurs, but these are also rare. If you’re giving birth before 36 weeks, forceps are often recommended as a baby’s head is softer at this stage, and the method is less likely to cause injury.

Ventouse

Ventouse refers to a vacuum-assisted birth and involves a soft or rigid cup placed on the baby’s head to create suction that helps guide them out during contractions. It’s generally considered less invasive than forceps and is associated with a lower risk of tearing. 

The suction can cause temporary swelling or bruising to the baby’s head, as well as carry risks of vaginal tearing or bleeding to the mother. But if performed by an experienced clinician, these risks are fairly low.

OdonAssist

The OdonAssist is a newer tool for assisted birth and uses an air-inflated sleeve that’s placed gently around the baby’s head. The inflation allows for traction to help the clinician guide the baby out. It’s perceived by women as less invasive than both forceps and ventouse¹, and has also been associated with a reduced risk of baby head injury.

More about the OdonAssist, with insight from UK obstetricians

To help make sense of it all, we spoke to UK obstetricians who have used the OdonAssist in real-life births. Drawing on their clinical experience, Dr Emily Hotton, Dr Elena Greco and Dr Carolyn Warrington explain how it works, how it differs from other tools and what you can expect if it’s used during labour.

From L to R, Dr Carolyn Warrington, Dr Elena Greco and Dr Emily Hotton

What is the OdonAssist and how does it work during birth?

The OdonAssist is a soft inflatable device that, along with maternal effort, helps guide the baby through the birth canal if extra support is needed during the final stage of labour. 

Forceps work by applying them around the baby’s head to allow direct guidance and traction. Ventouse devices use suction applied to the baby’s scalp to create a point of traction for assisted delivery. In contrast, OdonAssist uses a sleeve with a soft inflatable air cushion that is positioned around the baby’s head while still in the birth canal. Once inflated, this creates a circumferential, cushioned grip, allowing the clinician to gently guide the baby out in coordination with uterine contractions and the mother’s own pushing efforts.

How is it different from forceps or ventouse?

Traditionally, assisted births have involved forceps or ventouse. The OdonAssist has been designed as a gentle option. Rather than using metal blades or suction, it uses a soft cushion of air evenly distributed around the baby’s head to help guide the baby out. The aim is to provide a gentle option when assistance is needed during birth.

If the device doesn’t work as intended, it simply slides off.  This was highlighted in research as a potential safety feature as no cases of harm were reported from the device sliding off.²

Is the OdonAssist safe for both mum and baby?

Early research suggests that the OdonAssist is a safe option for both mum and baby. Studies including ASSIST³ and ASSIST II⁴ found no serious complications linked to the device at the time of birth.

In fact, babies delivered using the device had little or no bruising or swelling of the head, apart from what happens naturally during birth. The ASSIST II study found that only 4% (3/69) of successful OdonAssist births involved minor device-related effects, compared with 20% and 23% in babies who needed another device or caesarean birth to complete their birth.⁴

Mothers in trials also reported positive experiences, with generally low postnatal pain scores.^2-4 For many women, the experience still feels reassuring and hands-on:

“I still felt like I was doing it myself… I still had to push with contractions and do my bit.”

What to expect during an assisted birth

If labour stalls, your obstetrician or midwife should have a conversation with you about the reasons why they believe an assisted birth is necessary, and talk you through the type of instruments to use and how the birth will be carried out. They will usually conduct a vaginal exam with your consent to see how far the labour has progressed and check the baby’s position.

Unless you’ve already had an epidural, you will be given a local anaesthetic to numb your vagina, as well as the perineum, which is the area between the vagina and anus. 

The medical team may recommend an episiotomy, which is a small cut to the vagina that can help make birth easier by creating more space. It sounds scary, but it can reduce the risk of tearing, and you won’t feel it thanks to anaesthetic. The team will also attach a catheter, which is a small tube, to your bladder to drain it, but you won’t feel any pain from this either.

While assisted births can involve a bit of extra aftercare, you should still be able to enjoy immediate skin-to-skin, and your partner can often cut the cord too.

The OdonAssist has been designed as a gentle option for assisted births

What would I experience if OdonAssist is used?

Your experience will depend on your pain relief, but the device can be used even without an epidural. As Dr Emily Hotton notes, it has been used comfortably with just gas and air in some cases.⁵

Women who took part in UK clinical trials reported relatively low pain levels after birth, with median scores of four on day one, dropping to one by day 28 (ASSIST II study).⁴

One participant described the experience as: “It felt pain free in regard to the difference between them inserting the OdonAssist and the pain of labour, there was no difference when they inserted the OdonAssist as to when they didn’t.”

Another said: “I didn’t feel any big movements inside or anything which would really signal the OdonAssist was actually being used.”

What is the aftercare like for an assisted birth?

The tools used for assisted birth are all safe methods for delivery, so you may not require any more aftercare than a typical vaginal birth. 

Episiotomies will be carefully repaired with stitches, as will any tearing. Vaginal tears involving the muscle or wall of the anus or rectum are known as a 3rd or 4th degree tear and will also require stitches. 

An assisted birth can also heighten the chance of blood clots in the veins in your legs or pelvis, but you can reduce the risk by moving around. You may also be asked to wear special anti-clotting stockings or given injections of heparin, which work to reduce the risk of clots by thinning the blood.

You may struggle with urinary incontinence after an assisted birth, but your medical team will likely offer physiotherapy as well as advice on pelvic floor exercises.

