What’s assisted delivery actually like?

[Blahblahgingerbreadlady]

Can you feel forceps - do they give you pain relief? This is my biggest fear.

I've had an emergency c section and a forceps delivery ( and another vaginal birth ) and would choose the section over forceps personally

I had forceps with an episiotomy and couldn’t feel anything but had the epidural already, recovery wasn’t that bad I had the baby on the Sunday and was already walking outside with the pushchair on the Wednesday, everyone recovers differently though.

I had the epidural because it was a 4 day induction in the end and I was on the hormone drip, by then I was so tired and couldn’t take the pain anymore, would probably go for a c section if I could do it over again.

Did I say that 🤔

My Homebirth was a beautiful way to start motherhood.

Me and baby were very clam and content. It was a wonderful experience. I couldn’t have wished for a better start in life for baby.

I’m pleased for you. But what is your motive for such a comment on a thread asking for people to share their experiences of instrumental deliveries?

OP really wants to avoid an instrumental delivery. Someone said that avoiding an epidural would help. I said avoiding hospital would help. As is backed up by evidence.

Someone else said that a home birth was a terrible way to start motherhood hence my reply. I didn’t just dive in with ‘I had a great Homebirth’. Quite far from it.

I think it makes for an interesting read through the thread actually. The stories of forceps combined with people defending the need for a medicalised model of childbirth.

Thank you

posts like this can be really helpful but it really can make your head spin! I do feel worried about whatever I choose tbh.

People defend it because it has stopped many women and babies dying. Take a look at the ‘all natural, not so much as a sweep’ statistics from the 1700s and let me know how they compare.

Your presence on this thread doesn’t feel like an encouraging story of how we can all be empowered to have an amazing natural delivery, it feels a little like you’re here to spectate on our ‘awful birth stories’ and feel superior by telling us how we could’ve done it so much better like you.

The thread title alone should’ve signposted that it wasn’t for you, but instead you were drawn to click on it. I wonder why.

Had forceps with my first. Like many others, I had a spinal block in case I needed an emcs so felt nothing at the time. The recovery was pretty bad though and women who had Cs seemed to recover more quickly.

For a while I thought I would request elcs for my second but after reading up on the topic I went the opposite way and decided on a home birth. I only did that because I was low risk and lived close to the hospital. If that hadn't been the case I would have stuck with asking for an elcs. I basically wanted anything except for another hospital birth ending with intervention.

It worked out well for me, dc2 was born easily at home. I don't think it was a selfish choice because I think the experience was better for the baby as well as me. His first hours of life were spent in bed with me, vs dc1 being in a separate cot while I recovered from birth and both of us full of antibiotics), and as a result he breastfed easily and without any of the problems dc1 had.

Oh and if it helps OP I have no lasting ill effects from forceps at all. I’ve never leaked a single drop, even in the hours after the birth, and I have full sensation and muscle control down there. My sister had a really straightforward natural birth and has quite severe urinary incontinence for which she is having ongoing treatment, as a result of a second degree tear.

Exactly. For you. You took the risk and it paid off. It doesn’t for everyone unfortunately. It’s called survivor bias.

I agree with everything @Jamtartforme has said.

It's the most amazing relief isn't it 😅

Same. I was clear that I would never have forceps. ELCS before forceps. I think they've been around since medieval times. The damage they can do to a woman's body is awful. Honestly what women go through during childbirth is ridiculous and I'm convinced the level of care and options offered would be completely different if men were giving birth!!!

I clicked on the thread because I was interested to hear what an instrumental delivery is like. Which I am sure is why a lot of other people have clicked on the thread too! It is a public forum.

I am very interested in women’s experiences of childbirth and it’s a topic I spend a lot of time reading/learning about. I enjoy contributing to the conversation where I can. I am not superior to anyone on this thread.

It was quite far through the thread before I said anything about my own personal experience and that was in response to some fairly horrible comments about a legitimate birth choice that is offered and supported by the NHS.

In the Netherlands birthing at home is the default unless there’s a reason not to. There must be so much survivors bias in the Netherlands @TheBarbieEffect !

Also we just don’t live in the 1700s, it’s not a useful comparison. Women are far healthier and better nourished for a start.

I had ventouse/episiotomy with my 1st. Pain relief was paracetamol/codeine/G&A and a local anaesthetic for the episiotomy. To be honest, after a 23 hour back to back labour including two hours of pushing, I was already so knackered and in so much pain that I was just glad to have him out.

I had rotational forceps with my first. Didn't feel pain as, like many others, I had a block in case they had to try cs. It was very strange watching the dr having to work so hard to get baby out - she was properly sweating by the end.
Unfortunately, it left a fair bit of damage (including going home with a catheter) and a long recovery.

