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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Ventouse

50 replies

UglySister · 16/06/2006 12:40

What´s the problem or risk associated with a ventouse? I had one and gather from one of the hot threads that they are not ideal...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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fennel · 30/06/2006 08:54

I have rather fond memories of my ventouse with dd1. after 12 hours or so of labour and very little progression for the last 7 of them I was extremely happy to have her vacuumed out rather than go on with several more hours of labour.

muminaquandary · 30/06/2006 09:20

me too fennel - DS was a big 10lb5oz'er and was far too comfortable hanging out right where he was ... they had me prepped for an mereg c-s in case ventouse failed, but 1 tug and he came out good as new, absolutely beautiful and such a relief after a v long labour!!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 30/06/2006 09:25

I had a ventouse with my DD. Had been a long long labour, my contractions had all but disappeared, epidural meant i couldnt feel anything so probably wasnt pushing so great.

It did mean having an episiotomy, which was not at all pleasant.

It made me determined not to have an epidural 2nd time round with DS, who was born in a very much easier labour without any assistance and no tears and so no need for stitches.

Agree with Beckybrastraps that ventouse generally comes after a long and difficult pushing stage so its tough to know whether the ventouse is what makes labour so terrible, or whether in fact the terrible labour makes for the ventouse. Iykwim.

dublindee · 30/06/2006 10:42

DS was a ventouse delivery, I'd been actively pushing for just over an hour and he was at a weird angle, heartbeat dipping and stuck.
Apart from the shock of it all being over so fast, DS head being a bit tender and that horrible episiotomy (ick) - both of us came out the other side of the ventouse eperience fine! No jaundice, no haematoma, no cranial osteopaths ... Just a gorgeous little boy to cuddle
Having said that I had an epidural so pain-wise the delivery was GRAND!

FirstAtForty · 30/06/2006 11:06

Does anyone know about the risks of brain damage from ventouse/forceps?

The brain is presumably already fully formed and sitting there underneath a soft skull which is being pulled out of shape - what are the risks of brain tissue being crushed and damaged in some way?

Seems to me a c section would be a much less physically risky thing for the baby compared to having its skull deformed in an 'extreme' ventouse/forceps situation, but when I asked my midwife about this she said that 'cesarian isn't an easy option' and that it would depend on how far the baby had descended into the birth canal as to whether cs would be viable.

I personally would rather go for an earlier rather than later cs if things aren't looking like they are progressing well, but don't know if I'm just being paranoid. Also don't know how much say you would have in this decision at the time (probably not much I would guess).

Sorry if this sounds really grim but I'm due next week and it is one of the things which has been playing on my mind!

beckybrastraps · 30/06/2006 11:17

Remember the baby's heads get really squeezed on the way out anyway. The skull is designed for squashing at birth.

Really don't panic reading these horror stories. As I said before, there is a reason why stories that involve assisted deliveries are generally so gruesome. And you will find people have horror stories about sections too.

Ds's birth was not how we had planned it, but I never had any doubt that the medical team knew what they were doing, and he was born safely.

Women who have given birth do tend to spill their stories at the slightest nudge, and "ventouse" is one of the trigger words for gory stories.

With a week to go, I think you should maybe read some gentler threads!

KathyMCMLXXII · 30/06/2006 11:51

I had one (dd back-to-back and taking ages to come out) which was absolutely fine, no problems.
I had already had an epidural so didn't feel a thing. I tore a bit and had to have a few stitches, but no problems at all with healing up - no need to sit on ice packs or anything like that!
DD's head was nice and round, not cone-shaped at all!

FrenchGirl · 30/06/2006 11:56

DD was a ventouse delivery too, no choice as she was distressed, I would have agreed to anything at that point. Didn't hurt as had great epidural but I did tear and that was painful for a while....
no bruising on her head though (but I suppose she did have plenty of dark hair so maybe that's why I couldn't see any bruises...)
still remember being so worried after she'd popped out as she didn't cry and looked floppy and was taken out to be checked
thankfully she was OK

shimmy21 · 30/06/2006 12:16

Ds1 was ventouse. massive relief after pushing for what seemed like a day and a labour that had literally been going on for a week. Ventouse- snip and pop. Out came ds1 like a champagne cork. No cone head and very content smiley baby.

