Scarred baby following forceps delivery.

[millymoomoo]

I am new to Mumsnet and have never used a forum such as this before, so please bear with me if I'm not making much sense! (Also have clingy, teething seven-month-old on my lap!) I have been amazed by the vast array of subjects and experiences shared on Mumsnet and noticed a recent ?'thread'(!) about forceps deliveries. My baby was delivered by forceps - with the usual barbarity - and consequently has a number of scars over her head and face. Most will fade, I imagine, but she has an obvious dent on her cheekbone that will be permenent. I wonder if anybody else has had a similar experience? The paediatrician who saw my baby said she'd had to suture wounds to newborns inflicted from forceps in the past... My baby is still absolutely beautiful despite her arrival into the world!

Zephyrcat, you could be right abut this being addictive - I'm on it again already! I have been really dismayed to hear so many similar shocking experiences. Not just the lack of informed consent, but often the total absence of compassion. I, too, had the 'drip' situation with it being left for twenty-four hours, despite frequent requests for it to be removed (mine was uncomfortable enough and I didn't have to weight-bear on it). Also, nobody communicated with me whatsoever when attempting to insert the thing, and between a midwife and a doctor they 'stabbed' me with the same needle numerous times (still have several 'pinprick' marks on both arms!) I was unable to push my baby out, but my contractions remained strong. Despite this, a midwife and Junior doctor started setting up a drip (still no communication as to what they were doing...) I questioned them between contractions and they said they were giving me ?syntocin? to get me contracting harder to "get that baby out". I had been in second stage labour for hours and I knew that if I was unable to give birth naturally at home where I was really happy and relaxed I was not going to do it in hospital. I made it clear I was refusing ?syntocin?(!) and spoke to the Consultant who agreed I did not need it. After he left the drip was started anyway. A similar thing happened with a catheter. When I got to hospital , before anybody spoke to me or my husband, a m'wife brought in bits to catheterise me and did so despite my protests. I have no idea why. I feel quite emotional recalling some of these events. I didn't push for explanations at the time. It was all so traumatic and, at the end of the day, I was just so relieved my baby was ok, I guess the rest of it didn't really matter. Oh, I was also left in agony from episiotomy for ages afterwards. I didn't have the stomach to look at it for a long time, but when I did I found a gaping wound.
MumtoBen, I really can sympathise with some of your experiences.
Sorry if I'm waffling!

birth trauma association
I know this link is posted a lot, but this is a great site.

MissCocky it is NOT general standard practice to use forceps during a delivery. In the very vast majority of cases forceps are not used although it may require a bit of tugging and pushing and pulling of mum to get the baby out. Forceps are used only very rarely as part of a csection.

Millymoo, I also had an unstitched episiotomy. HOW CAN THIS HAVE HAPPENED? It remained a gaping wound for 3 months. 1 week after I gave birth I complained about the pain and was told it was too late to stitch it. It has not healed well. The scar is about 1 cm across and extends into my leg. I have no idea if this is normal, but assume not. It was misaligned up but has looked better in the last few months. They won't operate now to mend it.

I too was in second stage labour for ages. The guidelines state that 2 hours is the limit before intervention. It was over 3 hours for me before the doctor was called and nearly 4 hours pushing altogether.

I can sympathise with you too. I think people think I am exaggerating how bad my birth was, but I haven't even mentioned half of the errors in this thread.

Why do people become midwifes if they seem to despise women in labour???? 2 of the midwives I had seemed to hate me. Yet I had never met them before and barely said a word to them as I was in too much pain to speak.

MumtoBen, how old is your litle one and how are you now?

My son is now 17 months. I am OK now, but it has been a long recovery, but physically and emotionally.

Just re-read this thread and I can't believe how we've been treated. Reading and contributing has made me feel so angry and sad.

If forceps are used properly, they shouldn't leave any marks and should actually protect the baby's head. If babies are left marked or worse, isn't that grounds for malpractice?

I too was left with a misaligned, badly healed episiotamy wound that is still uncomfortable. I kept telling my midwife that it hurt and that my bleeding smelt funny. She said it was because I had 'forgotten' what a period smelt like and refused to check it for about 2 days, by which time I had a full blown infection.

Some of you mentioned that your babies became unconcious after the forceps deliveries. My baby was taken away from me shortly after returning to the maternity ward and I was told to sleep. I didn't question this as I was so out of it. I had to buzz to get him back in the morning and discovered he'd spent the night in a bloody car seat on the reception desk (which I've since discovered was dangerous). He didn't wake for about 12 hours and no-one questioned this. Could he have been unconcious too? I suppose I'll never know, but the fact that my baby spent his first night in the world away from me and left on the floor in a car seat is something else that has always upset me.

