Ventouse and babies with lots of hair?

[Cattleprod]

I'm wondering if anybody has any experience of this. I had failed ventouse during the birth of DS, so they had to use forceps instead. The suction cup kept coming unstuck and I think perhaps that could be because he had lots of hair. It makes sense (to me) - in the same way as those rubbery window suckers need a flat clean surface to stick properly.

Has anybody had a hairy baby delivered by ventouse, or an attempted ventouse that failed? Or know of any research about it?

dd1 was and still is very hairy but was born successfully and quickly by ventouse.

Dd had lots of hair and failed ventouse, ended up with forceps. But she had, and still has, a very big head. It was off the chart on the percentile thing....

Tbh I think that the ventouse is more likely to have been unsuccessful because of how the baby was positioned. The suction is quite strong. Also, there needs to be effective pushing from mum otherwise the cup can come off.

It was one of those kiwi cup things, so not linked up to an industrial sucking machine! I can't see how a good seal can be achieved when there is a lot of hair - surely you can't maintain a good vacuum without continuous suction if there is an uneven surface where air can seep in?

I'm just wondering because I'm writing my birth plan for DC2 - don't want them to waste time faffing around with kiwis if I have another hairy nipper and instruments become necessary. Hopefully this one will just slip out easily!!

Don't think it makes much difference - the position and presentation is really more likely to be the key factor. I had a ventouse with my first for fetal distress and got really hung up about not being able to push out the second - but had a really rapid normal delivery of a baby over a pound and a half bigger! The chances of having another ventouse is quite small.

Thanks everyone!

I hope this baby isn't a pound and a half bigger than DS - that would make it 12lb!!! Ouch!