One Born Every Minute - Who's had a Forceps delivery?

[Treadmillmom]

Mum of 3 fortunately all text book natural un aided deliveries.
I've just watched tonights One Born Every Minute and the forceps delivery, I am stunned!
The midwife seems to be putting her back into it, dragging the baby out, is that okay for the baby? How is it possible the baby isn't born with neck injuries?
Also mom, doesn't having 2 metal tongs inside you not shred and bruise you?
Tell me please, I was totally grimacing as if I were there.

I had forceps delivery after 3 days of labour and no progress! I was too out of it at the time to really take it all in. I had local anaestetic so couldn't feel much other than baby whooshing out of me!
Had extended episiotomy and spinal block in theatre to be stitched up. Beautiful baby boy had an upside down heart shape on his temples and was perfect. I'm so grateful to the only person (the doctor) who did a good job that day in getting him out safely.

But would avoid forceps again!

I also had a forceps delivery after an induced labour and failed ventouse. DS's heartrate was really dropping so they had to get him out fast. When they got him out (which happened really quickly) it turned out that he had the cord twice around his neck. He probably would not have been able to come out by himself. I was just grateful that he was born safely, even though I tore quite badly and had to be stitched up in theatre (but healed very well). DS had a few marks which were gone by the next day. His head was beautifully formed .

I had forceps but don't know which type. I think it was the big ones. Sex hurt for about a year and I was in a bad way for weeks after.

I was induced and this led to intervention.

Next two births were very very quick (27 mins for one).

I had forceps (after a failed ventuous) and they didn't do me any harm other than having to have an episiotomy - that took a few days to heal but got better very quickly after the MW took the stitches out.

Tbh, by the time the forceps became necessary I would have quite happily consented to a fork lift truck going in to drag him out.

DS didn't have any bruises or anything and was completely fine.

The doctor did seem to pull quite hard but I think it was a steady pressure and he waited until a contraction anyway so DS was being pushed out as well as pulled. He certainly wasn't bracing his feet against the bed.

It sounds like some of you had a horrible, horrible experience and I am so glad that it was a consultant that did mine and not a midwife. He was a lot bigger than the midwifes for a start, so more pulling power, but he clearly knew what he was doing.

I don't agree that they should be banned though as someone suggested. Obviously it worked well for me but it seems from many comments made on this thread that getting prepped for a CS would have taken too long. If things take a turn for the worse suddenly it might be the only option to save the baby. I was immensely grateful not to have to deal with a CS too.

Interesting point Niecie about doctor vs midwife. I had a doctor do mine and was calm and confident throughout (dh in contrast a total wreck!). I don't think however that a midwife doing it would have felt the same tbh.

Midwives do not perform forcep deliveries.

I watched the forceps delivery with a cushion covering my face, I was so shocked at the size of the actual forceps.

My 2nd baby was born via a planned CS as she was 14 days late and they couldn't induce me due to previous emergency section. She was so comfy in there that she wouldn't come out and had to be delivered using forceps. My Husband swears that the surgeon had her feet on the bed and was pulling with all her might. I could just hear her huffing and puffing ! Literally my poor litle DD was dragged out ! She had a little graze on the side of her head which disappeared within a couple of days. I was fine, no lasting effects and walked out off hospital 2 days later

So you see forceps are not only used the deliver vaginally but also can be used in CS

For me, forceps were as bad as they looked on OBEM. I remember being practically dragged off the bed. DH and the Midwife held my shoulders down to stop me being pulled down and I thought the registrar was going to pull my poor DS2's head off. Thankfully my epidural had just kicked in as forceps were called for (labour was very quick).

DS2 had bad bruising on his head poor little thing. BUT he was born safely and breathing and I recovered after about 2 weeks.

Have to say that my EMCS with DS1 was a walk in the park compared to my 'natural' delivery (nothing sodding natural about forceps).

i had a forceps delivery as baby was stuck too far down for cs. had a spinal block and female doctor managed to pull him out in two contractions.

had an episiotomy, which 3 days later is now uncomfortable, but not too difficult.

baby has a few little cuts and bruises, but they are fading and is otherwise v. healthy and happy. he wouldn't even be here if they hadn't used forceps as cord was wrapped round his neck and he was v. stuck.

i'm fine too, sore and been nauseous from the drugs, but generally healthy and let home after 2 days.

v. glad I didn't see this OBEM... but was in labour at the time!

the care team were amazing - MW, doctor and all the theatre staff, so maybe that helped!

laluna - Do midwives not do forceps?! I didn't realise. I just assumed that as the OP said it was a midwife in the programme then they did sometimes. Some other posters didn't say one way or another when recounting their stories so I assumed that they must.

I do think it might make a difference to the outcome whether you have a consultant or not though. I am sure experience counts.