Sorry for going on, it's just that this thread has brought back allot of feelings for me. Am just going to try and think of the few good people I met having my son like the young midwife who stayed with me throughout the entire labour, even after her shift ended and visited me on the ward the next day and the woman who held my hand constantly at the final part of the labour.

Things have got to change. Maybe we should start a protest group!!!!

DD had facial palsy from where the forceps got a nerve. i can still see her face is slightly droopy on one side.

Goodness this thread is shocking, I've shed a few tears reading these awful stories. My son was delivered by forceps 10 months ago and I feel we got off lightly. He had a bruise on one side of his face, and his eye was weepy , but only for a day or so. I, on the otherhand, suffered a very serious 4th degree tear and now have a colostomy bag.

I am pregnant again and will be having a section due to my problems. I didn't know forceps can be used during a section too. Even the thought of forceps near me or my baby makes me feel terribly upset.

I'm so sad for all the damaged babies, and all the traumatised mothers.

I realy count my blessings that it was me that was damaged and not my son. I am lucky.

x

Forceps must surely belong in a Victorian museum. Can't believe what I am reading!! If men had to go through anything like this, it won't be brushed aside in this day and age.

Horrific forceps delivery here too. My DS was very stuck. After well over 2 hours pushing and almost continous vomiting, I was given a spinal & prepared for theatre. However, DS's head was so wedged in the birth canal, to do a casear they would have had to forcibly shove him back up inside of me. So they tried ventouse - 5 times & then they went for forceps. The Registrar was an enormous man & as he pulled on the forceps, there were 3 nurses holding me on to the bed. It was hard to tell whether DS was bruised or not as he was so pulpy & disfigured.
He was the most intensely colicky baby, screaming for 6 hours of more every evening. Cranial osteopathy didn't work, but over the last year (he is nearly 7 years old) I've been taking him to a chiropracter & it has made a huge difference to him.
I had an episiotomy & 3rd degree tear. I left the hospital not completely anally continent - I can only thank God not with a colostomy bag.
My internal bruising & scarring was very severe & it was 7 months before sex felt tolerably comfortable.

Spudballoo, I am shocked by your story. It makes my internal injuries pale in comparison. Is there any hope of a reversal for your colostomy?

Tigertum - I was interested to read your story. I also thought my episiotomy was infected - it smelt very badly of infection, although the hospital said it wasn't. I just got told to wash it out with a shower head. I also cannot believe they put your newborn in a car seat.

Bugsy2 - my baby also had terrible colic, which I am convinced was due to the type of delivery.

All the posts on this thread with horrific stories - did any of your complain and what happened?

I complained in writing and got almost completely fobbed off. Although 1 midwife did apologise for the lies she told me. It was a disappointing experience. The gynae/obs consultant I was under sent the head of the delivery suite to my house some time later and she was very apologetic, and I felt more satisfied with her response. However, I still feel fobbed off about the medical issues. They have not admitted their failure to comply with their own professional guidelines.

I wish every obs/gynae doctor could read this thread and realise what they are doing to women. They probably don't know the long-term damage (or don't care I suppose).

My poor ds2 was born by c-section and he ws yanked out with forceps, he had a nasty bruise all accross his little face for days but thankfully that was all and it faded, but what the hell sort of person wraps metal clamps round a tiny babies head and then pulls so hard that it bruises/cuts/scars them!!!???? what MUST be going through that poor babies mind when its happening? you cant tell a baby whats going on, its just safe and warm one minute and the next its clamped and yanked if i was to wrap a big metal clamp round that Dr's head nad yank him about i reckon it'd be classed as GBH and i be jailed!! i know they are trying to help and save these babies, but seriously in the modern and technologically advanced world we live in today, surely they could come up with something much baby friendlier????

That's bang on BlueBluePink.

And (and this is NOT pleasant) they were invented to remove dead babies from women. Guess when 1600!!! (According to wikipedia). Looks like they haven't changed much for 200 years at least if this picture is anything to go by.

Drawing from 1792!

I know that they save lives, but wouldn't it be possibly to modernise them in some way? With the multitude of modern materials, why do they have to be made out of steel?

Yes they save lives but they are bloody brutal things for babies and mothers and I can't belive they haven't changed the design in over 200 years.

