Forceps with an epidural that hasn't worked

[Xmasallyear]

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience at all? My birthplan went completely out of the window. My waters had meconium, after around 30 hours of contractions I was given an induction drip as I was dilating too slowly at which point I was advised to have an epidural.

When the anesthetist did the block of ice test I kept saying I could feel it and rated the sensation of cold as a 9/10 everywhere. They advised me to lie on my side and said they would come back later but never did! The epidural didnt seem to make any difference, I can only assume it dulled the pain slightly as the contractions only got slightly worse while on the drip? My not so lovely midwife then proceeded to physically take the gas and air out of my hands as she said I didn't need it! My partner grabbed this back for me! I kept telling the midwife i didnt feel pain free but she wouldn't really engage with me at all!

A few hours later I kept saying I had intense pressure and asking when I would be examined. The midwife kept saying not until six hours had passed. When the doctors visited on the rounds they asked the midwife why I hadn't been examined in so long at which point she said something about shift change over and rolled her eyes when she turned around. Doctors insisted I was examined and I was 10cms. After pushing for 40 minutes I was taken to theatre for forceps delivery where I was given an epidural top up once again with the ice test I kept saying I can feel it and said surely I shouldn't be able to?

This top up definitely did nothing as soon as the doctor made the episiotomy cut I screamed and couldn't keep my bum down on the trolley. Gas and air was put over my face and I had another doctor holding me down at my chest. To top it all my placenta was manually removed which was just as painful! I could even still feel the stitches afterwards and my husband said even at this point my face was flinching at each stitch.

The next day I saw the midwife I had for my first part of labour and said an epidural wasn't what I imagined. That's when she told me my experience was completely wrong and the epidural must not have been working! She advised me to make a complaint via Pals. ( I haven't done this yet).

I've had a debrief where to add insult it's been noted in my records that "patient was comfortable and epidural pain relief was sufficent". The records also don't give a reason for the manual removal of the placenta. It had only been 15 minutes after labour before this happened.

I'm feeling a bit screwed over but also wondering do people generally still feel pain during a forceps delivery? Did the doctors really not notice the level of pain I was in? After watching countless episodes of one born every minute in pregnancy I thought a forceps delivery looked relatively painless! Mine was nothing like this!

Can I ask other people's experiences of forceps / epidurals? Had anyone had the placenta removed manually and what were the reasons given?

@Arriettyborrower I really hope that wasn't on my ward! We'd have had him straight into fentanyl/ morphine infusion and possibly ketamine as well.

This is horrendous. Please complain to PALS. My epidural failed but I was believed and listened to, as you should have been. I’m so sorry.

I had forceps without an epidural (only three years ago), and your experience sounds very like mine. I felt the episiotomy, too, and screamed and tried to climb up the bed, and I felt the (cold, cold) forceps.

You should complain.

This was in HDU in a prestigious hospital!!!!!

I would’ve loved him to have been on your ward! The op also didn’t work so he had revision this year, he was traumatised by his previous experience (epidural failed twice..)
This time I requested a nerve block, the revision surgery was only on the femoral osteotomy, and PCA which was so much better for him.

This sounds absolutely horrific OP, I'm sorry you went through that. I had an episiotomy with forceps and I felt absolutely nothing. I couldnt even feel my contractions, the midwife had to tell me when to push. I was given a spinal block beforehand which is different to an epidural - a spinal block removes all sensation completely whereas an epidural doesn't necessarily do this. I had an epidural before I was taken into theatre for the spinal block and assisted delivery, and I felt the pain of my contractions intensely with the epidural. But nothing at all with the spinal.

Please complain. This is not right. I'm sorry that you went through this.
You might find the birth trauma association website helpful.

I'm sorry @Xmasallyear that must have been very traumatic! You were treated appalingly.

The epidural fails in 1 in 8 women. It's such a common occurence that medical professionals should absolutely be aware of it and not gaslight poor agonising women instead.

Definitely file a complaint!

Definitely make a complaint if and when you feel ready, this doesn’t sound ok.

With DC1 I remember the doctor saying they would try ventouse before forceps delivery because I hadn’t had an epidural. Luckily DC1 came out with ventouse. Also when DC2 was measuring big the doctor I spoke to a week before they arrived said they’d recommend I had an epidural on arrival as a forceps delivery could be very likely. Basically the overriding medical opinion that I encountered seemed to be that an epidural was really recommended for a forceps delivery if at all possible.

