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 after nearly 2 hrs of pushing with DD. small baby right wy round, i thought I was just crap at pushing but actually had a very short umbilical cord which snapped as she was pulled out because I had a retained placenta which I then had to have removed in theatre. Without forceps I think she'd still be stuck up there. Yet I was a bit sore and she had a small bruise on her head but way better than not being allowed to drive for weeks and having a scar from caesarian IMHO

yes as bad as it looks. shut my eyes through most of it, pretty messed up afterwards...

it worked though, so very glad about that.

DS1 was a forceps delivery. I saw nothing of it but ds1 (8) still has a scar on his face from the forceps, and my pelvic floor and vaginal walls are a mess!

DS1 came out with his face all swollen and sore Couldn't even see the cut on the sode of his face for days because he was so swollen.

I couldn't sit down comfortably for the first week or so and suffered pain for months. I've since had one op to fix saggy pelvic floor and I have a large rectocele which will need surgery at some point.

I cannot believe they continue to use forceps when so many women suffer vaginal injuries

My son had a forceps delivery, after his head was stuck against my pelvic bone. Son was born with badly bruised face and we noticed after arriving home from the hospital his neck was twisted round to the right, massive haematoid as well, he had weekly physio to right the twist for 3 months as a tiny baby, and around 8 months we visited an osteopath who after examaning him said his collar bone had been fractured as well due to the forced of the delivery.
I suffered a 3 degree tear into the fleshy bum muscle (thankfully rip was away from the anus hole so no damage there - sorry if TMI)I was black and blue from bruising and found it a horrific experience. Never again, they should be banned.

dd1 born by forceps. They thought she was back to back and that's why I couldn't do it. (Actually, had been indued and had epidural). But once they started with the forceps they realised she wasn't back to back (the reason I'd agree to the forceps) but switched to a different set to pull her out anyway

damage to her; minimal. Slight bruises on either cheekbone.

Damage to me; immense. Worst thing a HUGE perineal haematoma that came up a few hours later. It was agony and took a long time to go away.

Since then have avoided epidurals like the plague, and managed to avoid another instrument delivery; had 3 lovely natural, easy deliveries instead. (Though, of course, epidurals aren't the only reason for needing an instrument delivery.)

It's Kielland's forceps (mid-high rotational forceps) that are banned in the US isn't it?

DS was a forceps delivery in 2008. He was perfect, not a mark on him. I had an episiotomy which was fine afterwards and healed well with hardly any pain. Better than a tear IMO (I had one of those with DD).

I'd rather not have had a forceps delivery, but DS was in distress and had the cord wrapped round his neck twice. The consultant used the forceps as a last ditch before surgery (he used his hands to try and get him out first). I really didn't want a c-section so for me, it worked out okay.

I was horrified when I watched the forceps delivery on OBEM last night. I had no idea quite how brutal it could be. The sheer physical effort of the Doc. pulling really shocked me (and DP actually).

I was 'threatened' with forceps when in labour with DD ie. if she didn't appear within the next X pushes then they would have to use them. Thankfully I found some inner reserves of strength to push her out.

Aquick question for those in the know.

I was told I had a forceps delivery but my notes say Ventouse.

Also thought I had an epidural despite being 10cm dilated but notes say 'spinal'. what's the difference and would they say ventouse even if forceps were used?

OH FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!! These forceps threads really make me cross. There are different types of forceps for different situations. Doctors never do it lightly. I had low forceps, aka Wrigleys, it was no big deal AT ALL. Yes, I had a spinal block, sheer bliss I can tell you. It was over in no time, didn't feel a thing, certainly no foot up on bed nonsense. And my DS came out looking perfect: smooth, unlined, unpuffy, no marks, bruises or cuts, utterly gorgeous. Seriously, I could have put him in for a bonny baby shoot straight away.

I was out the next day. One cut, a few stitches, healed up quicker than friends who had several tears and DH and I were back in the sack with no ill-effects after 5 weeks. So there!

