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

[mogwai]

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.

The statistics are that the risk of instrumental delivery goes from seven to 12 per cent. But most of those studies were also done on the old-style epidural, whereas these days most places are using a mobile epidural which doesn?t interfere with your ability to push nearly as much.

I had ventouse with my dd1, btw, and opted for no epidural and a waterbirth with dd2!

Hi i had an epidural, my daughter was back to back and i was induced and after 7 hours i opted for an epidural and still say was the best thing i have ever done. Didn't need any help either. Made labour enjoyable for me, will def have next time and would recommend it too xx

I am absolutely CERTAIN a pool wouldn't have helped me, Mears. The bath actually made it worse, if anything.

The support pools give is apparently very different from baths, Aloha - but quite honestly your labour was so utterly vile that I don't think it would have made a difference either.

But Aloha - a bath is not the same as a pool. A bath means you have to lie back which is a hopeless position. A pool is very deep and the water covers the bump completely. The resulting buoyancy allows freedom of movement which helps alleviate the pain of contractions. Different positions can be adopted which allows relaxation. Relaxations increases the release of endorphins, the body's own naturally produced pain killers. Labour tends to progress more quickly as a result A bath cannot be compared to the pool - a common mistake.

One-to -one midwifery care might have made a difference and the recognition of labour.

Hi Mogwai. I had an epidural and a ventouse delivery. The ventouse was more down to DDs position than the epidural though. It was a 32 hour labour because DD was stuck. Without the epidural I really couldn't have got through it.

My plan was for gas/air & waterbirth, but DDs position meant that wasn't possible. In hindsight, I really wouldn't be scared or even try to plan the birth too much. It's only when it happens that you know what will be right for you, although if you are happy with the thought of an epidural beforehand it will save any decisions later. Good Luck, I'm sure whatever you choose, it will be fine (if I have another I would have no hesitation about an epidural though).

ks - remember I was talking about normal labours. I did say that epidurals are great for women with problem labours with poor positions. The pool actually is an indicator for problem labours. If you go in having regualr painful contractions and progress is poor, that is a sign that the baby is not positioned well. So you are quite right that the pool will not help if labour is not going well.

I am sure, in retrospect, that dd was in the wrong position, hence the intensity and the location of the pain. The joy of getting the spinal block in! From weeping wounded animal to human being in 60 seconds!

Had epi with ds1 after 36 hours of labour (had tens, gas and air, pethidine and been in pool before that). Eventually, after 50 hours, had ventouse (was nearly a section). I suspect that labour probably comes into the category of it not going well before the epidural was administered. He had a big head and got stuck. With ds2 didn't have epi despite even longer labour and pre-labour and he had a bigger head but had a normal delivery this time (although I was begging for a ventouse which they were about to do when he popped out).

I did request an epi second time round (after more than 3 days of contractions ) but the anaesthetist was `in theatre'. If I have another baby I shall probably want an epi again. Felt quite traumatised by awful second delivery. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.

I would have loved the birthing pol for all of my labour, yet it wasn't to be.
Nor was my chance for the epidurial.

pool even.

Had 2 epidurals, and didn't need help. The ante-natal classed taught me to bear down, and that worked, even though I couldn't feel anything.

I had an epidural with my first, 30yrs ago, and eventually delivered him myself. I have no memeory of it but dh said they produced forceps because time was going on, and I took one look at them and gave a massive heave and shoved ds out on my own!

Well I had no epidural and no gas and air and after 3 hours of pushing, eventually had a ventouse delivery. Midwife was against it as she reckoned that I could push dd out on my own - but after 3 hours, I was knackered and the syntocinon drip for my contractions was beginning to have less of an effect.....

No

I had an epidural with ds1&2 both quite late (2hrs before ds1) and less than 1 hour with ds2. I could feel to push with both of them and needed no assistance.

BTW would have had the epidural sooner with both but had to wait. I would definitely recommend it.

Message withdrawn

Had an epidural with dd at 11:00am and contractions stopped within an hour after. Had drip at 4 and then was pushing from 6:30 until 10:15 when they decided to carry on a ventouse delivery. Tore and had stitches.

pethidine (would NOT recommend that) epidural ventouse and an episiotomy (wouldn't recommend that either)

Ds's head got stuck so I don't know if the epidural/ventouse was strictly related.