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

I had failed ventouse, forceps and an epidural

If you talk about people you know (Edam ;))
I can say out of the 30 births I have personally supported
3 had epidural
8 had a water birth
2 ventouse
0 forceps
3 had sections (one was for an induction that never got going)
Supported 7 VBAC too + 13 were first timers

Wow pupuce, so just 16 per cent of your clients had instrumental delivery or c-section. Doesn't that just show how important it is that women have good, knowledgable support in labour? I guess there's a bit of a bias in that people who are down for an elective caesarean or want a high-tech birth aren't going to book a doula - but even so that's still a signficant difference from the overall rates.

Gas and air, natural waterbirth.

Plus out of my group of 9 others:

4 gas and air natural deliveries
1 epidural following induction
2 elective c/s (breech babies)
1 epidural ventouse
1 epidural forceps

Am concerned that this really won't be representative as the title of your thread will attract those who can answer yes to your question. Only say that cos I know you're worried about intervention and this might worry you more!!!

Instrumental delivery with first (ventouse and forceps)

'normal' delivery with second

Edam - high risks do book doulas.
VBACs are high risks for example.
If you look at the numbers I gave out of the 7 VBACs - 2 had their c-section for breech. So all in all I have supported 15 women who had never given birth vaginally.
The only woman I have supported who had an induction, had the epidural and the section.... she went on to have a VBAC with me.
Looking back at my stats, 1 of the epidurals was when I was not present in the room yet... the other 2sections were after long labours... neither gave birth vaginally that time either.
The more I do this the more I am convinced that doulas make a big difference.
I did 2 births in the last 4 weeks (both 1st time mums) both had waterbirth and labours were 6 adn 7 hours respectively. According to both they had the easiest births of their NCT class.... I should add that the preparation is important too.
On that chapter I just had a call today from the 1st mum who I prepared antenatally but I wasn't her doula.... she had her baby last week... accidental home birth (she was petrified of giving birth she had said!)... her hubby said that he could remember all I had said when they were left on their own waiting for the ambulance and he was catching the baby!

Message withdrawn

with my first ds now 13 days old, i had an epidural and was induced (had passary, waters broken and drip) but i had no other intervention at all, no instruments or episiotomy.

With DS1 I was induced and had an epidural, but didn't need a c/s or instrumental delivery.
DS2, spontaneous labour, gas & air, midwife broke my waters when I was 10cm dilated (don't really know why but didn't mind!!) and out he popped.
Will be induced this time and hoping it is more like DS2 labour than DS1.

Wishingchair wrote: 'Am concerned that this really won't be representative as the title of your thread will attract those who can answer yes to your question. ' Yes sorry, the title is totally misleading. It's the overall stats for first time births that I wanted. Sorry but I don't think I can edit it.

I find these NCT or NHS or family stats really useful as it works really well as a comparison.

I'm currently going to an NCT class and I think they are rose-tinting the stats a bit as the teacher keeps telling us that we can all have natural, no intervention, no pain relief births 'if we just want it enough'. I don't think that's realistic and it makes everyone feel a right failure if they end up with interventions, which, certainly according to this thread, is very likely to happen with a first time birth.

I was induced. 23 hours later I had an emergency C/S due to anterior lip on Cervix and babies head in wrong position. Also had an epidural.

me. keiland forceps. with hindsight probably unnecessary if they'd just left me another 10 mins or so. baby was stargazing but moving around a lot so I think would have sorted herself out. oh well.

If they want it enough?? Hmm. Here's stats for my antenatal group.

Me: no intervention, no pethi or epi. i was talked out of an epi but prob wouldn't have had time anyway.
T: induction, epi, emerg c/s. She wanted a home birth so so badly.
N: epi, emerg c/s.
A: no intervention, no pethi or epi - for an 18 hour labour, yuk.
L: epi, vaginal birth.

I would truly challenge your teacher on that one Ruthwen. I suppose I know what she was getting at but round things to it, frankly.

Rochwen "if they want it enough" ! shame on the teacher

Our NCT group was opposite - very prochoice - just there to inform on all options - was also quite realitic about intervention WHERE NECESSARY and so gave loads of advice of what COULD happen if things got a bit hairy

I found that being informed was the best thing to be prepared

Our group had 50% C/S (stats already posted below) so good on the teacher for giving all the info

With DS I didn't really have an antenatal class BUT out of my friends and first babies that I can think of

4 emergency C/S (me AND my sister due to failure to progress and 2 friends due to distress of baby)
2 elective C/S (a. twins ... she couldn't have had a natural birth as the first baby was breech and the second baby was head down with his head in his sister's lap! b. breech presentation)
2 Vaginal births with epidurals and "ALL drugs that were on offer"
1 vaginal birth with forceps
2 vaginal birth with gas and air and pethidine and that sort of thing
1 natural birth with no pain relief at all.

You know what? I'll print out this thread and take it to my next NCT class. Let's see what they'll say.

...the teacher wasn't actually the worst, there is one woman in my class who actually said: '...if women go into hospital expecting trouble then they WILL end up with a c/s.' I was speechless. I now know all the things I could have said to her but at the time I just couldn't believe what a callus comment she had just made.

that type of attitude really upsets me - i have metals rods in my spine, and screws (broke my back abseiling) and physically the birth canal is obstructed - i would love to give birth "naturally" but quite frankly, i'm just GRATEFUL to be able to carry a child at ALL

I'm sorry to hear about your back, Koala !

I know what you mean though, not everyone has a fair shot at a straight forward vaginal birth. There's a lot of people out there who need help for one problem or another. Her comment definitely was not fair and I too was very upset.

"if they want it enough" - makes my blood boil that kind of thing (thankfully my NCT teacher was v.practical and went through everything without prejudice).

Trouble with NCT classes is they are only focused on labour and birth, but you haven't got pregnant just so you can experience birth. It is a means to an end and ultimately you will do whatever it takes to get your baby in your arms in one piece. You should never be made to feel bad because you didn't give birth vaginally with no drugs and needed assistance.

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't have an assisted birth, but I wouldn't have hesitated a second if the midwife said I needed one.

Grrrr - rant over!!

havent read any of the other posts, but just wanted to say that dd1 needed a forceps delivery, if she hadnt had one she would be dead. end of story. full stop.

didnt have an epidural, was a mw led practice so no doctors therefore choice of epidural wasnt there. didnt fancy one anyway.

as long as baby and mum are healthy, does it matter?????

Had epidural after first 12 hours
Ventouse after 23 hour labour - baby in distress

Just realise I haven't added to this. First baby was emergency caesarean. Two weeks over due. Induced. After about 30 hours was a whole 4 cm. Foetal distress... and whisked off for emergency caesarean. Problem turned out to be that the cord was wrapped around her neck twice (and her body and her foot) so the induced contractions tightened the cord, which would have reduced the blood supply and decreased the heart rate.

Second baby I had a very planned and peaceful caesarean because I wasn't about to revisit the first experience.

I had a ventouse with my first (DS) and that was purely through choice. I had been pushing for over 2 hours and was exhausted. He was fine, no distress, but enough was enough. I did it all on gas and air - ventouse included. Ouch!