Fear of forceps

. I thought for sure I would feel sick but I was fine. Even had Ben & Jerry's at 6cm... haw!

This is going in my birth plan.

As an aside, I was told by a few different Ob/Gyns that I might *need* a C-section because I am apparently on the small side of normal, so this discussion is great for me.

I think you should definitely put it in your birth plan.  I think it depends on the hospital and who you're dealing with.  I feel that when I gave birth to my little one last June, that had I said ABSOLUTELY NO FORCEPS, they would have respected my wishes.  My LO came out with the help of a ventouse but for me, I don't think I would have objected to much at that stage.  I just wanted him OUT. 

I'm sure it's not like that everywhere though.  But it doesn't hurt to put it in your birth plan and tell every midwife you see once you get to the hospital or birthing center that you do not want them used.  If you have a good team of professionals, I believe your wishes will be respected.

Something else to keep in mind is that a lot of natural births require an episiotomy and you still have to recover from that anyway.  So it's not like you will completely avoid that just because you don't have an assisted delivery.

I also don't understand the whole concept of people having c-sections somehow being a failure.  Like it makes you a worse mother or something...

As a side note, I was EXTREMELY happy to hear that you could eat/drink while in labor here!  53 hours of labor with no food and very little water really made my previous delivery so much more pleasant...or not.

Oops! I meant the Ben and Jerry's! But, yes, the fact that I am apparently "a little bit little" (to quote one doctor) will be discussed.

i'm one of those c-sections "failure" mamas. not by choice, but the sheer fact that i had "failed to progress" after 19 hours of labour.

but you know what? i'd so much rather have this nice, neat, nearly invisible little scar on my lower abdomen than have a sliced & diced cooter, thank you muchly!

 

If the baby's head is too far down the birth canal, however, and starts to decelerate, it doesn't matter if you put 'ABSOLUTLELY NO FORCEPS' in your birth plan, there are, clinically times when they are less risky than a csection and faster.

Also, there are plenty of csections in which forceps are still used to deliver. 

It's not always a given that women who have forceps deliveries will have problems later on - I certainly haven't.  In fact, what hurt the most out of two instrumental deliveries and one drug free one was the 'graze' I sustained with the drug free quick birth!

It's also not a given that women who have csections walk off with just a neat scar - I've got one friend who has endometriosis after csection, one who developed Asherman's Syndrome post-csection and has not been able to have any more children and another whose bladder was nicked during the surgery.


If you feel csection is the right birth choice for you, best to discuss it with the consultant at the appointment as well as your concerns about forceps.

From what I've read regarding forceps in the UK, it seems that in the NHS effort to avoid csections, too much time is allowed to pass during a difficult birth or a slow progressing birth, so that there really is no other option but using forceps, whereas if the call had been made sooner (i.e. before the baby had moved that far down the birth canal), a csection would still be possible.  And it does seem that forceps are still used quite often during csections here.  I find the attitude here (in the UK) towards forceps terrifying, to be honest.  I know that rationally there have been plenty of positive experiences to go along with the negative, but I worry about getting pregnant while in the UK and spending the entire 9 months with dangerously high blood pressure from obsessive worry over what will happen during delivery.  

From what I've read regarding forceps in the UK, it seems that in the NHS effort to avoid csections, too much time is allowed to pass during a difficult birth or a slow progressing birth, so that there really is no other option but using forceps, whereas if the call had been made sooner (i.e. before the baby had moved that far down the birth canal), a csection would still be possible.  And it does seem that forceps are still used quite often during csections here.  I find the attitude here (in the UK) towards forceps terrifying, to be honest.  I know that rationally there have been plenty of positive experiences to go along with the negative, but I worry about getting pregnant while in the UK and spending the entire 9 months with dangerously high blood pressure from obsessive worry over what will happen during delivery.  

To avoid this, what you could do is request an elective csection and/or go private or return to the US for a delivery.

If the baby's head is too far down the birth canal, however, and starts to decelerate, it doesn't matter if you put 'ABSOLUTLELY NO FORCEPS' in your birth plan, there are, clinically times when they are less risky than a csection and faster.

That's what happened with me - his head was RIGHT there, but he was having decelerations. :/

That's what happened with me - his head was RIGHT there, but he was having decelerations. :/

With Aillidh, the consultant got in and I heard he say, 'Oh, you're wee handy shouldn't be up there, baby!'

She just got stuck.

Struan was ventouse delivery as it turned out he had cord round his neck a couple of times.  He started to decelerate as well, but as he was a third baby it was just a matter of a lift out.

Had a second degree tear with stitches but healed fine. 

With Aillidh, the consultant got in and I heard he say, 'Oh, you're wee handy shouldn't be up there, baby!'

She just got stuck.

Struan was ventouse delivery as it turned out he had cord round his neck a couple of times.  He started to decelerate as well, but as he was a third baby it was just a matter of a lift out.

Had a second degree tear with stitches but healed fine. 

When he was finally out... his cord was wrapped around his neck twice, as well... and he had also passed meconium (but luckily, he hadn't swallowed any.)

When he was finally out... his cord was wrapped around his neck twice, as well... and he had also passed meconium (but luckily, he hadn't swallowed any.)

See, luckily, with Struan, they gave me a sweep on my due date because they could tell just by feel he was large.  I had a hot curry and went for a walk, had a glass of champers and it worked!

Dilated fine and he was coming down okay, but my blood pressure was still so high.  Even after epidural.  So consultant first came in and I had to have some other drug to lower it.  Then, after it went down, Struan started to decelerate.

When the consultant came and had a look he said he wouldn't even need to cut.  By that time I was hopped up on drugs and said, 'Just call my Mrs Wizard's Sleeve.'

The midwives all fell out laughing.

I had a c-section two weeks ago due to my baby being breech and being 48 hours since my waters broke, and I am still feeling terrible, so anyone who thinks a c-section is the easy way out is a fool. I have an infected incision, a pinched nerve in my leg, which has rendered me immobile, I have terrible gas, and in general, I feel like I have been hit by a car. With my son 4 years ago, I was running through a field of daisies (lol) two weeks post partum....

I have to go to see the nurse most days to have my wound dressed...not nice. However, I do have a gorgeous baby, so all this will be a distant memory one day.

To avoid this, what you could do is request an elective csection and/or go private or return to the US for a delivery.

True, but I wouldn't actually consider choosing any of those options.  I'll just have to suck it up when the time comes (and stop reading horror stories on pregnancy message boards). 

I have no opinion on the use of forceps but wanted to say "What a gorgeous baby!" to Suregena and "What rubbish!" to anyone who thinks women can 'fail' childbirth.  I didn't have an episiotomy and got a terrible tear and painful stitches, but I healed.  It was all worth it. Cross my heart.

Good luck and best wishes to all the expectant mothers.