Ventouse Deliveries? {UPDADED Pg4 post 36.

[Louise N]

Anyone that's had a ventouse delivery how do you feel physically and/or emotionally as the weeks or months go on?

 

[brunettebimbo]

I'm getting better. In the end they had to remove the ventouse as it hurt so much.
I'm upset about my birth, it was so traumatic. I'm trying to forget.

 

[RedRose]

I had a ventouse delivery with an epidural and episiotomy. It was a horrible birth but I dont feel bad about it cos the end result of a healthy baby is so worth it, and without those things I may not have had that.

Six months on and I can barely remember it to be honest, just remember thinking how amazing the baby was and how happy I was.

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

mine failed...twice, apparently the midwife had never had it fail before...
I ended up being cut (and tore some) and had forceps.....
It gets better, it took me a few years but time heals x

 

[brunettebimbo]

I had a ventouse delivery with an epidural and episiotomy. It was a horrible birth but I dont feel bad about it cos the end result of a healthy baby is so worth it, and without those things I may not have had that.

Six months on and I can barely remember it to be honest, just remember thinking how amazing the baby was and how happy I was.

I'm hoping over time I will forget. I can still remember the pain vividly. No pain relief and episiotomy! I think getting an infection afterwards and taking so long to heal afterwards (still not) doesn't help!

 

[jane99]

Got wheeled in theatre, gave me a spinal block & two attempts of the venthouse failed, so didnt feel a thing. So they done a caesarian.

 

[Gingerspice]

I had ventouse and episiotomy. They had taken the gas and air away 3 hours before that so it was carried out without any painkillers. I had a terrible birth, I'd been pushing for hours and they only reason they decided to try to assist was because my OH asked when they were going to think about pulling LO out as I was obviously struggling. I hadn't slept in 3 days and not eaten a proper meal for 20hours, so I was just crying and telling everybody I wanted to sleep. they then couldn't control the bleeding when they cut so I lost over 2 litres of blood. Once baby was born I didn't get a wash until the next morning (over 24 hours later) I was left naked on a trolley in my blood for 4 hours before I got moved to postnatal ward, and even then I had to get myself up, washed (well a quick wipe over with baby wipes was all I could manage) and dressed even though they were apparently concerned about me moving due to blood loss and feared I would collapse. It took about a month for me to stop really focusing on it, but now I wouldn't say its stopping me from thinking about another, but I think I'll go to a different hospital.

 

[Carlyp1990]

ill be honest, i pushed for over 2 hours and in the end had the kiwi ventouse to get my little girl out - i got a 2nd degree tear and had a big blood loss but i feel fine about it - i had no pain relief as the pethadine had worn off hours before but it was all worth it to have my little princess out
Katie is now 2 weeks old and i have almost fully healed and stopped bleeding so maybe im lucky x

 

[littleone2010]

Im sorry to hear of these awful experiences.
It must be hard to have a traumatic birth experience, im sure in time it will fade and you will feel better about the whole thing.
I had a ventouse delivery, but because of the opposite reason, she wanted to come out after only a few hours of labour, I went from 3cm to 10 cm in less than 2 hours her heartbeat was too fast and she was back to back so they used ventouse.

I didnt have any pain killers either as my labour progressed so fast and as a result was very painful but I didnt have to be cut, this is probably due to the fact she was a small baby and the doctor that delivered her was excellent.. I went into labour away from home, so didnt know the staff or the hospital, im so glad I had my pregnancy notes with me!!

I just concentrated on the the great thing that came out of it.

I only stayed one night there and my baby was the only baby in the whole ward crying all night!! Nothing I did could comfort her..I think this is due to the type of delivery she had, next time im hoping to not have any assistance but if i need it, id rather the baby didnt struggle lots of hugs x

 

[LulaBug]

Judging my what other people have written, my ventouse birth was OK.
I had an epidural in place and they gave me an episiotomy. I didn't feel anything so can't really complain.
I think if it was done without painkillers, I'd have been screaming down the theatre, but Ethan was stuck in the birth canal and needed assistance coming out so I'm grateful that I had it.

 

[bubbles123]

My ventouse was after 3 hours of pushing and 33 hours of labour with just gas and air when they decided that baby was stuck solid and I would never be able to push him out. They took the gas and air off me so I had no pain relief and gave me a drip that made my contractions even more intense. I had no epiosotomy and could feel the ventouse go in, like a stretchy feeling but TBH the contractions were so bad on the drip I barely noticed! The Doc got baby out super quick though, in literally only a few minutes and I had a second degree tear. The Doctor was lovely though, really calm, LO came out with the cord wrapped round his neck 3 times but he was so calm, just unravelled it and carried on talking to me. So all in all, I remember the pain as had no pain relief and a drip making the contractions more intense but the doctor was so lovely that in hindsight it really wasn't that bad. I'm so grateful that they were able to get my son out safe and sound really. I was very lucky with my experience compared to some ladies I think X

 

[sarahchops86]

