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Childbirth

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

Original poster

if you had an epidural, did you need forceps/ventouse?

91 replies

mogwai · 31/03/2005 16:43

I'm a total baby when it comes to pain. I really want to have an epidural for my forthcoming birth. I am a little concerned that there is a higher than average rate of instrumental delivery (forceps/ventouse) with epidural. I'd be interested to find out how many of you have had epidural and delivered without assistance and vice versa. Asked my midwife today, she says less than half need help, but that's just anecdotal, can't find any firm figures to help me decide.

OP posts:
ks · 31/03/2005 17:55

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Blu · 31/03/2005 17:57

This is something I don't understand - why are people told they can't have an epidural in 2nd stage labour? Is it just because under ideal circumstances there wouldn't be time for it to take effect?

I had been in labour for 25 hours and pushing for 3.5 hours before it was decided that a ventouse was necessary - and it was then that I refused to let them try without an epidural (actually I refused to lie on my back without an epidural, because that was the only thing that made it painful) so they put one in there and then.

Gobbledigook · 31/03/2005 17:57

Epidural and ventouse with ds1.

No pain relief, no assisstance ds2 and ds3.

I know what you mean about being a baby about pain - me too, but I can honestly say that ds2 and ds3's deliveries were waaaaaay better than ds1 even though I felt nothing with ds1 and lots of pain with the other 2. I recovered so quickly it was untrue - out of hospital within 3 hours compared to a few crappy, horrible days in hospital with ds1 feeling like a bag lady.

estob · 31/03/2005 18:06

I had a very long labour but by the time I arrived at hospital I was too late to have an epidural and I delivered my baby having used a tens machine (the most fantastic invention ever) paracetamol and pethadine (which wore off before ic could push baby out). I tore and had an epidural to do the repair and it was the most wonderful sensation. I had to have a ventouse delivery without the epidural and the baby was fine so don't put yourself throught it unnecessarily. Don't worry too much about the labour it is not that bad and will pass and hopefully will only be one day and you will have a wonderful baby at the end of it. Believe me I am a wimp and I survived! Good luck and very best wishes

MistressMary · 31/03/2005 18:09

I asked the midwife why I couldnt have an Epidurial - at the time all they said was that it was too late.
She told me recently that it was as I was already in 2nd stage of labour. Looking at my notes I was in the hospital a good hour and was put on syntocin to speed up contractions. So not sure.

starlover · 31/03/2005 18:10

I had an epidural and the midwife was sure I was gonna push ds out by myself, but I ended up having a ventouse delivery.
I pushed for over an hour, but contractions had started slowing down and ds was coming out a bit wonky!

rolledhedgehog · 31/03/2005 18:19

Epidural and no intervention. Second stage lasted 35 mins with no contractions as they stopped when I was fully dilated. Just pushed continuously. Never felt so motivated in my life after a v. long labour.

Rowlers · 31/03/2005 18:34

epidural plus ventouse - I'd do the same again.

Blu · 31/03/2005 18:37

So not much anecdotal evidence amongst MN-ers for the 'spiral of intervention' we learned to fear in ante-natal classes, then?

snafu · 31/03/2005 18:49

I didn't have an assisted delivery with my epidural - but tbh I think I was probably only a few minutes away from one. I wasn't really aware of it all at the time, but just before I started pushing the doctor came in and told me I was 'going to have this baby within the hour'.

At the time, I thought that was terribly encouraging (and he was right, btw!) Now, being a little more knowledgeable about second-stage timings etc, it seems that might in fact have been more of a threat! I had had a very long labour, was exhausted and begging for a caesarian but I pushed ds out anyway with the support of the fabulous midwife. But I have a sneaking suspicion the doc was polishing his forceps and looking at his watch in the background...

SleepyJess · 31/03/2005 18:52

3 children... 3 epidurals... no forceps or venthouse! Just call me 'bucket crutch'!

SJ x PS.. Actually, don't!

Yorkiegirl · 31/03/2005 18:55

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blueteddy · 31/03/2005 18:57

I had an epidural with both of my births.
I did not need any assistance giving birth to either of them & with me, they let it werar off 4 the pushing part, so to avoid an instrumental delivery.
I would VERY strongly reccomend one, they are great!