You may also need a catheter after labour to help drain your bladder. This is usually only needed for up to 24 hours and is more common if you’ve had an epidural, as sensation in the bladder may not have fully returned, making it harder to recognise when you need to go.

Are there ways to reduce the chances of having an assisted birth?

Nothing is certain, but you may have more success if you stay active in your pregnancy, have a straightforward pregnancy without health complications, avoid an epidural, stay upright during labour and resist the urge to push until your cervix is fully dilated.⁶

It’s important to remember that the need for an assisted birth is not the result of anything you’ve done wrong. Try to focus on welcoming your baby safely, while also prioritising your own wellbeing. 

Assisted births don’t always succeed, and if that happens, the team may recommend an emergency C-section. The word “emergency” can sound alarming, but it simply means the procedure wasn’t booked in ahead of time. C-sections are safe, and many people find recovery much more manageable than expected.

Will I need an assisted birth for my next labour?

There are no guarantees, but the stats show that up to 9 in 10 people who have an assisted birth welcome their next baby without help, but all birthing options are open to you and can be discussed with your maternity team.

How to talk to your midwife or doctor about assisted birth tools

It’s always a good idea to talk to your midwife or doctor ahead of labour about your birth plans and decide what you’d like to aim for, while still being open to other eventualities.

You will likely have a midwife appointment during your pregnancy to discuss a birth plan, so come prepared with questions about the possibility of assisted birth and what it will entail.

It’s often encouraged to adopt the BRAINS acronym when approaching your birthing options. It stands for:

Benefits: What are the pros to this procedure or intervention?

Risks: What negative outcomes could I be facing?

Alternatives: Are there other options I could consider?

Instinct: You may not be a medical professional but this is your pregnancy and your baby, so listen to your gut if something is telling you it’s not right

Nothing: Understand the full risks of doing nothing and avoiding birth assistance. What could happen if you opt to let labour progress without interventions?

Second opinion: Is it worth getting a second opinion? Discussing options with someone else may help you decide what’s best.

During labour, your midwives and doctors will explain assisted birth options and get your full consent before proceeding. Plans can change, and even if you had a clear vision for your birth, remember that staying flexible is key. The most important thing is keeping you and your baby safe.

Is the OdonAssist available on the NHS? 

OdonAssist began to be used in the UK during the summer of 2025 after many research studies and safety checks. Several maternity hospitals are already using it, and many more are interested. 

If you’re pregnant and want to know more, you can ask your midwife or obstetrician whether your hospital uses OdonAssist and what options might be available to you if you need help during birth.

The most important thing during birth is keeping you and your baby safe

Frequently asked questions about assisted birth

Are assisted births common? 

Yes. For first-time births, it’s thought one in three will need assistance. One in eight people will require assistance during labour in their lifetime.

Is one method safer than another?

All methods of assisted labour are considered safe when performed by an experienced clinician, however, the OdonAssist is a newer tool and is credited with reducing the risk of baby injury.

Can I refuse a certain tool during labour?

Medical staff must get your consent so be sure to discuss options in-depth and also educate yourself on the tools used in assisted labour ahead of time.

Can I include tool preferences in my birth plan?

Yes, you can. But it’s important to remember that the medical team may believe a certain tool is more efficient for your circumstance, so be open to their advice.

How soon after an assisted birth can I recover?

Every recovery is different, but with minimal tearing or cuts and depending on the need for assisted birth, you may be able to go home on the same day you deliver. Most women stay in hospital for a night or two. Once home, remember to take it easy for a few weeks.

About the experts

• Dr Emily Hotton: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Resident Doctor, researcher and educator specialising in intrapartum research. She completed a PhD on the OdonAssist and is a Master Trainer supporting its global rollout.

• Dr Elena Greco: Consultant Obstetrician in Maternal and Fetal Medicine at The Royal London Hospital and senior academic at Queen Mary University of London. She was the first UK clinician to use the OdonAssist in routine practice and now trains others in its use.

• Dr Carolyn Warrington: Consultant Obstetrician in Manchester and MNHI trainer. She has used the OdonAssist in practice and is a strong advocate for personalised maternity care and informed choice.

About MNHI

Maternal Newborn Health Innovations (MNHI) is a public benefit corporation mobilised to help caregivers throughout the world reduce avoidable pain, harm and mortality to mothers and newborns during childbirth.

About the author

Kat Romero is a writer and journalist with over a decade’s experience in the industry. Hailing from London, she has become experienced in scouring the market to find the latest and best products and services that are designed to make parents’ lives easier. 

Away from her desk, Kat can be found consuming far too much coffee and spending her weekends with her toddler and partner - soaking up the sights of London and sampling anything new and exciting that has opened up within walking distance.

¹ Hotton et al. Women's experiences of the Odon Device to assist vaginal birth and participation in intrapartum research: a qualitative study in a maternity unit in the Southwest of England. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e057023.

² Safety and efficacy of the OdonAssist inflatable device for assisted vaginal birth: the BESANCON ASSIST study

³  Hotton et al. Outcomes of the novel Odon Device in indicated operative vaginal birth. AJOG, 2021; 224, 607.e1-607.e17

⁴  Hotton et al. The OdonAssist inflatable device for assisted vaginal birth—the ASSIST II study (United Kingdom) AJOG, 2023; 230, S932-S946.e3

⁵“Understanding novel device introduction: an exploratory study of the Odon Device for assisted vaginal birth with implications for trials, training and clinical practice” by Dr Emily Hotton Thesis, p.232

⁶ https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng235/chapter/Recommendations