1st Birth Statistics

[Rochwen]

I've just been reading the forceps vs ventouse thread and have thus been wondering just how often intervention is needed during first births.

So, let's start a poll.

In my NHS ante-natal class there were 9 women (including myself).

3 c/s
2 forceps assisted births
3 ventouse assisted births
1 non-instrumental birth

In my NCT ante-natal class there were 6 women.
2 c/s
1 forceps assisted births
3 ventouse assisted births

I'm no expert but it seems just from this small sample that the odds of having a totally non-assisted birth for your first child are very small. We can't all have been just unlucky.

The hosptial concerned is in Scotland and about average in Scotland in c/s etc.

I'll be interested what the stats were in your ante-natal groups and/or just your own experience for your first birth.

In my NCT class, 8 women:
1 planned c/s for breech
2 emergency c/s
2 ventouse assisted births
3 non-instrumental births

not NCT, but amongst my friends with babes of similar ages
1 ventouse (me , ouch!)
2 emergency CS
2 no interventions

my second birth was uncomplicated, no toolkit, no drugs

7 of us in the class that I keep in touch with:

All unassisted! - 3 episiostomies (sp?) does this count?

Crikey! I'm a bit shocked by some of these stats. I would have assumed that non-assisted would be the norm. I wonder if the area/hospital are relevant.

My first was a 13 hour labour - stage 2, 3 hours of pushing. Am fairly sure that doctors would have intervened if my birthing partner hadn't sent them away, knowing I was coping with the pushing and the baby wasn't in distress. I was always worried about a 'conveyor belt' hospital birth, and that if I was taking too long they'd intervene.

Don't know for my antenatal class. My first birth was assisted by rotational forceps. OP baby refused to turn.

Don't know about anyone else from my groups, but I had ventouse with dd1 (my first birth). Friend had an emergency c/s.

NCT
1 planned c-section
1 unplanned
2 ventouse
2 unassisted

Post natal
1 planned c-section
2 emergency c-sections
2 ventouse
3/4 unassisted

My NCT - 8 couples

1 elective CS
3 emergency CS
2 ventouse
2 natural births (of which 1 was assisted with a drip)

My first birth - induction and episiotomy. Normal non-instrumental delivery after that.

Didn't go to any classes but had an unassisted first birth.

Out of my friends:

1 ventouse
5 unassited

my (small!) ante natal group:

Me: 'Crash' CS under GA
One water birth, no intervention, not even an internal done!
One 'dry land' normal birth, no forceps or ventouse.

Out of my friends due in the same year I had DS (all first time mums):

me- emergency c-section at 30 wks due to severe pre-eclampsia

2 unassisted natural births (in hospital) at full-term

1 emergency c-section after 42 hr labour with baby stuck, at 42 wks (not induced though)

I was in the pushing stage for 3.5 hours. I had the most fantastic midwife who rebutted all the attempts of the consultants to intervene. By the end even I, who had written a hugely detailed birth plan, was begging her to use a ventouse to get him out. I remember distinctly what she said to me "I am NOT attaching a suction cap to this wee baby's head - he's nearly there, you CAN do it". And I delivered naturally - double episiotomy, but naturally. I am so so grateful to that midwife!

my first ( and my second for that matter) emergency c section

Interesting statistics.

I just did a quick count of the thread and of 200 births so far in this thread:

74 by c/s (37 %)
14 by forceps (7%)
25 by ventouse (12.5%)
87 non-assisted (43.5%)

Gosh, I am knackered after allt his maths.

And at this time so you should be!

Oh dear, your are right I should go to bed. I just realised the time, eeek. DD will be bright eyed and busy tailed at 6.30 on the dot. Right Ladies, I'm off to bed.

I'm still up and only just seen your thread, so if you want to add any more stats:

My NCT antenatal group (of 6) for 1st time live births:

1 crash caesarian under General Anaesthetic
1 emergency c/s (due to long labour and baby being "stuck")
1 straightforward home birth
2 assisted (venthouse) deliveries in hospital
1 unassisted in hospital (but this was Mum's second labour & birth)

PLEASE keep going with this thread. It makes for very interesting statistics which could perhaps be used somewhere professional in the future.

I went to a couple of classes but didn't really get to know anyone in the class. I knew one girl as I'd been at school with her and she was also having her first.

I ended up with a forceps delivery because dd1 was back to front and wasn't moving for love nor money.

My sister had her first last November and also had a forceps delivery.

One thing I discovered was that my sister was delivered in her delivery room. I had been prepped and rushed off to the theatre for my delivery. I realise now, almost 10 years later, that they didn't think the forceps would work and had prepared me for a c-section just in case. I thought all forceps deliveries were done in theatre until my sister and another friend told me that they had just been in the delivery room.

Oh and the friend I was at school with had a c-section.

No classes for me but 1st birth i had forceps ds was in distress 2nd birth dd just fell out LOL

In my antenatal NCT
8 women
6 c/s - me crash-style under GA, another girl c/s followed by post-natal pre-eclamsia (didn't know such a thing existed), two other emergency c's
2 normal births

Women delivered at Homerton, UCH, St. Mary's in London

post natal NCT
5 women
1 c/s
3 normal births
1 with ventouse.

Women delivered at Whipps and King George (Essex)

Thanks for all your responses.

I agree with twoisenoughmum, let's keep this thread going. It's really interesting to see all the stats.

Didn't do NCT classes - dont know stats for NHS. Both of mine were inductions with no further interventions - unless ARM with first counts.

I only did NHS ante-natal class. Had waters broken, then drip to speed up labour, epidural and then no further interventions.

I only know one other person from my ante-natal class and she also had no interventions.

Both she and I were having our first babies.