Poll - How many first time mothers had c/s or instrumental deliveries

[Rochwen]

Just asking around my circle of friends and acquaintances it seems that a lot of first time mothers ended up with either a c/s or and instrumental delivery.

So, just out of interest I'd like to know whether your first baby arrived with c/s, instruments or without such intervention. Also, how many of you first timers had an epidural.

I know this is not going to be a very representative poll but perhaps we can establish a general trend.

Thanks, Rochwen

First pregnancy I had an epidural (which was topped up 3 times) and emergency c-section.

2nd time round had an elective section.

first pg - no instramentals no c/s perfectly strieght forward birth with epidural after being induced by choice!

Message withdrawn

(forgot to say I was induced)

I had an induction at 12 days overdue. It didn't work so just over two days later I had a cs - due to no progress.

I had an epidural on that last day as the pains from the induction were horrid, despite the contraction s having no effect.

I saw a national survey of this (sorry if someone already said this on the thread, i've just skimmed it) - roughly 25% of first time mothers have caesarians, 25% have forceps or ventouse, and 50% have so-called natural delivery

i had ventouse with my first. no epidural though

1st emerg c-section

ds1 went into distress so had to have an episiostomy and ventouse followed by post partum haemorrhage, catheters, drips, borderline blood transfusion.....

soz Roch.. just realised you might want more than that

48 hour labour, the emergency c-section followed by post partum haemorrage (in theatre for extra hour after delivery while they tried to stop bleed)My uterus refused to contract back as was knackered. Gave me lots of drugs (4 lots) to get me to contract which i subsequently did out of theatre when epidural had been removed (absolute agony). Ended up with big inhection in bum (morphine i think) and on gas and air afterwards. Looking back no wonder i developed severe pnd.. am thinking of doing study into wether traumatic births may actuially trigger ptsd leading to pnd. That can wait for my dissertation i think. Funny thing is i was only talking about this today and remebered that i was coming in and out of consciouness in the theatere and how scared i was and i thought i would never get to see my little boy , it really quite upset me looking back and that was 5 years ago and i have had counselling and am quite fit mentally. Sorry essay and tangent there

Emergency cs following failed induction for me !

without any intervention, no epidural

ds was ventouse with gas and air

pethidine, epidural, ventouse with episiotimy

failed ventouse, failed forceps, emergency c-section

Ventouse and forceps.

Delightful forceps delivery as dd was in fetal distress - her heart rate went downhill really quickly - but she was fine. I lost 4 pints of blood - and felt like crap. Oh and I did have an epideral, diamorphine, gas and air and used a TENS machine at the beginning. I originally wanted a water birth with little intervention - after 3 days with little progression, it was a case of b* let me have a look at the drugs menu!

Of my 20 antenatal girls, I think there was 1 water birth, 2 'normal' with gas and air - and about 75% were either forceps or cs's.

I was given an epidural due to forceps being used. The forceps failed so i ended up with an emergency c/s.

As I am pregnant I am going to start a thread re if you had a crap delivery with your first was it any better with subsequent births! Please post that it is!

Rochwen, no intervention or pain relief with first baby. 6 hour labour with 10 min second stage. Painful but amazing. And no tearing or stiches.
Just to prove am not being smug I had a nightmare time feeding dd and was v down for a long time.

epidural but nothing else, pushed her out myself. Very experienced MW let me push a bit longer than the hospital guidelines as she thought I could do it and they had had no normal ie no intervenion deliveries that day !

Had emergency c/s as soon as i stepped foot in hospital, been in labour 2 hours, not very strong contractions but baby was face presentation and also heartbeat kept dipping.

I had emergency c-section after 18 hours of labour. I had epidural, gas and air and the pethidine.

Some STATISTICS!

From South Warwickshire 2003-4(the only ones I could find on Google).

First time mums:

• no instruments / surgical intervention: 55%
• c-sections: 26%
• ventouse: 14%
• forceps: 5%

Second + time mums:

• no instruments / surgical intervention: 65%
• c-sections: 31%
• ventouse: 3%
• forceps: 1%

Epidural rate:
17 %

epidural and ventouse

epidural and ventouse after wanting a water birth and having my waters broken (not warned that this would make my contractions unbearably violent)