Opted for elcs with my 2nd. Recovery was much quicker and didn't feel a thing as under GA. Afterwards, the nurse said forceps were used to get her out as she was tucked up in a strange position. I had no idea forceps we're used for cs as well.

Women are also much older and overweight than in the 1700s, with more health complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure and so on. Also more multiples due to age and IVF.

As somebody who was clearly low risk, healthy and had the luck of optimal fetal positioning, I don’t think you can ever understand what it’s like to have a complicated pregnancy or face difficult decisions about induction. All this ‘oh you should’ve just stayed at home, silly you for believing the doctors’ is really quite insulting. I suggest you leave the topic well alone and just quietly celebrate your own good luck and experience because your contributions here have been quite insensitive in my opinion.

I had forceps & an episiotomy with my first. I didn't feel anything because I'd had a spinal incase I needed a caesarean.

Ds2 was a natural birth in 5 hours with just gas & air. He was huge though and I did tear.

@PinkPlantCase Even in The Netherlands only 30% have home births. 60% have hospital births (10% use birthing clinics).

And yes, regardless of percentage, it’s still survivor bias. Of course you are going to mock that, because you won’t like admitting the reality that you took a huge risk with your baby from the off for your own “comfortable” and “beautiful” experience.

I had a long and painful early labour, then an epidural (bliss!) while they were still filling the birth pool that I had planned to use. Like many others I was prepped for emcs so could feel nothing, but baby came out with forceps and episiotomy. They had finished the stitches in a minute or two and I felt pretty ok a few hours after birth. I honestly couldn't believe how easy both birth and the first weeks PP were after being so scared of instrumental delivery. A few weeks later I am now still struggling with a bit of pain when walking too much which seems to be a result of the epidural catheter causing some damage (tbc what the issue is as waiting to see doctor). I'm not in much pain it's just frustrating. As far as I can tell the forceps haven't done any damage, although I'll have to wait til the other problem is sorted to be certain.

Re the home birth argument...I don't see why people are so polarised. I think my painful/slow labour and need for forceps probably was due to over medicalisation (I was dragged into hospital for antibiotics on a drip and constant monitoring which caused a lack of sleep/rest and lack of mobility and the early labour/pre labour was generally stressful and tiring).However I'd have hated to be at home in case anything they were trying to prevent actually happened, I think the answer is for them to be less forceful in hospital about interventions (like the monitoring in my case which was just because my waters had broken before labour - I think intermittent monitoring rather than constant would have been fine and allowed me to move and rest better).

Oh also, I totally agree about all the "whatever gets you and baby out safely". Sure once you're in the situation that's all they can do, but despite having a very positive experience from the point of epidural onwards, I am unsure if I could face a second child based on some of the stories on here.

I do wonder if there's a bias towards responses from people who had traumatic experiences though - more likely to want to go over what happened to process it and have stronger opinions on it perhaps?

First baby: failed ventouse, forceps, episiotomy. Also third degree tear and PPH. I already had an epidural cranked right up, as I had been prepped for a C section in case they couldn’t get her out. I didn’t feel anything at the time, but felt plenty afterwards. The recovery took many months and was very painful.

Second baby: ELCS. Smoother and much faster recovery. There was pain afterwards, but I had good pain relief and it got better pretty quickly.

One interesting fact I discovered: the perception I had was that the ventouse is so much gentler than the forceps. Initially I consented to ventouse, but not forceps.
It’s really not! Two people were pulling me back on the operating table as they were trying to pull the baby out with the ventouse. I spoke to the doctor afterwards and she said the third degree tear had already been caused by the ventouse, before it even got to the forceps.

I had the ventouse and a small episiotomy (2nd degree).

I hadn't been induced and didn't have an epidural. It was the long-ish labour and contractions that I found challenging. The assisted delivery bit was fine! The finish line was in sight so I was really pleased. Agree with other posters saying it was a relief. Having the stitches done does smart a bit, and felt weird to have the obstetrician rummaging for what felt like quite a while! But recovery was ok.

Having had a decent first time experience, I would consider a home birth second time around, except I love gas and air so much and there is no way the midwife would bring enough (I got through MANY canisters).

I have just found out baby number 3 is on the way .

My previous two babies were born , 1 via emergency C-section and the my 2nd planned c-section

Does anyone believe it would be possible to have a natural birth? Or has anyone experienced a natural birth after 2 sections ?

The recovery with my second section was difficult and painful so I wanted to try natural this time, especially having 2 children at home

Would really appreciate some advice

I had forceps in an emergency situation, they had already prepped my body for a c section as the forceps were a last resort. I didn't feel anything and at that point I was agreeing to anything as he needed to come out. He barely had any marks on him.