Sorry to go on, but it actually really upsets me to hear people go on about how brutal forceps are and how dangerous etc. Not always! I had a very long labour, pushed for two hours, was utterly knackered and baby had turned back-to-back. He was stuck. Would I have preferred a c-section? No flipping way.

There are Keilands and there are Wrigleys. Please try to remember they are two different things. Keilands look like BBQ tongs. Wrigleys looks like castanets. TOTALLY different. I know some of you have had bad experiences, but it is not always like that. Forceps are a valid medical procedure, when done properly by surgeons who know what they're doing.

And breathe....

DF - I had an epidural during the labour but they topped me up with a spinal for the the forceps. Perhaps they did that?

thanks Nippolopolis. by all accounts my baby came out mostly through my effort but I did have an episiotomy. I remember being in recovery and hearing the midwives reading my notes and saying I had a forceps delivery and one of them saying 'oh no' about the type of forceps they used. However my baby had no bruising and I healed really quickly.

I also had Kiellands forceps with DD in 2004. I'd had a very long labour, diamorphine which made me very sick, then epidural so I was pretty much out of it and exhausted. DD came out looking like she'd been in a boxing match. I needed a blood transfusion and had 3rd degree tear (to quote my midwife on checking my stitches "ooh love, you look like you've been kicked by a horse" ) No lasting damage to either me or DD though. In comparison, emergency C-section with DS three years later was far less traumatic.

I was a forceps delivery and suffered shoulder dystocia and I have an erb's palsy in my left arm as a result.

I was a very big baby (over 11 pounds) and my mum was overdue and unfortunately it was locum consultant who decided that he would use forceps against the advice of the midwives and other doctors - he also refused to give my mum any pain relief saying it was an unecessary indulgence and women gave birth without pain relief all over the world (what a charmer). When the consultant (who had been away doing training) came back he encouraged my parents to sue the locum as he said that it should never have happened but my parents were young and pretty traumatised by the whole experience so they didn't take it any further.

I'm lucky in that my mum was a nurse and made sure that I got lots of physio and put me in a brace every night for the first year and as a result I have much better functionality in my arm than in a lot of cases but I can't raise my arm above shoulder height, can't drive a manual car (I drive an automatic so not major problem) and various other incoveniences.

When I was pregnant and overdue I got very anxious about the thought of forceps being used but luckily I have had two natural deliveries with no need for intervention. I did find that all the obsetricians I saw were facinated by my Erb's palsy as they don't often see adults with them, although they obviously know about them as a potential risk factor in forceps deliveries.

So forceps can cause serious damage but from what I've read it is generally when they are used inappropriately or by those not properly trained.

DD was a Neville Barnes forceps delivery (think that's the one inbetween the low forceps Wrigleys?) and the higher up Keilands.

Felt not a thing as had a spinal anaesthetic. It was a bit of an emergency as DD's heart-rate was dropping very quickly. OB said she would have one go with forceps and if that didn't work it would have been emcs, hence the spinal and it being done in theatre.

DH and I were terrified and I can barely remember a lot of it, was so worried about baby being OK, so at the time I didn't care one way or the other. DD had a couple of little marks each side of her head, but they faded very quickly.

All in all it as quite frightening, but necessary for DD and due to the skill of the OB I didn't need a cs, which I was very glad about, and I have no ill-effects from the forceps (I know this isn't the case for all women though)

I was a forceps delivery..... I still have marks on my head from it and suffered from migraines my entire life... youngest I remember having one is age 2 and they were already normal for me at that stage... I'm convinced the forceps caused me damage.

I had a spinal and forceps. My poor DS looked like he'd been boxing he was so bruised and battered, but TBH a lot of that was from being 'stuck', and not from being pulled out. He has a feint scar on his nose from where he was stuck on my pelvic bone, and a scar on the middle of his forehead, just below and above his hairline which he got from the forceps.

