Did anyone give birth in stirrups?

[LongNeck]

Against my wishes, I was made to give birth in stirrups as I was told by the midwife that the baby was distressed and this was the only way it would come out. Another midwife I told this story to was horrified and said stirrups were never necessary for a safe birth when no forceps or ventouse are involved. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm feeling awful about it.

Yes. I specifically put that I didn’t want to give birth on my back in my birth plan, but that didn’t even make it out of my bag. They said afterwards they’d heard a possible deceleration in my son’s heartbeat. I remember I kept saying ‘I don’t like it, I don’t want to be on my back’ because it was so uncomfortable and I think it may have been the reason for my nasty tear.

I did but forceps delivery with episiotomy so was needed really.