Forceps babies

[WelshOneEmma]

Emilia wasn't forceps but ventouse. they couldnt get it on properly as she had flipped back to back andalthough i was only pushing for an hr (and she didnt move) and with ventouse she was out pretty quickly she had a very swollen head due to bleeding, a massive cut on her head (which scarred) and a they ripped her sterncleidomastoid muscle.

She's now 10 weeks and her head still doesnt look right. We are going to weigh in tomorrow so I plan to talk the the HV about it then, see if there's anything we can do.

 

[bubbles123]

My son was ventouse after I pushed for 2 hours, then they called the doctor who had me push for another 1 hour as his heart rate was fine but then they decided he had to come out so it was ventouse. He had a conehead for the first week but it got better very quickly. My daughter was a failed forceps on the labour ward then a successful forceps in theatre so she was a bit mangled bless her she had big red marks on the side of her face but her head is perfect now. With her I was fully dilated when I got to hospital so I pushed for 1 hour making no progress before they got the forceps out. With both of mine, I've never had any desire to push so forceps/ventouse were inevitable. They think my womb is tilted making it harder for me to push them out myself. The staff were great each time, gave me as much time as they could before they intervened.

 

[RebeccaG]

I was trying for a home birth with my son which is why I think my second stage was so long (6 hours) and I really wanted him to be born at home. His heart rate was perfect the whole time was never even slightly distressed! He did have quite a cone! Went down very quickly though.

 

[Samiam03]

My son was born via vacuum after 4 hours of pushing. He was born with a huge nasty lopsided cone head and a very dark red bruise. It was horrible to look at and thankfully I don't have any pictures of him without the hat cause it upsets me to think back on...

His cone head went down within 2 days...the bruise lasted a month :/

 

[Jennifurball]

Scarlett was a forceps baby, but luckily she didn't suffer too much, although she ended up with a bruised cheek and had a lump of gristle at the back of her head for a while.

 

[Dawnlouise30]

Isaac was a forceps delivery since he was back to back and got stuck, not helped much by the position i had to labour in. I was pushing for an hour then was told to stop pushing for a while (to see if he came down), an hour later i was allowed to push for another hour but nothing he was stuck solid LOL. we were taken to theatre to have him delivered via forceps (or an EMCS) - luckily the forceps worked.
Isaac had a bruise below his eye, was very swollen and a cone head! and he was very unsettled the first few days as i suspect it probably hurt - but luckily for Isaac because he was so big at birth he was able to have a dose of calpol which helped to settle him a bit.
Here is a picture of him with his Auntie - you can see the bruise and swelling and cone head! it had all pretty much disapeared by day 3

 

[Dezireey]

My boy ended up being delivered by ventouse and forceps after being in labour for more than a whole day, he just got distressed and was also back to back. I think my body was just too exhausted as well. He definitely had a cone head and his face was really puffy with an indentation where the forceps got him out. It went within a day or two but he does have a big head now - not sure if thats from birth though or he just has a big head!

Freaks me out sometimes to think that if we lived in a different time without these gadgets and gizmos and modern medicine ( hooray epidural I didnt feel the 3rd degree tear) then we wouldn't be here.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

My boy ended up being delivered by ventouse and forceps after being in labour for more than a whole day, he just got distressed and was also back to back. I think my body was just too exhausted as well. He definitely had a cone head and his face was really puffy with an indentation where the forceps got him out. It went within a day or two but he does have a big head now - not sure if thats from birth though or he just has a big head!

Freaks me out sometimes to think that if we lived in a different time without these gadgets and gizmos and modern medicine ( hooray epidural I didnt feel the 3rd degree tear) then we wouldn't be here.

Hubby and I were talking about this the other day. I only pushed for an hour then they stepped in with ventouse as they said she was showing signs of distress and they wanted her out quickly. If ventouse didnt work would have had to have C section. If we were in days gone by I dont think Emilia would be here with us now. I try not to think of it too much.