But he was well and truly stuck, and the forceps was a last ditch attempt to get him out before a caesarean. Fortunately I had a spinal because of the chances of having a caesarean - so didn't hurt, even with stitches, but I wasn't completely straight in the stirrups so strained my ligaments in my hips and I walked with a limp from a sore hip for about 6 weeks afterwards.

Species8472 , thank you. I had forotten the name mentioned but you've jogged my memory and I think I also had a Neville Barnes forceps delivery.

I had a very similar experience to Artichokes :(
Forceps that the doctor was pulling so hard on (again with foot up on bed) he was pulling me off the bed. Dh was really traumatised by it and says it was if ds's head was going to come off !!! Turns out cord was round neck three times ( often wonder if this caused lack of oxygen and ds's autism???) then had a massive PPH and passed out.
I was traumatised over it for YEARS and had to have counselling over it :(
Felt as though I had been properly abused. Doctor was a bastard too.... I bled over his feet, sloshing about in it they were. He was quite cross about it actually

DS was a failed forceps delivery.
He had caput from long 2nd stage and a bruised and battered head from the attempted forceps delivery. I refused an episiotomy, saying I'd rather tear naturally.
I didn't tear, but then again, baby didn't come out(!) but still glad I refused it. He was in an odd position, they said afterwards, and unlikely to have come out vaginally.

DS cried ALOT as a baby, until I visited a cranial osteopath. I was sure he'd been in agony from the forceps.

I am well aware that forceps can be absolutely necessary, my DS may well not be here if it weren't for them. However I found it the most traumatic experience, didn't notice what type of forceps as I was too busy begging all six midwives and two doctors not to let me die ! I wasn't free from pain for at least six months and even now it's a bit like rheumatism- when it's cold outside I still get twinges. Birth trauma is very real and, needless to say, DS is an only child.
I hadn't even realised that the baby could be harmed, although not breathing isn't a great alternative..........

My sister was delivered using Keilland's forceps. My mum said there was some specialist in them who happened to be in the hospital for a course so that was quite useful.

I think my sister's birth must have been pretty horrible - my dad got sent away as nothing was happening (he doesn't drive so got the bus) and then it did start happening and he was met at the busstop by my granny telling him they needed to go back. He missed the birth (wasn't there for mine either but in 1975 think that was more normal). Sister born in 1983.

She was in hospital for 10 days afterwards (went completely over my head despite being 7. Would have thought she was in for about 2 days tbh). She came out with one of those rubber ring things.

I had high rotational keillands with DC1. In theatre under spinal thankfully as they were rushing to get her out of her distress and wanted a c-section as a back up if forceps failed.

DD was bruised around the head, swollen and had a slight cut very near her eye. That all healed over the next couple of weeks.

I had extensive tearing beyond the episiotomy and a lot of vaginal tearing that took 90 minutes to stitch up in theatre.

When the catheter came out my bladder did not work. I had no sensation at all and it just emptied without warning. I was recatheterised on and off for months, had uro-gynae input for months, physio for 10 months.

I had a lot of vaginal pain and a very weak pelvic floor muscle, the latter remains weak but the pain ended after 10 months or so.

DC2 was an elcs!

ThisFeelsWeird here are Keilands and there are Wrigleys. Please try to remember they are two different things. Keilands look like BBQ tongs. Wrigleys looks like castanets. TOTALLY different. I know some of you have had bad experiences, but it is not always like that. Forceps are a valid medical procedure, when done properly by surgeons who know what they're doing.

I am glad for you that you had a positive experience with forceps. I find your tone above very patronising - I doubt women who have experienced any type of forceps need to to be told to "please try to remember" what was used on them and the differences between them. Knowing the difference between types of forceps is hardly going to make a huge difference to birth outcomes for a woman, now is it? If it was traumatic and damaging for others, then that also is a valid point that women should feel allowed to make on a thread like this, as should you.
"Foot up on bed nonsense" - what does this mean? Why is it nonsense? That it happened or that it was posted here?
In relation to the bold point above, the issue is that often forceps are being used by people who do NOT know what they are doing. Therein lies the rub.