Asking what people's birth experiences were after having a forceps delivery

[claire0209]

I had quite a traumatic forceps delivery for my first baby. It's not put me off having another but just wondering what others experiences were second time round? We're forceps required again etc. My baby was also back to back and I was in agony as soon as my waters broke and contractions started, have others found this?

My mum had forceps with my brother but didn't need them with me. She did get a prolapse which the consultant said was probably from the forceps.

Howhot, me too! Fingers crossed for you this time around! Thank you everyone for your reassuring responses

Another one who had PTSD following the first birth. It involved forceps and a long recovery but there were other things that contributed.

Second time round (took me three years to even contemplate having another child) I refused to go to the hospital I did with DC1 and had ELCS at another hospital local to us. Amazing team at the second hospital. Put the first one to shame.

I recovered faster from the ELCS than the forceps.

Horrible forceps delivery with first, I was completely out of it by the time it got to that point. DH says it was horrific. Third degree year & nerve damage. I was so scared of giving birth second time round but DD popped out no issues at all & I remember saying 'is that it?' as it was so quick & easy. I think once the first one's got through there's a lot less resistance!

It’s not as bad I know but I had vontouse with my second (no tear or anything major though) and my third was a textbook birth. Every birth is different, my three have all been so different... second my hardest by a mile, third my easiest, first was inbetween!

Dd1, epidural and forceps, couple of nights in hospital and then an episiotomy repair 10 days post birth.

Dd2, gas and air, 3 pushes and out she came. Up and showered an hour after birth, home by lunch the next day.

Failed attempted ventouse, forceps delivery with episiotomy, third degree tear, retained placenta, pph, episiotomy broke down afterwards, ongoing pelvic physiotherapy.....

hideous

Second time round, elective section.... fab!! Up and about same day. Could have gone home on the second day, but stayed one more night through choice. Recovered SO much quicker than first time round where I struggled to walk for months. So much easier having stitches in your tummy than your foof. BF has been easier second time around too

Hi. I had forceps both times - first baby Keillands rotational for dropping heart rate (I was consented for either forceps or section), second time to get the baby out quickly as I had an ongoing bleeding. Had I not been bleeding I think she would have delivered normally. I didn't find the recovery too bad either time and certainly no worse after the second one. Am now 37 weeks with number 3 and hoping to avoid forceps this time round!

Home birth water pool first baby.
Epidural, forceps second baby.
Second birth compared to first was HUMANE.
Can’t stress enough what a wonderful difference second birth. Looking back now have no idea what processed me to think natural preferable for first birth

Forceps, back to back baby, 3c tear, suspected haematoma under the repair, infection once home, absolutely piss poor unsympathetic care both in hospital and by my GP.
ELCS second time round - was fabulous

Forceps with both - 1st was undiagnosed back-to-back with 36 hour labour, horrendous experience and felt awful for weeks afterwards.
2nd time round - induction at 36 weeks, in labour for about 30 hours but quicker recovery although still very sore. Family friend was the former head midwife of the local labour ward and said there was a 99% chance I wouldn’t need forceps the second time so sounds like I was just unlucky (although the induction probably didn’t help). It sounds like from this thread that a lot of women do have easier second labours.
No plans for a third baby but I’d be requesting a c-section!

First time I was pushing for 2 1/2 hours before they decided he was stuck, his heart rate ‘blipped’ so needed to get him out with forceps. Shoulder dystocia and all round pretty shit.
Second time around I was in the birth centre, in the birthing pool and she was pushed out in 15 mins with no pain relief and no problems.

I am so happy to have found this thread.

With baby #1 I was induced, horrendously painful, even when not contracting, 30 hour labour ending in a horrific forceps delivery, pph and 3 transfusions. I ended up with ptsd. #2 is due in 8 weeks and I am so, so glad to hear all the positive stories about the 2nd babies not needing a forceps delivery

Forceps first time, natural labours for the other three.

I’m going to buck the trend...

16hrs and forceps with the first (8lb)

16 hrs and forceps with the second (9lb9oz) (and they broke his collarbone)

NEVER, EVER, EVER are a pair of forceps coming near my bits EVER again!

First was bloody horrific, so so poorly, both of us. Forceps and episiotomy (DDs heart stopped) awful PTSD after. Hated every second, struggled to bond. ELCS for DS as didn't feel mentally able to go through it again and absolutely loved it. Instant bond, felt fully in control.

I had a kind of birth debrief when I was pregnant, the midwife said that it is very common for first births to be long and end up with forceps, but that second babies normally come out much more easily.

First DC, 36 hour labour, back to back then forceps in theatre. Tear from vagina to cervix, DS bruised over his eye, manual placenta removal and I was left with a front and back prolapse. We were in hospital for 5 days afterwards.

Second DC was 7 hours, still back to back, laboured in the pool and just gas and air. 2 pushes and she was out! It was a wonderful experience and mentally healing after DC2.

One Foot first breech other foot up near her head! with first, forceps and retained placenta involving theatre visit and spinal block. horrible horrible delivery. 4 more deliveries no forceps no problems .

I had forceps with my second. I had my third a few weeks ago and had a brilliant delivery. I did have vontouesse, but no episiotomy. They only held her head from slipping back between contractions as baby was getting a little sleepy at the end. The recovery was fantastic and at 4 weeks post partum I keep forgetting I've not long had a baby.

Had a traumatic induction/long labour/forceps with first. Second was straightforward waters break, six hour labour and gas and air.

Another one here whose first DC was born using forceps - I was as traumatised as the OP afterwards and equally worried when I became pregnant again.

So I decided to try hypnobirthing and it was a huge success - dc2 was nearly 11lbs and was the easiest birth out of my 3. I said to my exH “I bloody did it”

The third birth was also fairly straightforward

I had a low forceps delivery with DC1, followed by two easy, straightforward natural deliveries.

First labour was back to back and ended in forceps. Second was also back to back but from first twinge to delivery was 2hrs, he shot out. Good luck!

Forceps with my first due to foetal distress - large episiotomy etc. Second baby 14 months later, rapid delivery (1hr 20 minutes) no forceps needed. Previous episiotomy tore a little so I needed 2 stitches. Third baby, rapid delivery (1 hr 10 minutes) no forceps needed, no stitches. 4th baby 14 hr labour (then discovered baby was occiput transverse)doctor basically manually turned the head inside my vagina, no forceps needed and no stitches needed. All different, none as traumatic as the forceps.