When are forceps used? When is ventrouse used?

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

Just curious as to why most people who have an assisted delivery seem to have forceps as opposed to ventrouse?

Is there any particular guidelines or is it decided at the time what would be best?

From what I understand, they usually try ventouse first & then when that doesn't work, they go in with the salad servers. Ventouse is gentler than forceps and therefore probably less effective with a really stuck baby.

I'm sure there must be guidance for midwives & obstetricians.

I have had both - first time ventouse was used mainly to turn babies head to help him get out whereas second time forceps were used to haul his brother out. Not sure how they decide otherwise though.

It depends on the hospital and the consultant and the situaton really. The hospital I went to don't favour ventose for some reason but do use occcasionally.

i had a forceps delivery after pushing for 3 hours and the consultatnt realising the baby's head was tipped up the way so she wasn't budging. I was lucky they were able to use the foreceps to move her head to a good position and she was born after another push.

Tbh it's more to do with how comfortable the person doing it with either instrument. You can't do forceps unless baby is looking straight up or straight down though so if the baby is looking sideways, they'd need to use a ventouse or try to turn manually before using forceps. Most of the older generation trained doctors use forceps, the younger generation use ventouse. It's personal preference a lot of the time!

I ended up with a forceps delivery as they put the ventouse on DDs head, pulled and it came right off sending the doctor flying backwards!!! I think her head was a bit too small.

Knocked up makes sense, dd had ventouse but she started off back to back and was shoulder dystocia

I had ventouse with dd and was told if tgat didn't work them it would be forceps. My understanding but may very will be wrong, is tgat ventouse is more guiding and forceps is more yanking iyswim

DS had ventouse as he had shoulder dystocia. I was told that if that didn't work the next stage was an emergency c section.

Thanks ladies. Ds2 was delivered with ventrouse and I was just curious as to why that was chosen rather than forceps.

I'm waiting for a birth debrief so I might get told then.

I asked my doctor straight after he'd used forceps and was stitching my episiotomy. He told me it was personal preference and most doctors are better with one than the other.

I was told that they would use forceps if I couldn't push DD down any further. If she was nearer the 'exit' they would use ventouse, but they couldn't if she was too high up. Luckily, I pushed her right down and just had the ventouse in the end.

iwoulddo was your ds ok after birth? Did you have an episiotomy too? Dd was shoulder dystocia, having a c/s this time around...

I had a ventouse deliverly after extended second stage - from what I've read ventouse is considered a 'gentler' alternative to forceps. It takes up less room and is easier to apply. They generally use it when there's a delay in second stage (like me!) where an easy delivery is ultimately anticipated. Forceps, on the other hand, are more invasive. They are applied when the baby's head has descended into the pelvis but fails to descend further; when the baby is in a posterior position or when the uterus fails to maintain contractions (or there is a lack of strength to push...) - they can also be used at the second stage to speed up delivery of a baby who is showing signs of stress/lack of oxygen. With both you will prob have an episiotomy as the speed of delivery of the head means your perineum does not have time to thin out and could tear. This info is from a Dr Mirriam Stoppard book, a bit old but most of the info still seems relavent.

He was fine in the end. I had an episiotomy but tore too (he was 9 1/2lbs) and he need a bit oxygen as the cord was also around his neck but he was totally fine.

I fell pregnant very quickly again - there is 11 months between DS and DD- and I opted for a planned c-section. Itwas much easier and relaxed and I didn't want to take any more risks. Good luck with yours

They didnt try ventouse with me, went to forceps. BUT I was prepped in theatre for a Csec so maybe they thought Forceps would be more effective? As it was, no csec needed.

Thanks iwoulddo yes I had episiotomy too and a third degree tear so hoping the c/s will not take as long as the tear to recover! Glad all was well in the end, dd was taken for oxygen too but no damage.

I think my situation is the same as Gnocchi they were concerned about my welfare and that of DS so they needed to get him out first try or resort to csec, no time to 'try' ventouse.

(Forceps worked and we were both fine)

I had ventouse but was prepped for C section before that: they tried the ventouse first. I definitely had the lovely white stockings on, DH got scrubs to swan about in and I had to sign the consent form, then they decided to have a go with the ventouse and out came DS. I had an episiotomy for the ventouse.