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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Forceps WTF?!

40 replies

victoriascrumptious · 05/02/2010 12:24

How the hell do they get forceps up you? Now I understand that things can stretch to accommodate babies coming down but....foceps going up there? Surely an epi is standard-isnt it?

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heth1980 · 05/02/2010 13:09

I haven't had a forceps delivery myself but yes I'm pretty sure they always perform an episiotomy first.

TheCrackFox · 05/02/2010 13:21

They have to do an epidural.

I have had forceps and delivery and TBh it is not a walk in the park. I tried not to think about it at the time.

Firawla · 05/02/2010 13:22

i had forceps with ds1 and yeah they cut first i think its standard

TheCrackFox · 05/02/2010 13:24

Sorry meant I episiotomy but also had an epidural.

newpup · 05/02/2010 13:48

I had forceps delivery with DD1. Not the best experience ever but you are in the moment and having the baby was paramount at that point. I had an epidural but it had worn off by the point of delivery unfortunately nobody told the consultant who cut me . My scream gave it away and after yelling at the midwife he gave me a local to numb! Bit late by then!

However although 10 years on I remember the pain very well I had a healthy baby and there was absolutely no permanent damage. Everything is fine if you know what I mean!

NoahAndTheWhale · 05/02/2010 13:50

You have to get cut. It is an odd feeling. But tbh when they need to use forceps then the baby needs to come out soon and really you don't care about being cut.

Arcadie · 05/02/2010 14:05

You know that they come apart as well. So they'll fit one side in, then the other side and then clip them together in the middle for the "scissor" effect...

nomorecake · 05/02/2010 14:35

i asked them not to tell me if they were going to cut me, at the time.

in the end i think i had a tear but not a cut.

i had an epidural

CuppaTeaJanice · 05/02/2010 14:49

I had forceps without an epidural. They just inject local anaesthetic before they do the cut. It's painful, but not as bad as it sounds when you describe it.

It's the most bizarre feeling to have a baby dragged out of you though, a bit like having your insides pulled out. It's very much like that point where you squeeze a large yellow spot and it bursts - momentary pain followed by relief!!

LittleSilver · 05/02/2010 18:45

Totally disagree with Noah, sorry. I realised they were about to do epis (no local, no epidural), screamed te house down and tried to get out of stirrups and run away.

BusyMissIzzy · 07/02/2010 10:37

Aww, LittleSilver I can imagine having the same reaction myself First baby due in 4 weeks and the chance of an episiotomy is the thing that currently scares me the most.

truthisinthewine · 07/02/2010 10:46

I have had a forceps delivery, I didn't have an epidural but needed an episiotomy. To be honest if it gets to the stage of needing forceps it is very likely that all you will want is for the baby to be delivered saftely and quickly and you won't be too fussed at the time about how that happens.

RuinedandUpset · 07/02/2010 11:09

I've had a very bad experience with forceps and as a result I'd be of the opinion that it should be the very last resort and you should have it written in your birth plan. The reason for forceps use isn't always that the baby is in danger, some hospitals put time limits on second phase. Many women don't come out well of it and even then sometimes the damage isn't obvious until a few years post menopause. Incontinence, sexual problems and pain are not minor issues and will take from your quality of life. I doubt if there are any consultant obs that have ever had it done to them or their wives as they know the risks and truth.

violethill · 07/02/2010 14:58

I almost had forceps - they were waved in front of me and gave me the incentive to give one last mahoosive push and get the baby out. I hadn't had an epidural so knew it would hurt like f**! (although having said that, pushing a baby out hurts a lot anyway!)

I was pretty scared by the thought of forceps, and one of my reasons for avoiding an epidural was because it increases the likelihood of instrumental delivery, so I was very relieved to not need them.

SecretSlattern · 07/02/2010 15:19

I had a forceps delivery with DC2. Had already been given an epidural (which didn't work) and having been in labour for 23 hours, was completely exhausted. DS was stuck and in addition to the usual labour pains, I felt as if my entire right side was on fire. I was screaming and begging them to do something so in the end, I had a spinal and signed to have an EMCS. At the time, I couldn't have cared less how they got him out, just as long as they did.

The spinal was the best thing ever! Although it was strange that I couldn't feel the contractions and when told to push, couldn't feel that either. The consultant decided at the last minute to go for forceps, it was the final attempt at getting him out but I was pretty sure I would do anything to avoid a CS. DS was born with one massive push and was literally dragged out. I did have an episiotomy (which had been my biggest fear throughout both my PGs) but I wouldn't have known, only I was laying on the bed looking up and the overhead lights they have in theatre and I saw the massive scissors coming towards me.