Message withdrawn

Tigertum, I laughed (sick I know) at the thought the registrar who mauled me with forceps being dragged round the room by adult sized forceps...thanks for a giggle! On a more serious note, I am completely stunned by your story - your baby was left in a car seat on reception? What kind of care is that?

Mumtoben....it's a bit of an unknown re reversing the colostomy. The 9cm tear between my vagina and rectum HAS healed, but my sphincter muscles (internal and external) have not - I am missing the muscle from 10am to 2pm if you think of the muscle as a circular, tube shaped. BUT, I had a porridge test which involves a mixture of porridge and barium paste put up your bottom to replicate the consistency and weight of poo (lovely) to test if I might be continent despite the damage. That test suggested I might well be continent, but to what extent isn't known. I was due to have my colostomy reversed in Sept, but got upduffed by mistake. So now it will be a good year or so until the next baby is no longer breastfeeding.

If I am not acceptably continent, I am having some radical surgery involving having a pacemaker fitted to stimulate my sacral nerve which will make me continent. It's very new, very successful, but no long term studies of course in terms of side-effects and long term efficacy.

Shocking isn't it. I'm 35 years old and now have a long term medical problem. I am on long-term sick leave from work and may never be well enough to work again.

I have taken legal advice and started the ball rolling for medical negligence, but have put it on hold while I deal with baby no 2!

I'm so so so anxious that they use forceps for section deliveries. Surely there must be a better way?

Phew, long post. It's quite helpful to write it down every now and again. I'm generally quite relaxed about the whole thing, some kind of self-preservation i guess, but when I write it down it shocks me.

x

Hi Millymoomoo, welcome here. My DS had a big bruise on his head from the forceps, I think it and the associated pain contributed to him not latching on properly for breastfeeding. He also had a dent on his forehaead but that went away in about a year and a bit.

Hi spudballoo

I really hope your reversal works. You sound like a very strong and together person, despite your experience. I also hope you manage to get that registrar who's 'care' caused this damage to admit responsability and compensate you, although I'm sure preventing him from carrying out any future harm withh be compensation enough.

Yes, after all of about 30 mins with him on the labour ward, a sour-faced midwife wisked him off and despite the fact that he was a tiny baby (2 weeks early), who's heartbeat had momentarily stopped during labour, who had been born by forceps after a rather traumatic labour, decided it would be appropriate for him to spend 8 hours sat upright in a car seat in reception. Unfed, unchanged and not with his mum.

I never complained about it, but wish I had done now. I didn't realise how angry I was until I started writing on this thread! Anyway, it's all in the past. My DS is a happy, healthy boy and that's what I'm going to focus on for now. At the end of the day, forceps are safe IF USED CORRECTLY, so it's the crap docs we should worry about, not the forceps.

Spud - didn't know you were pregnant again. Congratulations! Can understand you feeling bit worried - but you will be in good hands this time round. Re' medical negligence - think you know that I went down this road, only to fall at last but one hurdle. Email me if you want to chat about it - if you haven't got e-mail still just CAT me. xx

My ds was born using forceps, but fortunately there were no problems. When I was pregnant with dd, my gp did assure me that very very rarely are they necessary for a second or subsequent delivery, which was a blessing.

Spudballoo - at least that sounds hopeful about reversing it. And congratulations on getting pregnant again. I hope everything works out. I can't believe in this day and age that this is deemed acceptable to put women in this situation. Have you looked at the clinical guidelines for operative vaginal deliveries? (available on the royal college of obstetrics and gynaecology website). It might help you with your case if you can prove they haven't followed guidelines. Similarly the royal college of midwives website for guidelines on care during birth. It was only when I read these I realised my doctors and midwifes were incompetent.

I am really glad , though sad, about this thread. Both my dds were born using venthouse - 1st dd no great problems but 2nd dd more complicated and to cut a long story short after hours of agony and pushing they sucked her out.The epidural had worn off by then so I felt eveything - and I do mean that. It took me to a new plane of agony which is indescribable. I still cry when I think about it for too long, and I feel it is something I can never eally share with dh as it was a uniquely awful and woman's experience.

I still have some minor problems down there - fortunately not as severe as other posters here. Lots of empathy to all of you
xxxxxxxxxxxx

I am absolutely shocked at what I have read so far, I am so so sorry for all of you who have gone through these experiences.

Just to say that when I had DD2, she was a 30 hour labour because she was back to back, eventually I went into the theatre where they tried to get her out using a ventouse but the surgeon would not use forceps as he personally disagrees with them and described them as barbaric, unfortunately ended up with a section but that is another story.