I had an epidural due to forceps delivery after 3 failed ventouse attempts (yes my vagina was in taters for months after). I couldn't feel pain but I could feel the tugging sensation.
You need to complain you shouldn't have felt pain. I can only sympathise about the episiotomy that must have been horrific.

I had an epidural and forceps. I felt no pain. Didn't really feel anything but I knew they were doing something down there. I didn't know they had used forceps until later.

I'm sorry you went through that op it sounds awful.

I was induced, had the drip and an epidural around half way through. My daughter got stuck at pushing (shoulder dystocia) and I was taken into theatre for forceps.

They topped up my epidural while in theatre and the anaesthetist topped up more when they did the cold test and I said I could still feel it. They didn't proceed until I said I couldn't feel anything.

Your experience sounds horrible and shouldn't have happened to you. I don't understand why people would become a midwife if they weren't willing to listen to someone saying they are in pain?

I had suction and forceps with episiotomy. No epidural, just gas and air. I can’t remember feeling what you describe and by that stage (1.5hours of pushing) I just wanted baby out!

Being held down sounds horrific!!! Poor you. And having your placenta pulled out - Jesus wept!!

I definitely agree with your experience of the stitching afterwards - I felt every stitch and remember asking my DH to get them to stop.

I had an epidural with my son. He was 10lbs, back to back and his shoulder got stuck, delivered in theatre with forceps, didn't feel a thing.

So sorry for your bad experience x

I had both - and could not feel a thing with the epidural. All I could feel was 'pressure' inside me to push if that makes sense?! No pain and I couldn't feel when they did the episiotomy.

Your experience sounds horrific and I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that. A complaint definitely needs to be made as no one should go through that much pain.

i had forceps, no epidural

Do complain.
I had a totally different procedure (a flexible sigmoidoscopy) and it was sheer hell.
I totally understand about the relentlessness of them not believing you and carrying on. I did complain (and wish I could tell you it has been dealt with - five months down the line I have only had an acknowledgment of my email), and I'm not letting go. I don't want anyone else to endure what I did, because my case was unusual. Just because it was doesn't mean they shouldn't have listened to me. A bonus would be if they acknowledged that it should never have happened.
I really feel for you, @Xmasallyear.

Sounds awful op. I had episiotomy and forceps with no painkillers as baby very distressed. They rushed me to theatre with alarms for a emergency cs but I was already 10cm when we arrived to theatre.
it was awful pain - they had to hold me down and I just remember screaming and pain.
It was horrific and I won’t even have another just in case it’s the same again. Thankfully the entire thing from first twinges to stitching after was only an hour.
Talking about it is important to process it as it’s really traumatic.

I have had forceps and episiotomy but with spinal black just before hand. Didnt feel anything not even the contractions. I am so so sorry you had to go through this. Sounds awful. I have also had a c section many years prior and recall having to be held down as i was shaking so much. Not a nice experience. Hope you are ok xx

I’m so sorry this happened to you, they should have listened to you. My sister also had 2 failed epidurals with her first, it was a very traumatic birth all found. Epidurals fail around 12% of the time, it’s actually not that uncommon and the midwives should know this. Please make a formal complaint, you’ve been treated very badly and it should be challenged.

I had a manual removal of the placenta and was told the process is to give a maximum of an hour to get the placenta to come away by encouraging skin to skin, breastfeeding and rubbing of the stomach and gently pulling the cord. Unfortunately I ended up having a major haemorrhage and had to have a general anaesthetic to get it out as I was very unwell from blood loss. Sounds horrific what you have been through!

I work in healthcare. Sadly these days, professional lie in notes. I would be complaining. I didn’t 17 years later I wish I had.

I’m so sorry this happened to you. Absolutely complain because it’s completely unacceptable. You deserve to be given answers and not be fobbed off.

Ive had forceps and episiotomy for two of my births without painkiller. First one i begged for an epidural but never got it. Traumatised me..surprised i had more. The last birth i was given an epidural and didnt feel a thing when they did the forceps. Definitely complain, I wish i had as I still shudder thinking of the first delivery.

I had two emergency deliveries where both babies were in distress. When you say about giving consent for both of mine the doctors just did what would save me and my baby. There was no option or consent. There was no time.

The legalities around withholding consent in a life threatening situation where you're not entirely rational must be crazy