needing info about assisted delivery

[Maria2007]

Hi everyone,

I'm Maria, 36 weeks pregnant today, this is my 1st baby... am trying to get some more info on the labour process, since from now on it could happen any time really. We're working with a wonderful doula who has helped us think through our options at a meeting last week. One of our decisions is to choose an epidural, since I'm panicky about the pain (mobile epidural is what's given at our hospital) & she not only accepted this, but helped us realise that there are many things you can do to work 'around' an epidural & still get some movement. I'm so happy she'll be there with us to assist with the movement-factor & help me avoid being in a lying down position, especially in the 2nd stage.

However, there is one question both me & my partner have, & it doesn't seem as if we can get adequate info anywhere. We're really worried of the possibility of assisted delivery (forceps/ventouse) & particularly its effects on the baby. We both hate the idea of baby's tiny head being squashed or damaged somehow. I know that with epidurals the risk of assisted delivery is somewhat higher. Would like to ask- does anyone know how much higher? And what- if anything- can be done to avoid this? Also: if worse comes to worse & forceps have to be used, is it preferable to have a c-section do you think, for the baby's safety, & if so, will we have a say in the matter?

Thanks so much in advance.
Maria

I had a ventouse delivery and I was happy not to have had to have a CS. I hadn't had an epidural but I was induced (baby apparently overdue, and my age - 37) and then spent most of a long labour wired up to monitoring equipment because they were giving me something to speed up the first stage of labour. I'm hoping next time that I can avoid induction and/or being in my back, especially as I suspect my due date was wrong in the first place last time, and that ds should always have been expected later than he was.

Just wanted to say that although it is good you are preparing for the interventions I really hope that with the help of your DP and Doula you can go for a natural delivery. Try to hold off on the Epi, you may be suprised at how well you do with the extra support you are getting from the Doula.

Having said that an epidural can make the delivery a more pleasant experience and if that is your choice then I completely respect it. From experience though I would say wait and see, labour affects every one differently and your body may suprise you I went for the wait and see option, did not rule anything out of my Birth plan, thing went well and I managed on G&A.

Good luck, let us know when LO arrives

So agree with ReallyTired. The birth is just one day of the whole of your life, so there's not much point in focussing on it too much.

The truth is however much we want to control the birthing process - and we are so used to be in control of everything - in all honesty, we are not.

There is a lot of pressure for us to make this choice or that and yes, the idea of forceps/ventouse made me shudder too. But it's a big responsibility to take on to make a medical decision like this.

I am not a medical expert, so personally I would prefer to defer to the opinion of someone who has made the study of this subject their life's work. I simply think the chances of someone who has studied and seen it all happening day after day has a much better chance of making the right medical decision than me.

Hi Maria,

I don't want to scare you and debated about writing this but I only wish that I had been fully aware of the complications of assisted delivery for the birth of my DS as the results were devastating for us.

My labour was uneventful however after an hour or so of pushing DS wasn't making any progress so it was decided that the ventouse was the next course of action and I was taken to theatre (so I would not have to be moved should a c-section be needed). The ventouse was applied but came off on the first pull (with such force that the consultant fell back and DP actually thought that the baby had been delivered). A further 4 pulls were taken before it was agreed that a c-section was needed. DS was born with a very stretched head (98% centile compared to 25% centile weight) which was bruised with broken skin. We were obviously very concerned but his apgars were 9 and 10 and the paed was happy with his condition, even telling us that he "had seen far worse". DS didn't settle, he whined rather than cried and to cut a long story short was taken to special care 15 hours after birth (at 2am). When I was finally taken to see him in special care (at 10am after asking continuously since 6am) he had jerky movements and looked very poorly. He began to fit and after 2 MRI scans we were advised that he had had an extensive bleed and was likely to be severely disabled.

The neonatal consultant that looked after DS actually told us that we should make a complaint about the consultant that delivered DS (off the record of course). We have been independently advised that the ventouse was probably applied in the wrong position and my hospital notes state there was some confusion about the position of the baby so this seems to conform to this. We have also advised that they should never have carried out more than 3 pulls if there was no progress.

I know that this is extremely rare and that for every horror story there are many more successful ones. My DS is an absolute joy and I wouldn?t be without him for the world. He is developmentally delayed and has left sided hemiplegia but is doing far better that we could have imagined and continues to amaze us with his progress? however there is not a day that goes by that I don?t wish I had asked to go straight to c-section and we have so many it only?s...I should also add that I did have an epidural. I?m also quite small at 5ft1 shoe size 3, DS weighed 7lB 7oz so wasn?t hugely big but in our case they really shouldn?t have gone ahead with the ventouse.

Good luck with everything, my experience is obviously very extreme and you sound like you?re on top of everything so I?m sure you will be fine

Ashley

Maria,
Sorry I can't answer your questions but have some thoughts that may help.

If you need an epidural, I hope you get one straight away and it works for you. However, you could keep an open mind - you might not even need it. I have one dc, her birth was painful but overwhelmingly a wonderful experience (honestly). I found TENS,breathing and G&A really effective at managing the pain. I felt totally in control throughout the labour (my midwife was excellent).

You said 'I went through lots of very bad pain at the time & felt completely out of control'. I think you will find childbirth completely different to the trauma of being in A&E in the middle of the night terrified that you or your unborn baby are at risk. First of all labour pain is a positive sign that you are about to meet your lo and that all is progressing as normal. Also you will know that in a few hours (hopefully not too many...) the pain will stop (almost instantly). In fact, compared to what you went through you may find its a walk in the park!

I found it really hard to find a balance between being informed (of course you want to know your options) and overthinking the whole thing and working yourself up into a state which is exactly what you don't want....

Good luck!