I had 2 failed ventouse attempts and finally a forceps delivery, under a spinal block. Hoping to avoid that this time. Physically im back to normal, emotionally it gets me a little sad that it came down to that but she was back to back with her head tilted so... the doctor did come in afterwards and reassure me that I could never have got her out on my own and was lucky I didn't need a c-section xx

 

[hinkybinky]

I had a ventouse delivery after being transferred by ambulance from the birthing centre due to fetal heart rate concerns. As soon as I got onto the delivery bed my legs were in stirrups and the doctor said she was putting a ventouse cup in and would have to cut me to get the baby out. I didn't feel the cut at all, and with my pushing and the ventouse the baby as out within 10 minutes. I hadn't had any pain relief but maybe had a local anaethetic injection for the episiotomy, I think? I didn't lose much blood and the doctor seemed to do a good job of stitchin me up.

I am recovering ok from the episiotomy, stitches healing well and only a little discomfort now just over 2 weeks later. Baby's bruise healed in a couple of days. He did cry a lot in the first couple of days, which I put down to him probably having a bit of a headache and coming out a bit quickly.

So my ventouse delivery was not bad at all, and I was just glad they got him out as quickly as they did and that he was safe and well.

 

[Louise N]

I too had no pain relief and it hurt a lot! My LO was out only seconds after the cup went in as well - all in one go! but it's not the pain that bothers me months on it's the time it's taken to heal physically. I too picked up an infection from it - a bladder infection that took 3 rounds of anti-biotics to clear and it's taken about 6m to feel normal again and not 'achey' down there. You never get told of these things and no one I know has had to have ventouse.
It's only now that I feel physically healed that the negative emotions have set in.

My whole labour leaves me feeling a bit . I had to be induced due to reduced fetal movements so my labour was really quick but thankfully not too painful but it was tense and rushed because of the circumstances right from the start.

The only good thing about the birth was that my LO was born pink and screaming so I got to hold her right away before the cord was cut.

 

[beatnick]

i ahad ventouse because i had been pushing for 2 hours and his heart rate was getting low.

to be honest i was soooo relieved to have it. the ventouse man said "in two pushes your baby will be born". i could have lept up and kissed him!!!

i had only gas and air, an episiotomy and he popped right out. i couldnt thank ventouse doctor enough after.

turns out he was back to back so my screaming in pain was not just me making a fuss!!

im really not particularly upsett by the fact i had it. my labour hurt so much for so long i was just glad to have him out!

 

[beatnick]

ooh i still feel a bit achey i wonder if its because of the ventouse?

 

[rockys-mumma]

I very narrowly avoided a ventouse delivery and it still irritates me until this day and it didnt even happen! I was about 10 seconds away from being cut and having the ventouse because my midwife was shit basically. I was asking, then screaming for her not to do it, she jabbed me with the local anethsteic and it was only that my mum and OH physically stopped her and was like look she is not consenting, dont do it! The doctor came in to ask what the fuss was about and told the midwife off and I delivered LO on the next push, unassisted. I wanted to kick her in her face!!!

 

[New Mrs W]

I had kiwi ventouse and episiotomy but had epidural so no pain during and very little after. Not emotionally affected at all, got my baby in the end and that's all I care about.

However, and I don't know if this is anything to do with having ventouse, I have been having, how shall I say, bladder control problems which is hugely embarrassing. Have been seeing a physio and doing my pelvic floors so hopefully this won't go on for much longer.

 

[kellie_w]

<-------- my profile picture shows why i feel guilty every single day that i ended up having ventouse. I had twice failed ventouse and 4 attempts at forceps, i found this out when i read my labour notes. I had not been asked for consent, and was not even told they were doing this, just brought a doctor in, cut me and started getting him out as he was stuck and back to back after 26 hours of labour and 2 hours of unsuccessful pushing. He was in absolutely no distress and scored 10 and 10 on the apgar score. They tore the skin off his head with the ventouse cap, put a wooly hat over the open wound and he ended up in SCBU for 6 days with a infection from the injury and low red blood count. It was awful seeing such a tiny thing having needles stuck in him every day, bruised and being threatend with a lumber puncture as his infection levels were not lowering. I had had a epidural and could feel nothing at all. The pain after was so bad, but all i could feel was guilt that i had caused this by not being able to deliver naturally.Maybe If i hadnt have been so weak and not had a epidural, maybe if i had spent more time trying to turn him on my birthing ball, maybe i could have avoided the pain I caused him. I healed really quick, and so did lukes head but i would never want ventouse again. I am thankful eveyday that now he is healthy and happy x

 

[Louise N]

IHowever, and I don't know if this is anything to do with having ventouse, I have been having, how shall I say, bladder control problems which is hugely embarrassing. :

I was so numb down there that for the first few days I had very little control, I thought I was permanently damaged!! Thankfully it got gradually better and by 12 weeks I felt normal again and I've regained feeling. My gp did say that it can take up to 12 months for some women to recover though. It's good that you've been referred to physio early. In my area you have to be experiencing problems after the 12wk point before you can be referred.
Hope you get it sorted soon.