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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

FORCEPS - A little poll

112 replies

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 03/12/2008 18:59

(This may have been done before, if so I apologize for not searching the archives first.)

I'm just wondering - is there anyone who had a reasonably positive experience with a forceps delivery?

I'm asking because I got into it with a consultant last week - I will be having a repair on my bits in Feb from DS's birth. It was pretty horrible, ended in a forceps delivery which caused a massive tear, hemorrhage etc... hence the necessity for a repair. We were discussing the upcoming surgery, and while I am of course looking forward to being (hopefully) pain-free in the future, I'm not too excited about having to have surgery. So I made a comment about the mismanagement of my labour (there really was complete fuckwittage by my midwife) and how several doctors after said that I ought to have had a section, and that I think forceps are barbaric. The consultant told me that there are many times when the use of forceps is appropriate and that they often (in fact he said in most cases) don't cause too much damage. He was being pretty snotty about it, actually, and the conversation ended up deteriorating to the point where I told him that he really wouldn't know, would he, seeing as he was a male and would never have a set of salad tongs shoved up his fanjo... anyway, he stuck to the point and said I should ask around, and that lots of women have "good" forceps deliveries. I find tha a bit hard to believe but am willing to be surprised.

So --- anyone? If you've had forceps, was it awful or a "good" experience? Have any/most of you had complications after or been ok?

OP posts:

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thequietone · 03/12/2008 19:03

I had forceps. Bad experience. They gave me an episiotemy (sp?) but when they reached in (bleurgh) with the forceps and DS1 came out, I ripped to 2nd degree tear. This was Feb 2005 and I still suffer with some complications. DS2 ended up being an elective C section, as strongly recommended by the Chief Consultant at the hospital of the first birth.

GooberKingWenceslas · 03/12/2008 19:06

Had it with DS1, now 14.
Lost soooooooooo much blood, awfull, horrific experience. I'm still haunted by it.

Pennies · 03/12/2008 19:08

No problems here.

Puppster · 03/12/2008 19:09

Yup, another bad forceps delivery here, pretty much as per thequietone - I also needed cauterizing (nice) when my DS was 16 weeks old as the episiotomy hadn't healed properly and was giving me problems. I reckon they are pretty barbaric, and currently I'm planning to insist on a section for no.2 (not yet conceived!)

fwiw, I know a peadiatrician who said that if it had got to that point with her delivery she would have insisted on a section, as being better all round for mother and baby

Beachcomber · 03/12/2008 19:11

Didn't have forceps but they were my greatest fear because my sister and two friends had such a bad experience of them. Both my friends were close to having corrective surgery and one of them has an unexplained bowel problem that has persisted 4 years after her forceps delivery.

I think your consultants snotty attitude is shocking BTW.

Good luck with getting things sorted. I feel so angry on behalf of people like you and my friends and sister .

Puppster · 03/12/2008 19:11

oh and good luck with your op

LeakyDAISYcal · 03/12/2008 19:11

I had my DC3 four weeks ago which ended up a forceps delivery as he had got himself stuck.

I had a small episiotomy, and DS, although he had marks on his face they had all but disappeared the next day. With the help of the forceps DS was delivered in three pushes.

Since delivery I've had a few issues with urinary incontinence, but as my pelvic floor had been pretty shot towards the end of my pregnancy I don't think the forceps are to blame, but they may have exaserbated the problem. My episiotomy has healed very well.

As someone who had two CSs before a vaginal delivery I feel that my birth expereince was a good one, even though it did end in forceps. Mainly because it meant I avoided a CS which was important to me to do so I could put to bed the ghosts of my first, lengthy, over medicalised and quite frankly horrendous labour.

so, although I'm having physio for the pelvic floor issues, I feel that the experience as a whole was a very positive one

Original poster

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 03/12/2008 19:18

Hmm... it is nice to hear that it can go well with forceps but so far it sounds like the negatives outweigh the positives.
Good to hear what the paediatrician said about them, too.

OP posts:

artichokes · 03/12/2008 19:24

I had a bad birth experience but I am not sure whether forceps themselves were bad.

Had they not been an option I would have needed a c-section and to me that would have been worse. However, the forceps gave DD a black eye and I took a long time to heal from the tearing and episiotomy. I also bled heavily afterwards and needed blood transfusions (this is more likely after an instrumental delivery but it may have happened anyway as DD was huge and I was induced and it was a long labour).

So I guess for me forceps stopped major abdominal surgery after a long labour and for that I am grateful. But they did have horrible side-effects.