Ds2 - born at home to soothing music and essential oils cried for 5 months.

Emma7 · 30/06/2006 12:38

DD was a ventouse delivery in the operating theatre (last resort before emergency c-section). I did it on gas and air only as was promised an epidural after 20 hours of labour but didn't get one I had an episiotomy and DD had a cone head (went by the next morning) but severe bruising took a couple of weeks to go. Her head is a nice shape now though and she seems ok (9 weeks old now).

muma3 · 30/06/2006 12:42

had ventouse for dd1 , 21 hour labour and i was as high as the sky and couldnt push , ventouse failed . didnt have episiotomy until they had no other choice but to use forceps, ventouse gave her a cone head and forceps left her with tiny bruise back and front of her head .

youknowwhat · 30/06/2006 13:24

DS1 had a ventouse delivery. Had an epidural, his hear beat was going down each time I was pushing. I don't regret the ventouse delivery because he was born healthy and that was the only hing that mattered (and still does) to me.
However, the episotomy than came with it WAS a nightmare and 3 years on is still painfull ....

FirstAtForty · 30/06/2006 13:24

Beckybrastraps ? thanks, you?re right about keeping perspective on this! It?s good to hear of others? experiences though, gives an idea of what possibly to expect. On the whole most sound of these ventouse deliveries sound like they were the best and most successful option.

madmarchhare · 30/06/2006 16:02

I had failed ventouse and forceps then went on to have em cs. On refelction, although I didnt think so at the time, I am happy that we tried to go this way rather than launch straight into cs.

In the main, we do have to put our trust /lives in the hands of the medical staff and experiences like muminaminis are not an everyday occurance, thankfully.

nicnack2 · 30/06/2006 16:22

ds1 was ventouse though very quick, no cone head, large tear (me).

iwearflairs · 30/06/2006 17:07

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

madmarchhare · 30/06/2006 17:13

Oh yes, the stirrups just about removed any dignity I had manged to maintain during labour.

skerriesmum · 30/06/2006 17:13

Ds was also a ventouse delivery, I couldn't push him out quickly enough. As they'd already put a needle trace in his scalp, that might have been a lot of pain for him but he recovered quickly and his head wasn't a strange shape.
I had an episiotomy too which was sore at first but healed well. Not a great experience overall but I'm just glad they didn't have to do a section...

beckybrastraps · 30/06/2006 17:16

Do you know, by the time it came to the stirrups I was past caring.

madmarchhare · 30/06/2006 17:55

I thought I was, but no, there was something to make me feel even worse, lol.

karma · 02/07/2006 22:07

DS 1 was a ventouse after an hour and half of pushing. At this point I was begging them to "suck him out" as I was completely knackered. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences (done on gas and air, episiotomy, etc.) but we were just grateful to have a healthy baby at the end of it all. His head wasn't too mishapen, although he did become jaundiced and needed phototherapy. He was a very unsettled baby, crying for long periods, not sleeping, etc. but don't know if the two are connected. Incidently DS 2 came out unaided after a few pushes, a completely different experience - guess I hadn't been too good with the old pelvic floor exercises and things were not as tight down there!!

kiskidee · 02/07/2006 22:42

dd was a ventouse delivery. induced due to pre-eclampsia and ventoused as i was going into eclampsia. no episiotomy but lots of bruising - me and no misshapen head. she whimpered for half a day but it must have been all the drugs in her system. no bruising but went v. jaundiced. went on to be a content baby.

kayzed · 03/07/2006 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

quootiepie · 22/07/2006 19:27

I had a ventouse and baby had a big bruise on his head for about 2 weeks and swelling, and still has a lump where the bruise was (he's 4 months). The actual delivery was neither here nor there - i was pretty out of it, and had an epidural so didnt feel a thing. My episiotomy i still sore though - I had a ring cushion for three months :-/

quootiepie · 22/07/2006 19:29

BTW - i had a Kiwi ventouse - not like the plunger shaped ones Ive seen on the tv.

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