Assisted delivery every time?!

[xxxemmaxxx]

I gave birth to my DS1 in April 2013 via ventouse. I was allowed to push for nearly two hours before they stepped in. He weighed 8lb 2oz. 21 months later (4 weeks ago nearly) I gave birth to DS2 via forceps. I had an epidural and after the time they allow to wait I pushed for an hour and again they stepped in. He weighed 10lb 1 and a 1/4.

What are the chances of next time needing help again? Do some people just struggle to push baby through the birth canal or was I just unlucky?
Also the midwife had no idea DS2 would be that big - would they keep an eye of growth more next time and whats the likelyhood that DC3 would be even bigger?

 

[Feronia]

For what it's worth, if you avoid an epidural and remain upright during pushing, you're far less likely to need forceps or a vacuum delivery. Those are the two biggest risk factors for assisted deliveries.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

For what it's worth, if you avoid an epidural and remain upright during pushing, you're far less likely to need forceps or a vacuum delivery. Those are the two biggest risk factors for assisted deliveries.

I didn't have any pain relief with DS1 due to getting to the hospital at 8cm they said it was too late for anything!

 

[Betheney]

It's all babies positioning. It's very crucial and important you spend most of your pregnancy encouraging optimal fetal positioning. Not slouching back into your car seat or couch and there are numerous exercises you can do throughout the pregnancy to encourage a balanced uterus. All information is available on the spinning babies website. Some babies can turn into an ideal position during labour, some decend in an unfavorable position and try and exit in that position, usually ending in an assisted delivery. The Epidural does compound this issue, because when you're on your back not only are you encouraging an unfavorable position but you have zero opportunity to practice any labour exercises that can encourage baby to rotate if they need to.

But check out spinning babies. its a fantastic and informative website

I've never heard of a woman who is just incapable of pushing out her babies, but i have heard of women with an unbalanced uterus which encourage less than favorable fetal positioning

 

[MindUtopia]

It also really just has to do with the support you receive and the fact that sometimes they can intervene when they shouldn't. It could be you need to change the people around you to offer you more support, rather than do anything different yourself (though, yes, avoiding an epidural and being upright during labour will help a lot). In my first birth, I pushed for 4 hours. No need for forceps/ventouse. My daughter was just in a slightly less optimal position and needing time to move into a better one. I was fine. She was fine. It just needed time. Once she was better positioned, she came pretty quickly. But had I not had supportive midwives who were experienced enough to know to sit back and let things happen, I probably would have ended up with an instrumental delivery as well. But I didn't need one. And it's possible you didn't either. Just more support and time. So I think, yes, work on optimal positioning (see Spinning Babies website), be active, upright, walk around (I had a home birth and was going up and down my stairs between pushes), avoid the epidural, but also be clear that you want support for a natural birth. If you're coping and baby is coping, there's not necessarily a reason to get out the forceps if you can be supported to do it on your own. With the exception of some pretty rare genetic abnormalities of the pelvis, no one is incapable of birthing a baby the old-fashioned way. But sometimes we do just need support and time.

 

[Feronia]

^^Very good points. I had a 56-hour active labour but had midwives who knew to leave it alone and not intervene. Baby was also in a suboptimal position (it took her a while to go from a posterior brow position to having a flexed chin and anterior). A lot of times positional problems correct themselves during labour, especially if you're up and active, but it can be slow. I would have ended up with an induction if I were in the hospital due to "failure to progress" but I was fine and baby came out just fine.

It's so true that your support people are crucial.

 

[mara16jade]

I had my baby 7 months ago and had an epidural. I pushed for almost 3 hours and had no intervention. I wonder if they just stepped in too early? My midwives just let me push for however long I needed (while keeping an eye on all our vitals), and never threatened c-section, or anything else. My baby was smaller though 7lbs2oz. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Maybe next time explain to them that you would really like the opportunity to push, without them jumping in to "help" so soon.

 

[mjemma]

Don't blame yourself though, sometimes these things just happen. I didn't have an epidural, was active during pregnancy and 28 hour labour then pushed in the pool for 3 hours. But my son's head was stuck sideways, he was 8lb10 and I'm petite and unfortunately we needed intervention. I appreciate everyone is trying to give you positive advice but often people that managed natural births were also just lucky rather than it being a result of something they actively did.

 

[Feronia]

Well, of course sometimes it's just luck -- you might be doing everything right but still have something go wrong and need assistance. Don't beat yourself over that! Sometimes, though, it's the interventions that cause the problems (including the impatience of care providers), so I would concentrate on doing what you can do minimize risks with the knowledge that they might still happen.