I am now pg with DC3 and I am dreading what it is going to involve this time. DD's labour was 8 hours from start to finish, DS was 25 hours start to finish and because I haven't had the build up to a fast labour, I am dreading that either DD2 will be born before we even get to the hospital an hour away or it will be a dragged out process like the last one. There is no question of me having a homebirth this time, especially after the last experience and had I had DS first, there wouldn't have been any other DCs. It was truly the worst experience of my life, but made so much better by that spinal.

FrameyMcFrame · 07/02/2010 19:04

I had the Kiellans (sp) forceps with ds, they're the deep rotational ones they use to turn the baby when he is stuck. I then pushed him out myself. I had a spinal and a 'generous' episiotomy.
It was horrible and I had a lot of pain and I took a long time to recover, and I still have some problems really, 10 months on.

dd was born by ventousse and no way near as painful afterwards.

EccentricaGallumbits · 07/02/2010 19:08

the forceps go in first and help bring the baby's head down. once the head is at the perineum, then the episiotomy is done and the baby pulled and pushed out. it is so the perineum doesn't explode into a million bits as the head is born quickly.

missmapp · 07/02/2010 19:13

ds1 was born after a failed ventouse and then forceps, i hadnt had an epidural ( or any kind of pain relief)and yes it was pretty umcomfortablr, but the next option was a cs and after all the work id done to get to that point i didnt want a cs so was glad they were used. I had ds2 without any intervention, so it can be ok!

thirtysomething · 07/02/2010 19:21

have had forceps with second child - wasn't aware of them cutting though I know they did - was pretty out of it to be honest but i do remember the forceps sensation - as others have described it's very much like having your insides yanked out!
However I remember the appearance of them bothering me the most - they look so kind of metal and big and like something out of your Dad's toolbox! So my advice would be try not to look at them too much as looking back that's what upset me, not them actually using them.

As others have said if that's what you need to get the baby out then you just go with the flow.

It is all very quick and I remember one yank of the forceps and I then had a wriggly crying baby placed on my tummy - couldn't believe it was over so quickly!! Good luck!

CrystalQueen · 07/02/2010 19:21

I had a forceps delivery with DD. After pushing for 4.5 hours, I would have shoved them up there myself to be honest. I had a spinal and it was amazing. After all the pushing I was in pretty bad shape and kind of screaming. Then it was as if someone flipped a switch, and I told the anaesthetist I loved her. It was a bit bizarre to be told to push when I couldn't feel a thing, but DD came out on the second tug with the forceps. I had no problems with the episiotomy, although it was a bit weird to have the doctor still fiddling about down there sewing me up when we were getting to know DD. I was certainly in much better shape than all the other mums on the ward who had CS.

Oumasrusks · 08/02/2010 06:48

I had an epidural but not an episiotomy with a failed ventouse and then forceps delivery. It was utter hell and I ended up with a 3rd degree tear and things have never felt the same again. Apparently there wasn't enough time to do an episiotomy (?) and with hindsight, if I had to do it again, there's no ways I would have allowed a forceps delivery. I would have requested a CS (as my forcpes was a trial by forceps and I had to sign the CS consent forms anyway).

vanloadtovenice · 08/02/2010 10:51

I could barely walk for a year after my enforced forceps delivery, I begged the registrar to try ventouse first, but she ignored me. After 4 hours pushing, I was a shaking wreck on the theatre table. I too, with hindsight, wish they'd just done an emcs, 2 hours earlier!

DD1 was, thank God, fine, but I was in tatters. Just another example of the utter pointlessness of a birth plan. All came down to weekend staffing issues. Even tried to sue, without success, these medics look after each others backs.

I had an elective section with dd2 - after the trauma, there is no way could have tried another vaginal delivery.

McSnail · 09/02/2010 12:51

Umm - I didn't get cut. At least, I didn't remember being cut, and there were definitely no stitches there.

Even after forceps I ended up having an em- c-section anyway. Boo.

McSnail · 09/02/2010 12:53

Oh - and I'm so worried about how sex is going to feel after the forceps experience, I still haven't had sex with partner (5 months on)

notyummy · 09/02/2010 13:01

The problem you face is:

Epidural = higher risk of instrumental delivery.

So you avoid an epidural....to then end up have a high forceps delivery (like me), with no pain relief as there is no time for an epidural.It smarts, to say the least.

You do need an episiotomy.

Would second the advice not to look! My DH was terrified of the sight of them!!

Having said that, I would still prefer that option to a CS, but I didn't have any long term effects on continence/sex. Fairly long recovery (I was v fit beforehand and wanted to get back to my running but couln't until about 9 weeks as I felt like my insides would fall out if I ran!)

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