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.

Can't remember from my class, but I was non instrumental vaginal the first time. (Followed by crash cs, then ventouse vbac)

As far as I can remember from my group of friends:

1 cs (at 34 weeks due to severe pre-eclampsia - me)
2 forceps, 1 of those induced
1 induced (at 36 weeks due to broken waters, unassisted otherwise)
2 unassisted (1 at 35 weeks, spontaneous labour)

Interesting thread!

Out of my group of friends (1st births):

1 episiotomy/ drip/ rotational ventouse (me)

1 forceps

2 inductions, no further interventions

1 mixed (twins - 1 vaginally, 1 em CS due to foetal distress)

My next delivery is a planned c-section for medical reasons due to 1st delivery.

Can't remember all my group, but out of my friends who have delivered recently 10 had c/s, 3 had assisted vaginal births, 1 had natural unassisted birth.

Both mine were natural without induction, epidural or assistance. I feel really lucky. Recovering from a c-section is no joke if my friend experiences are anything to go by.

Here's an update of the stats in this thread sofar.

Of 352 First Births (I only counted the first births)there have been
115 c/s (33%)
31 forceps (9%)
47 ventouse (14%)
159 un-assisted deliveries (46%).

Still not looking great. Looking at these stats I think in the ante-natal classes they should prepare us for these interventions just as much as for a straight=forward birth.

Keep the stats coming.

quick technical question, how can I bold a whole paragraph, like I tried with the stats in the post below.

episiotomy but no other intervention

no class groups.

Mine was ventouse and episiotomy.

my first delivery: prem baby boy 24.5 weeks

1 x ruptured membranes + drip to stop + ambulance ride + drip to start + gas & air + footling breech delivery + episiotomy to allow head to pass + visit from priest to baptise + general to remove placenta + 2 x blood transfusions to help mother = a very sad ending.

DD now 8
DS now 7

Big {{{HUG}}}} to you, Kaloo. This is so sad.

Fio, that's what I thought too until my friend (who gave birth two weeks ago) begged for a section when the wee one didn't shift but the Dr insisted on trying forceps first, promising her a c/s if forceps didn't work. She was all set up for her c/s but they still 'wanted to try' the forceps first. Luckily the wee man came out with the forceps otherwise she'd have two big scars now.

I'm no expert but I do think a c/s causes less damage than a forceps delivery.

First birth,
Induced Weds 9pm, DD born Fri at 11.30 am

Had no forceps etc but was on a drip to bring on contractions for last few hours.

Poor fio, worst of both worlds. Not fair.

First birth: elective section (not in labour at all)

Second birth (first labour): VBAC, no interventions at all.

Kaloo, that is so I'm so sorry.
Fio - I had a similar experience, but DD was born by instrumental delivery on the last go. I was bullied into the instrument delivery by the OB, when I really wanted a CS. I had tried really hard for a natural delivery and it was obvious that DD wasn't going to do it. Don't think he read my MW notes to be honest as they clearly state how active I was and how hard I pushed.
for you that you ended up with 2 scars, really isn't fair. Don't know why doctors push so hard for vaginal delivery when things are going so wrong.

6 in my NCT class

2 emergency C/S
1 induction with gas & air only & episiotomy but no instrumental assistance (me)
1 induction with ventouse, epidural, PPH
2 unassisted

2nd babies from that group...

1 unassisted (me)
1 elective CS
2 more to come....we'll see if they're easier too

Ante-natal class. 12 women.

1 home & hospital - an unassisted twin in each venue
1 in hospital - planned cs.
10 at birthing centre - 9 unassisted and 1 sent on for e/cs.

Unfortunately the birthing centre is no longer allowed to take first time mothers so our local figures have probably changed dramatically.

I've no idea about the stats from my NHS antenatal class as it was only 1 day and I don't know what the outcomes have been (some may be still to give birth as I was due sooner than most at the end of April.

I had ventouse assistance and had been induced due to being overdue and my age. I am half way through a postnatal class and there were two emergency caesarians in a class of 7, one of whom had also started off being induced.

However, I don't consider the use of the ventouse in my case to be anything like the level of intervention involved in a caesarian. I was quite happy and relieved that I hadn't had to have a caesarian and had managed with gas and air for pain relief. I was more disappointed that due to my induction I had to spend much of my labour - 26.5 hours from start of identified contractions to birth - 2 am to 4.29 am the next morning - wired up to monitoring equipment and wasn't free to move around.

I was also glad that I'd learned about ventouse cups in the antenatal class I'd had and knew what was happening to me, I think it would have been more difficult not to.

reading this, I'm glad to have given birth in Belgium (though might not have made a difference). lucky enough to have natural birth (though had epidural and drip as I went 40 hours). but no intervention at the pushing stage...

6 of us in NCT class

3 non-instrumental births
1 home birth (planned) non instrumental
2 ventouse

Don't know about my class, moved house 2 wks before birth 35 wks with twins, epidural in case of cs, twin 1 forceps, twin 2 footling breech, episiostomy, no fun at all, won't do it again (but at least I got 2 for the price of 1 )

Dont think i've posted before.. lol.

My first birth was unassisted.
The one girl from my AN class i met afterwards had a vontouse delivery.