Dannat · 03/12/2008 19:25

No probs here either

jimmyjammys · 03/12/2008 22:22

I had a similar time to artichokes, a terrible time of it - very long 30 hr labour, DS was OP and was stuck, born with hands in mouth, episiotomy which took a long time to heal, womb failed to contract afterwards and I lost a lot of blood. Forceps also gave DS a graze on the head which did heal after a couple of days. 16 months later I still have pelvic floor issues though not sure if the forceps caused that. When they told me I would have to have forceps I begged them for a emergency CS but they said there wasn't enough time. When I have another DC I will be asking for an elective - though I know that is no walk in the park either but I do not want to go through again.

bessmum · 03/12/2008 22:36

Third degree tear after forceps but still think that this was probably better than the alternative of an emergency section.

pinkmagic1 · 03/12/2008 22:42

I had a dramatic forceps delivery with my first DS, now 4, which has left him with a small scar under his eye. But apart from this and feeling very sore for 2 weeks, I had no long term health issues and found it preferable to a c section I think.

BananaFruitBat · 03/12/2008 22:45

Nah, DS was helped out with forceps and it was fine. I had an episiotomy and had no problems with that either.

DH nearly passed out though. Wimp.

Linnet · 03/12/2008 23:43

DD1 was delivered by forceps. Dd1 was fine she had a bit of a graze on her head but it cleared up really quickly. I had a long labour in which she was back to back and when her heart rate started dipping they decided that she had to be delivered right away. I was actually prepped for a section and rushed to theatre where they decided to try forceps first and if that didn't work, which they didn't seem to think it would, I was going to get a section.

The forceps did work but I lost a fair bit of blood and it took me two-three weeks before I felt normal again and by normal I mean just being able to sit down without moaning in pain. I ended up with iron tablets as my blood count was low and I did have an episode on day 2 or 3 after birth where I had no pelvic floor muscle control. I had 2nd degree tearing and quite a lot of stitches and although compared to some stories i've heard I came through it relatively unscathed, it affected me so much that it took years before I could bring myself to even think about having another child.

My biggest fear when expecting dd2 was ending up with another forceps delivery and kept checking with the dr's that if it looked likely I could insist on a c-section instead as I really did feel that would be preferable to another forceps delivery.

TheCrackFox · 04/12/2008 00:00

Had DS2 with forceps and it took me a long time to recover. I would say it took about a year before my episiotomy recovered. I do think forceps are barbaric and I think I should have had a CS.

In the unlikely event that I have another baby I would refuse forceps.

JacksFirstXmasMama, I think your male consultant was being a cock. Most women just shuffle off after having a baby and only go back to the docs if they are desperate. I would never, for example, tell a man that a vasectomy is a piece of cake. How the hell would I know?

Good luck with your operation.

TheCrackFox · 04/12/2008 00:02

Oh, forgot to mention my stiches in my fanjo got infected and I ended up with an abcess and had to be readmitted 2 weeks after birth. Abcess was lanced under GA Bitter, moi?

herbietea · 04/12/2008 00:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Klaw · 04/12/2008 00:13

Had forceps assist for my VBAC, not sure it was totally necessary.....

ended up with cmw needing to snips stitches that were too tight,

ultrasound therapy to break down a haematoma

and two lots of ABs for infection

have a ligth bladder prolapse also, so mooncup leaks, tampons leak and I hate using pads....

If i were to have another child I would be staying at home so they couldn't cut me again!

Original poster

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 04/12/2008 00:18

I agree my consultant was a fuckwit. He was obviously not used to being stood up to and got very huffy about it. I asked to be switched to a female consultant and he was happy to oblige.

Well, so far the negative forceps reports far outweigh the positives.

OP posts:

hairymcleary · 04/12/2008 00:21

So.... would a ventouse have been any better in these situations?
I ask because I had a ventouse delivery with DS- episiotomy healed fine and my pelvic floor seems to be holding up well (giving me a wee bit of gip at the moment, but I'm 30 weeks pg, so I'll let it off the hook)... just starting to think about birth plans etc for DS2- are forceps 'worse' than ventouse in terms of damage they can cause to the mother?

Springflower · 04/12/2008 00:21

I had forceps delivery and episiotomy and needed lots of stitches. Was in agony for about a fortnight afterwards but no long term damage. With next delivery they suggested forceps and I was panicing at the thought but managed to push him out just in time!

DaidiNaNollag · 04/12/2008 00:28

I read the thread title as "Forceps - a little pull!"
And thought, blardy hell, my SIL's description was a lot worse than that!

Original poster

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 04/12/2008 00:35

PMSL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

rarebreed · 04/12/2008 07:58

I was induced, and after 18 hours of labour I couldn't push DD out the last little bit so they tried ventouse twice but it kept coming away from her head,so then they got the forceps out and they dragged pulled her out. No epidural (aneasthatist(sp) was busy with C-Section) and a 9lb 6oz baby at the end of it. They cut me before the forceps and then i had a 3rd degree tear which was stitched in surgery with a spinal

Couldn't sit down comfortably for about two weeks but luckily have had no problems in the following 9 weeks, still haven't attempted sex though, too scared!

If i ever decide to have another baby i would def request a CS,it was horrible.

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