If you had a forceps delivery for DC1, what happened with DC2?

[JollyHockeyStick]

Particularly, did you have an unassisted delivery with DC2?

How long was your pushing stage?

I have some decisions to make for birth of DC2 and it'd be really useful for me to hear your experiences.

Yup, unassisted for my second. About 15 mins pushing. V small tear, no stitches.

Yes, all fine, 4 hour labour and about 2 pushes! Tiny tear. Hope all well for you.

I had forceps for DD.

I ended up with forceps for DS too. I was pushing for 4+ hours before I transferred in to hospital (planned homebirth) but the MW said I had membranes of steel, DS was ENORMOUS and I had a cervical lip that needed assistance to budge.

I was unlucky though, as well as DS being huge, both were lying off to cock rather than being nicely positioned so both struggled to descend.

Similar to Catkind, 2 hour labour, just made it to hospital on time, 2 stitches.

Hardly knew I was in labour, two pushes and he was out.

Dc1 forceps & episiotomy. Dc2 4 hour labour from first twinge to delivery, small tear as she was huge!

For my dd's birth, labour stalled at 9cms, 4 hours on the drip to get contractions going again, epdidural and then forceps birth as her heart rate dropped every time I pushed. Afterwards, my episiotomoy stitches split and took a couple of months to heal. Bluergh!

Ds's birth was totally different - much quicker, pushed for less than 15 minutes (three MASSIVE pushes!) and he was born totally unassisted (although i did pay very close attention to when the midwife told me to push and when to breathe). I suffered a tiny tear which did not need any stitches and healed brilliantly.

4 hours from waters breaking to Dd being born.15 mins of pushing and the tiniest of tears

Ventouse for DD1 and 2. Forceps for DD3. I'm a very lazy pusher!

This is a lovely encouraging thread

I had forceps with DC1. Not pregnant yet but hoping I will have a better time of it with no2.

Ds 37 hour labour, was back to back, 2 hours pushing, then to theatre for forceps.

Dd 3 hour labour, also back to back, but was face presention too (we didn't know this until she emerged), 2 hours pushing again, but got her out myself .

Ds failed ventous, forceps annd episotomy. Dd 1 hour labour, 3 big pushes and slight grazing.

Ds1 rotational forceps, nightmare! DD and Ds2 both quick easy labours with gas and air although I tore every time

DS rotational forceps after 2 day labour. DD 8 hour labour, unassisted delivery, gas and air only, pushed for 2.5 hours but she got a little bit stuck. Totally different and much more positive experience. Still tore but healed much MUCH better.

Forceps DD1, no intervention DS1, forceps DS2 as got stuck due to being back to back and big!

Thank you for all your responses :)

I think I'm going to have to go for ELCS, sadly, but I now feel more confident that it's the right decision.

ELCS second time round for me!

Ooh, well timed thread for me.. 38.5 weeks with DC2 after a forceps delivery with DD1. Really hoping I have the textbook quick second birth I keep hearing about and reading on here!

My ELCS was FABULOUS jollyhockeystick, probably the best experience of my life (first birth was hands down the worst)

Am exactly like Puffpants, not pregnant again yet but hoping for an easier time than with DS!

Can I ask Jolly, what sort of decisions do you have to make about DC2's birth? ELCS is not an option is it? I just assumed that if I had another DC I would just have to go with the flow again and see how things turn out?

For me, ELCS has been recommended by consultants because of what happened last time (to me, not DS). I was wondering if there was any way round it and I could go for another VB, but it would require a definite guarantee that I'd have a short pushing stage. If I didn't have a short pushing stage then it'd possibly have to end in EMCS.

I'm not pregnant yet but TTC shortly and considering these things already so I'm as knowledgeable as possible by decision time.

(sooo many acronyms!)

Had forceps delivery with dc1 & once I was pregnant with dc2 I was determined not to have the same horrible birth again. So I used hypnobirthing and dc2's birth was the best of my 3 dc. He did need ventouse for the last 2 pushes but it was all so much more copeable with than dc1. And the fact that he was 10lbs 13oz made me even more proud that I'd had such a good birth.

Good luck with your dc2's birth.

Even with the forceps it was much better for me physically second time round. If I'd have been to see a consultant I suspect they would have suggested ELCS (at the very least they wanted me in hospital)

After DD I had a 3a tear and manual placenta removal (and mild PPH).

With DS I had a 1500ml PPH and no tearing (he was 11lb 7oz). Much nicer than the All Creatures Great and Small experience.

DS1 was forceps (the massive old fashioned ones as he was born in 1981) then his smaller twin brother was born feet first.....No my plumbing has never been the same since.

DS3 - easy, if long, labour - natural delivery - no problems at all.

DS4 some 15 years laterV- 20 days overdue - verrrrrrrrrrrrry fast last stages - eventually ventouse delivery.

All four sons worth every pain and every struggle to deliver them xx

Jolly I hope you dont think I am being too nosey, but what happened to you last time that they have recommended ELCS? I only ask because I had quite a difficult time with DS (very very long early stage of labour which only ever got me to 4cm, syntocinon drip, 2 and a half hours pushing, ds getting a bit distressed, forceps and episiotomy in theatre, mild PPH) - but when the midwife came to see me at home she said to me 'well that all looks great, you could have a home birth next time if you wanted' - er no thanks!

Eek, that sounds grim saltn.

I had a pneumomediastinum (punctured lung) with pushing and had surgical emphysema which is when the air gets out into your skin - so my face was puffed up. Was dashed to theatre, given a spinal and DS was hauled out with forceps so they could give me a chest x-ray and make sure that I didn't collapse my lung. With a punctured lung they can't give you a general anaesthetic as they can't intubate so there was some concern about what would happen if the spinal failed and I required a CS.