Should forceps be avoided?

Ms_Piggy_2

nikki2804 wrote: »

When I went into labour it was discover that my son was coming out facing skywards (which apparently meant he wouldn't come out without assistance)
.

That's certainly not true. I know plenty of 'stargazing' babies that have been born vaginally and without assistance. This position DOES make labour harder and longer though.

nikki2804

Ms_Piggy wrote: »

That's certainly not true. I know plenty of 'stargazing' babies that have been born vaginally and without assistance. This position DOES make labour harder and longer though.

He was going into distress which is why I think they opted for forceps. That and after 3 hours of pushing while fully dilated he wasn't moving. The minute they said he was in distress I gave them full reign of how they were getting him out. At the end of the day its the babies welfare thats the most important.

Ms_Piggy_2

nikki2804 wrote: »

He was going into distress which is why I think they opted for forceps. That and after 3 hours of pushing while fully dilated he wasn't moving. The minute they said he was in distress I gave them full reign of how they were getting him out. At the end of the day its the babies welfare thats the most important.

Absolutely - every time. I'm just saying that's it's not always the case that stargazing babies can't be born without assistance.

And boo to such a long second stage - I know how that feels!

Glad everything went well for you both

claireac

Ms_Piggy wrote: »

That's certainly not true. I know plenty of 'stargazing' babies that have been born vaginally and without assistance. This position DOES make labour harder and longer though.

I've had two star-gazing babies - numbers 1 and 3. Number 1 was born using the forceps and it was no problem at all although a long labour, he was perfect and is now 20. Number 3 was my shortest labour!! She was born less than 3 hours after I arrived at hospital and is now 3.5 yrs old.

Incidentally it was number 2 (now 18) who I had a normal birth with, who was very mucousy and had to be sucked out.

I've taken all 3 of mine to either an osteopath or a cranio practitioner and can thoroughly recommend it. Child birth is tough on their little heads regardless of the method and it's always best to be on the safe side. Get yourself checked over too!!

clairehi

Ms_Piggy wrote: »

Women *have* been having babies for thousands of years, but Mother Nature has a far higher tolerance for losing both women and babies than modern medicine.

Prior to the invention of forceps, women and babies died after days and days in labour. It happened and wasn't uncommon. Or the baby died inside the mother and had to be broken up and removed vaginally to avoid infection.

There is much a woman can do to avoid intervention - keep upright and active, avoid induction, be fully supported etc etc but sometimes intervention *is* necessary. And saves lives. It's all well and good saying "I'd never accept x" but life isn't like that - and life (and birth) isn't without risk. It's about informed consent and properly trained doctors and midwives and proper staffing levels.

Very good post.
If I might add, I think that the idea of a birth "plan" needs to be rethought or at least explained in a different way. varoius sources suggested we write a birth plan but it went out the window as I went into hospital for an induction 10 days overdue with high blood pressure. I cant say it was a managed birth, more like mis-managed, but we had to make immediate decisions during the labour based on the way that information was presented to us by the midwives and doctors at the time. At that point what you wrote in your birth plan cuts very little mustard.

KT1985

clairehi wrote: »

Very good post.
If I might add, I think that the idea of a birth "plan" needs to be rethought or at least explained in a different way. varoius sources suggested we write a birth plan but it went out the window as I went into hospital for an induction 10 days overdue with high blood pressure. I cant say it was a managed birth, more like mis-managed, but we had to make immediate decisions during the labour based on the way that information was presented to us by the midwives and doctors at the time. At that point what you wrote in your birth plan cuts very little mustard.

I agree with this, although maybe it is more about the fact that women's expectations of what is done with a birth plan need to be managed better? I knew when it became an emergency that it didn't matter what I had written, but I have heard the moan from other mums 'I asked them not to do xyz in my birth plan but they still did it anyway because they thought it was the right thing to do'. Women need it spelling out to them that medical professionals will try to keep to the contents of the birth plan where possible but in an life or death emergency their wishes really don't really count for a lot.

Ms_Piggy_2

clairehi wrote: »

Very good post.
If I might add, I think that the idea of a birth "plan" needs to be rethought or at least explained in a different way. varoius sources suggested we write a birth plan but it went out the window as I went into hospital for an induction 10 days overdue with high blood pressure. I cant say it was a managed birth, more like mis-managed, but we had to make immediate decisions during the labour based on the way that information was presented to us by the midwives and doctors at the time. At that point what you wrote in your birth plan cuts very little mustard.

I prefer the term 'birth preferences'.

I think a lot is down to education. I get so frustrated when women say "I wasn't allowed to do x/y/z". :mad: We're adults, we make our own decision, don't tell me what I 'have' to do or what I was 'allowed' to do. Induction is the classic case - I think hospitals are often very quick to induce births when baby just isn't read. It leads to a cascade of interventions - but mum will say "I had to be induced" - usually they were pressurised or scared by the MW/Dr

Ms_Piggy_2

KT1985 wrote: »

I agree with this, although maybe it is more about the fact that women's expectations of what is done with a birth plan need to be managed better? I knew when it became an emergency that it didn't matter what I had written, but I have heard the moan from other mums 'I asked them not to do xyz in my birth plan but they still did it anyway because they thought it was the right thing to do'. Women need it spelling out to them that medical professionals will try to keep to the contents of the birth plan where possible but in an life or death emergency their wishes really don't really count for a lot.

I think you can have contingencies in a birth plan. I said if I had a CS I wanted immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact. I also said that I'd sue if they gave forumla without the written consent of either me or DH. And some medical professionals unfortunately aren't that bothered about your birth plan - they are bothered about what makes their life easiest.

I don't think there are that many 'life-or-death' situations where there isn't time to explain the options. I like the BRAN acronym:

B - benefits
R - risks
A - alternatives
N - nothing (what happens if I do nothing)

thatgirlsam

Ms_Piggy wrote: »

I prefer the term 'birth preferences'.

I think a lot is down to education. I get so frustrated when women say "I wasn't allowed to do x/y/z". :mad: We're adults, we make our own decision, don't tell me what I 'have' to do or what I was 'allowed' to do. Induction is the classic case - I think hospitals are often very quick to induce births when baby just isn't read. It leads to a cascade of interventions - but mum will say "I had to be induced" - usually they were pressurised or scared by the MW/Dr

the doctors and midwives can only advise you not force you to do anything..

at the end of the day you can have your baby at home without any help at all if you so wish to .. hospitals are not prisons , you don't have to stay there or do anything anyone says if you don't want to

thatgirlsam

some people do write things in their birth plan that are just not possible ..

i remember one lady who wanted all the lights turned out in theatre when her baby was delivered by elective section