Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

C section or Kielland's forceps?

66 replies

lunalovegood84 · 22/07/2014 22:38

I gave birth 3 weeks ago - the brief version of the story is 14 days overdue, induction of labour, got to fully dilated easily. Baby was back to back, high up in my pelvis and moving down only slowly. I was in established first stage labour for 20 hours, the last few in excruciating pain.

I was told by the registrar that I would need baby rotated and assisted to deliver using Kielland’s rotational forceps, the most ”extreme" type of forceps. I refused consent and insisted on a c section, which went well and recovery has been straightforward.

I've been mulling it over since, whether I made the right decision or not. I had read about Kielland's forceps, but I hadn't made up my mind in advance about the level of intervention I would accept. On the whole I'm happy with my decision, especially as baby turned out to be 11 lbs 9 ozs so natural birth would likely have been very difficult. It just feels strange to have had to make a choice like that against medical advice and while off my head on gas and air!

Anyway I'd like to hear other people's opinions on which choice they would make in a similar position : Kielland's forceps or emcs?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Zara8 · 22/07/2014 22:42

My friend had Keilland's forceps 12 weeks ago. She is still in a lot of pain and has difficulty walking. She is still having recurring appointments for pain in her perineal area and vagina. She had a third degree tear and still requires pain relief. She was definitely be having ELCS for any future children.

I am pregnant with #2. No instruments with first delivery, but in the same situation as you I would absolutely demand a CS and refuse consent to forceps. IMHO you 100% made the right decision.

Zara8 · 22/07/2014 22:44

Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

Honestly, I think you did the right thing. Even though my first induction was not too bad on the scale of things I will very likely be asking for an ELCS if they suggest another one this time.

PetiteRaleuse · 22/07/2014 22:47

Despite being v ill after my first EMCS (related to the op but not an infection or anything straightforward or in fact anything that went wrong with the op itself) I do not regret choosing a CS over any forceps.

Was booked in for an ELCS at 38w asap after the 12w scan for the second baby. Which went like a dream btw.

There is no way I would allow forceps near me unless in an absolute emergency. I prefer the surgery. My OB GYN much prefers a c section, emergency or otherwise, to forceps.

PetiteRaleuse · 22/07/2014 22:48

Long way of saying you made the right decision. And congratulations.

RJnomore · 22/07/2014 22:50

Fortunately I was never in Thr situation but I had decided PRE labour that if there was any sign of difficulties which might lead to forceps delivery I was going to insist ask for a c section. I wouldn't want them anywhere near me, especially the kiellands ones, having read about the damage they can do to women and to babies.

I ended up with one unremarkable delivery and one emergency c section for a footling breech so it never came into play but I was quite determined about it.

You did the right thing IMO.

And fwiw, if you are wondering, I found the c section a lot easier to recover from than my unremarkable delivery (5lb10)

Hope you are enjoying that baby they get big so fast

HavantGuard · 22/07/2014 22:50

You made a great decision.

Gooseysgirl · 22/07/2014 22:50

My DD wasn't as big 8lb 5oz but I had it clearly written in my birth plan that I would not consent to the use if K forceps... midwife told me she completely agreed and said it's quite rare for them to be used now. My baby turned out to be back to back and I couldn't push her out, we went to theatre for an assisted delivery which ended in CS as baby was too high up for ventouse or normal forceps. I think you did the right thing. I would have refused K forceps as per my birth plan.

Jellylove · 22/07/2014 22:52

Keillands should only be done by a very experienced registrar or under direct supervision of a consultant, so in some ways it depends on how good the doctor was that you were having discussion/ procedure with. Most docs are much more expert at c/s as this is a regular part of their job whereas keillands is not a daily occurrence.
I think c-section was a good decision as you had a large baby, this is a good reason why so high up and not in a great position ( possibly square peg round hole).
If you had a successful forceps it may have been possible that a shoulder dystocia was on the cards due to size of baby.
So in my humble opinion, the section was the best plan.

ohthegoats · 22/07/2014 23:18

My friend who is a doctor has advised me to do the same, apparently 'all doctors would if it were them given the choice'. So, from advice I've been given, you made the right decision. I'm very likely to do the same.

SignoraStronza · 22/07/2014 23:26

I had a dreadful experience with dc, which ended in emcs after failure to progress (did not dilate beyond 5 cm). Thankfully didn't have to worry about forceps being a possibility as they are banned in Italy (which surprised me, as so much else in their treatment of women is barbaric and outdated).

HypodeemicNerdle · 22/07/2014 23:37

Congratulations on your new baby!

I had kiellands rotational forceps with my first baby and it was fucking awful. Baby was 7lb 15oz so not big but I ended up with internal and external stitches afterwards and took a long time to heal.

Baby number 2 ended up as a last minute planned Caesarian as I had an enormous bump, baby ended up as 10lb 13oz so I was glad of the csection. Recover wasn't easy but not as hard as after #1

Number 3 was planned section again, looking like another biggie and I wasn't comfortable to try for a vbac. That csection was a piece of piss to recover from.

In my opinion you made the right decision, if I could go back in time to my first time labouring self I'd advise an emcs

Wincher · 22/07/2014 23:47

Just to give a different view, my first baby was delivered via kiellands forceps and neither he nor I had any problems - my episiotomy healed fast. I was veryglad to have avoided a c section.