Absolutely, experience counts. A forceps would only be done by a consultant ir registrar (or by a supervised obstetrician in training). Some obs don't even do them - they will do ventouse or section. There are a few midwife ventouse practitioners in the UK but not many.

My cousin was brain damaged for life because of forceps... That thing is not gonna go anywhere near my baby, infact I m gonna have an ELCS instead cause I can t cope with the thought of it...
Britain is the only country where forceps are not illegal ... In another thread a lady said that 85% of the court cases against NHS are because of damage from forceps ...
It is a true barbarian practice and it is maintained just to save money on c sections and to speed things up in labour to get you out... A large amount of forceps delivery in not needed.
Women should be more informed about this....

I for one am extremely grateful that forceps are not banned. I absolutely did not want a section - the increased mortality rate for caesarian sections, which are major abdominal surgery, being one very important reason.

Sorry but I don t agree, c sections are minor surgeries these days, if you look at the medical statistics forceps do way more harm than c sections. Infact lawsuits as the lady on the other thread was reporting have a ratio of 85% for forceps damage versus 1% versus c section damage.
These are very significant numbers !!!!

Also France, Germany and Italy where forceps are banned and c sections over used have much better Mother and child birth outcomes than Britain ..another sin that c sections cannot be that bad ! They are just more expensive to perform which is why the nhs policies prefer forceps deliveries...

'c sections are minor surgeries these days'

No, no they are not and any consultant will tell you this.

Again, sorry to insist but I am a doctor myself and I classify major abdominal surgery things like a transplant, hysteroctomy, bowel reconstruction etc, NOT a c section. A consultant that calls c section"major abdominal surgery" should be questioned a d challenged. It is still surgery and carries its risks but these days is not a bigger deal than appendix removal .

Can you reference that 85% statistic to something other than somebody on another thread please?

Having your stomach cut open is never minor surgery and I would have forceps over C section any day unless the C section is absolutely necessary.

I was absolutely terrified of having to go into hospital for DS2 because it had a 33% cs rate. Hardly a cost cutting exercise there! Thankfully I avoided having to go there by having him at home.

You're a doctor. Yes, of course.

How come a hysterectomy is major abdominal surgery and a CS isn't when the recovery times and advice are very similar?

'How come a hysterectomy is major abdominal surgery and a CS isn't when the recovery times and advice are very similar?'

And a vaginal hysterectomy has an even shorter recovery time than a CS. So does appendix removal via keyhole (as it is performed these days when possible).

A doctor of what? Aromatherapy doesn't count.

no point in arguing, no need for un-necessary sarcasm,
it is pretty clear that a cut is not the same magnitude than a transplant or the removal of an organ, but if you want to continue having fun with semantics, you're very welcome.

I am trying to pass on the research that I have done on the risks of forceps delivery BECAUSE i have a very bad case of damage in my family, and BECAUSE my OB consultant (an obstetrician from a major london NHS hospital) who uses BOTH forceps and C sections every day, has admitted that such assisted delivery carries more risks to the baby than a planned c section does (emergency ones are more risky though). He also says that the issue in UK NHS is COST and UNDERSTAFFING, otherwise, like every other civilized country, you would see many more ELCS and much less forceps deliveries.

Again, in other European countries where forceps are banned and there are higher c section rates, outcomes seem to be better than UK

In the end we are all trying to do the best for us and our babies, and this is just my opinion... but i find that sadly the whole field is filled with politics and women are not always well advised.

'it is pretty clear that a cut is not the same magnitude than a transplant or the removal of an organ, but if you want to continue having fun with semantics, you're very welcome.'

No one ever said it was. But it is not minor surgery.

My father had an organ removed, his prostate. He went home the same day.

Never heard of that happening with a CS.

I will admit I am not a docotr. However my father is one (although he was a radiologist not a surgeon, but he did head up the deaprtment at a major children's and maternity hospital), and my best friend and and her dh are both GPs and they are all vehemently against the unnecessary rise in the numbers of caesarians and the conseqent risks to both mother and child. They are the ones that told me that it is major abdominal surgery.

I found this quote from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which is is a US federal agency which provides audited infomration on health statistics, using them to promote and protect public health and safety).

"Cesarean delivery involves major abdominal surgery, and is associated with higher rates of surgical complications and maternal rehospitalization, as well as with complications requiring neonatal intensive care unit admission (3?5). In addition to health and safety risks for mothers and newborns, hospital charges for a cesarean delivery are almost double those for a vaginal delivery, imposing significant costs (6)" Full link is here

It is less than a year old, so I don't think in that time, the definition of caesarian sections being major abdominal surgery will have changed

Id suggest that if samarcanda is a medical doctor that it would be worth her looking up the medical definition of what constitues 'major abdominal surgery'.