Whizzz · 31/03/2005 18:59

I had an epidural & ventouse but only because I was totally knackered ! DS only needed a bit of assistance though !

mummytosteven · 31/03/2005 19:00

Blu - can give you some anecdotal evidence for spiral of intervention re:diamorphine tho!

diamorphine stopped me dilating - so DS became distressed, resulting in meconium in waters - so I ended up on a syntocin drip to restart my contractions, with continuous fetal monitoring stuck on a bed (but effect of diamorphine was to dope me up too much to actually move about much anyway!), with end result being a ventouse delivery (nearly managed to push him out myself, but then they spotted the cord round his neck)

sorry to hijack, but it is a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine that epidural tends to be presented as the more risky option, when pethidine/diamorphine can also send things pearshaped

hoxtonchick · 31/03/2005 19:24

induction, epidural, ventouse, forceps....

stitch · 31/03/2005 19:26

epidural with all three, but only the first two were ventouse. third came out by herself.

harrogatemum · 31/03/2005 19:27

ventouse delivery for both DTs but first one had his face pointing upwards so no matter how much I pushed he wouldnt "turn the corner" so to speak! And yes this was after an epidural.

mears · 31/03/2005 22:29

As a midwife I would say that my observations are that for long, drawn out labours with babies in poor positions, epidurals are wonderful things. With those types of labours, as Aloha says, the outcome of forceps or ventouse might have been the same.

However, when labour is progressing well, I often see it go pear shaped when an epidual is requested as the first choice for pain relief.

The drip has to go up, the woman is confined to bed (we do not do walking epi's), CTG the monitor goes on, the blood pressure monitor goes on. What was a normal physiological event becomes a hi-tech medical drama. The epidural goes in, the blood pressure falls, the mother vomits, the baby's heart rate decelerates - the mother is then moved around the bed till the tracing improves. The drip is sped up and for the rest of the labour there are often concerns about the tracing. The contractions invariably go off and a drip has to be started. The baby hates the drip and there are more decelertions. After a while the mum's temperature increases ( common side effect of epidurals) - antibiotics are given intravenously just incase the temperature rise is due to infection. We have to cover all bases. The epidural quite ofetn doen't get rid of rectal pressure which the woman is more aware of because the pain of contractions has gne. If she feels nothing the chances are she will not be able to push correctly resulting in a ventouse or forceps.

Now if she used the pool for pain relief.......

ks · 31/03/2005 22:34

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expatinscotland · 31/03/2005 22:36

Mears
I fell into that exact category! I'd NEVER heard of this before, but DD had her wee hand way up against her head, above her ear. As if she were cradling her own head.

I was in a lot of pain till I got the epi.

Went to 10cm, and after 1.5 hours of pushing - the baby was never in any distress, a fact which astonished the midwives and consultant - she was delivered by forceps.

Whilst the consultant was delivering her, I heard her exclaim, 'Oh, your hand shouldn't be up there!'

For months after she was born, she'd sleep w/that hand tucked up there.

I've since met several other women whose babies were in this position; all of these ladies delivered girls.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2005 22:37

Oh, my labour was 24 hours, almost to the minute.

mears · 31/03/2005 22:41

A hand beside the head does slow progress somewhat, especially when pushing expat.

KS - yes I meant a birthing pool. I wish I could have another baby just to do it - no chance of that though

SenoraPostrophe · 31/03/2005 22:45

I had an epidural and ventouse with dd, and neither with ds.

The thing about labour pain is that pushing really does help. Epidurals take away the urge to push and so if they wear off (like mine did with dd) it's horrible. If I had another one I'd go without an epidural, BUT subsequent births are usually easier than first ones so that's all very well for me to say.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2005 22:46

I was pretty exhausted as well. B/c I went into labour in the late afternoon on Thursday and she wasn't delivered till the late afternoon on Friday, I'd gone 32 hours w/no sleep; 24 of those in labour. I think w/o the epi I'd have gone into shock from the pain.

We got lucky, some of the babies who were in DD's position came out w/broken collarbones.

If we get lucky and have another one, I'd love to try a birthing pool.