Congratulations in any event!

flipwit · 22/07/2014 23:48

Congratulations! I had failed k forceps with my dc2 and entered up with an emcs anyway so had sore scar and ragged bits! Poor ds was absolutely black and blue and I would have gone straight for c sec had I known. He is now still big strapping 8yo!

Elllimam · 22/07/2014 23:52

My first was delivered via kiellands forceps, it was quite traumatic, large episiotomy, my sons head was bruised and he still has a slightly misshapen head at the back. He was a very high needs baby who cried a lot of the time, looking back we suspect he was sore due to birth trauma. This time around the dr who was delivering me strongly recommended forceps when I again failed to progress, against her advice I opted for a c section. So far the recovery is easier (10 days on) and DS2 is much calmer and happier xx

CaptChaos · 22/07/2014 23:55

I had never heard of K forceps until a woman I met at ante natal for our second babies told me of her experience. Her doctors refused to allow her to have an EMCS until she had 'really tried' with the forceps. The result being that her baby suffered anoxia and head trauma and had now has SMLD.

You made the fit decision IMO. I would tell anyone not to allow it, the risks are too great.

TheFirmament · 22/07/2014 23:58

C-section
C-section
C-section

That's my view. I've had two, I have no problem with that at all and the horror stories I have heard about forceps put me right off. An otherwise healthy baby died at my hospital after an ill-advised forceps intervention. I would ban them. IMO if forceps are "necessary" they should go straight to C-section.

MsBug · 23/07/2014 00:07

I had forceps (not sure what kind- how do you find out?), although I wouldn't say I chose them, more that I was too scared/ exhausted to argue after a three day labour. As it happened I had no long term complications and I'm glad I had them rather than an emcs.

If I was in the same situation again and was offered the choice at the end of labour I would go for forceps again; if I could go back to the start of labour and have an emcs then I would do that.

However I think with such a big baby you probably made the right choice.

Corabell · 23/07/2014 00:22

There was a horrific case at edinburgh's royal infirmary where a mother begged for a section but an inexperienced doctor used k forceps to turn the baby which resulted in the baby's death. Beyond awful and the risks of this procedure mean some obstetrians will not use k-forceps. You made the correct choice.

allisgood1 · 23/07/2014 00:25

It's a bit late now though I understand you thinking about this.

I had forceps twice. The first time was horrific and traumatic and I have no idea how I got thru that or even went on to consider another baby. Second time I had the forceps they were only used to guide baby out and I had no real side effects other than an episiotomy although given the size I would have had one anyway.

I've resigned myself to having to probably have them this time too but for me I would rather that than a section because if I've done it twice before I can do it again.

passmethewineplease · 23/07/2014 00:29

Congratulations on your baby.

I had keilands forceps and didn't find it too bad tbh, I had a very experienced senior Dr though, don't know if this made a difference?

Recovery was pretty much the same as when I had ds, he was a vaginal birth in pool.

You made the best choice for you at the time.

Congrats again.

Jolay100 · 23/07/2014 08:06

I had keillands ( in edinburgh, with full awareness of the incident mentioned earlier in the thread) as baby was back to back and we weren't progressing. I had written in my birth plan that it was the one thing I didn't want, never really expecting to be in the position of having to decide. my midwife advocated brilliantly for me. I spoke to the consultant who examined me and said she felt it would be straightforward, and I agreed if she did it. My baby was delivered easily, but I unfortunately had a cervical tear and big blood loss. Despite this I don't regret my decision not to have a section, when it came down to it I didn't want abdominal surgery if it wasn't necessary.

LizLimone · 23/07/2014 08:19

C-section. Kiellands forceps usually involve rotation with a risk of spinal damage for the baby and are hardly used at all in developed countries outside of the UK. Good for you for advocating for yourself and insisting on a C-section.

And I say that as someone who had a forceps delivery myself but only a lift-out procedure as DS was already fully down the birth canal, could see his head etc but just couldn't quite push him out fully.

DoItTooJulia · 23/07/2014 08:30

Keillands were on my 'definitely not' list too.

For all the reasons mentioned in is thread. If baby was high up enough for keillands, he was high enough for a c section.

You obviously think nice and straight when high on gas and air and exhaustion!

Congrats in the baby,

scrufhead · 23/07/2014 09:12

I would go for a C section every time. I feel very uncomfortable in regards to forceps, I'd rather them not touch my baby's dainty head with such a scary appliance! I'm a ftm though so my opinion may well have changed depending on how my birth goes haha!

Theonlyoneiknow · 23/07/2014 09:22

I had an attempted keillands forceps delivery with DS. He was back to back, had a very long 36+hr labour and he just wasn't coming out. I'd had two doses of pethadine though so really wasn't thinking straight.

So I went into theatre and they said they would try the forceps first and if they didn't work would do a CS. I so wish I had said no, just go straight to CS. They couldn't get DS out with the forceps (said my pelvis was too small) but in trying managed to totally bruise his entire face, he looked terrible - like he had done ten rounds with Mike Tyson and in the end I had a CS.

He was a very unhappy baby for the first few months on his life and I ended up taking him to a cranial osteopath. She said his whole body was out of alignment and he had probably been in pain as the forceps twist things that they aren't suppose to on a very fragile baby.

All is well now though. With DC2 I had a planned CS booked but went into labour early. They wanted me to try and delivery vaginally but I point blank refused despite them really trying to persuade me otherwise. There was no way I was going through that again.

Anyway, sorry for waffling but yes, you definitely made the right choice OP xx

Flip

1 2 3