Hello, this is my first time on Mumsnet !
It's great that women are sharing their experiences on here.
I had a forceps delivery 5 years ago with my first child and have been left traumatised by the experience, and am wondering if anyone else has been too ?
I am expecting our second child in the spring, but it has taken me a long time to feel ready. My consultant has booked me in for a C-section this time.
I knew childbirth would be painful, but the extreme agony was all consuming, I just felt like I was just being tortured and not at all connected to what was happening.
Gas & air didn't help at all, just provided something to bite down on. Was given syntocinon to strengthen my contractions, this just makes them even more agonising ! It was absolutely hideous!
I was refused an epidural twice, 1st time at cm they were too busy and had no available anaesthetist, 2nd time, I screamed and begged I was told that I was 10 cm and too far on for one. ( I would like to post to the epidural thread, but it's too full !!!!)
After over 4 hours pushing, they declared a prolonged 2nd stage of labour and called a consultant. He then decided on an episiotomy & forceps delivery. Still with no pain relief, he injected some useless local anaesthetic and promptly took a scalpel to my genitals all of which I could feel!
I have never felt such excruciating pain in my life as when he inserted the forceps; I nearly hit the roof and screamed the room down. Is this really allowed to happen to women? Is it normal practice to perform such procedures without adequate pain relief? It seems medieval to me !
My beautiful daughter was born, with bad marks all over her little face ! but I was unable to engage in the joy of the experience as I was still in agony as they tried to deliver my placenta.
I was then made to walk around the room crying in pain supported by two midwives to try and help gravity deliver my placenta. I hadn't been stitched up at this point; there were all sorts of stuff hanging out, the room looked like a murder scene. After an hour of this they sent me to theatre as I'd had a retained placenta. They kindly gave me a spinal block for this procedure & stitched me up although I'm surprised they didn't just do it without, why bother after all I'd been through.
Just because it's childbirth, why are they happy to allow such suffering? I'm very happy for women who choose natural childbirth and have a positive experience. But it's such an individual experience when a woman can't cope with the pain she should be helped. I don't feel they would perform procedures as painful as forceps delivery in any other NHS department without adequate pain relief ?
I've looked it up a little on the internet and it says
"Forceps births tend to be more painful and uncomfortable so you're more likely to need a regional or general anaesthetic with forceps than with a ventouse birth. You're more likely to sustain some damage to your pelvic floor or perineum during a forceps delivery."
I felt very traumatised at the time and still do now. I was very badly bruised and had a large episiotomy inside & out. I felt very uncomfortable & sore for a long time afterwards and felt like my pelvic floor was going to prolapse.
Eventually 6 months later had to go back in to be repaired; I had developed a large polyp and had to have scar tissue from internal stitches removed.
Not good!!
Shouldn't happen