Did you have a vacuum/forceps assisted delivery?
The doula teaching our prenatal classes claims that "almost every time" someone has an epidural they need either forceps or vacuum. Then talking to friends, I don't know anyone who has had either.
Poll below! Multiple options for multiple kids.
144 votes
pomegranate / 3779 posts
I did not, but the lady teaching the class did stress that epidurals increased the chance of needing assistance.
papaya / 10473 posts
I got an epidural BECAUSE I needed a vacuum assist, and they said it would hurt like hell if I didn't.
grapefruit / 4400 posts
I had an epidural and pushed for 30 minutes, no foreceps or vacuum.
nectarine / 2132 posts
there was talk of it in the delivery room but i told them no and then pushed like never before. luckily, that worked.
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
Yes, but I don't think it was because of the epidural.. they had to use forceps because her head got stuck under my pelvis. It hurt like a biatch *with* the epidural, I can't imagine what it would have felt like without one. Eep.
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
Yes , but I think I would have regardless...baby was turning as she came out and I pushed for 2.5hrs before they got the vacuum. I laboured for 20 hours and got to 3cm, then had an epi and it sped everything up, I was ready to push 3 hours after!
pineapple / 12526 posts
Yes, but I'd say the epidural was the least of the causes. I had a huge baby (10.5 lbs), her head was crooked in the birth canal and she wouldn't descend, and I wasn't allowed to push for longer than an hour because I have a heart condition.
If her head had been straight, I would have delivered just fine.
pear / 1699 posts
Yes, but I needed the vacuum because he was posterior and stuck not because of the epidural. I thank all that is holy I had it!
coconut / 8475 posts
No, but I did need an episiotomy but I think it was because lo's head was sideways.
coconut / 8861 posts
No. That's an interesting blanket statement that your doula made about epidurals. My epidural made it so much easier to push. I think that the doctors and nurses start to get worried after prolonged pushing and no baby. During LO's delivery, they almost got a bigger team in to do a vacuum or forceps delivery, but LO was ready to go and they had to scramble to get the table ready for him.
grapefruit / 4291 posts
I had an epidural because my labour stalled out and I needed pitocin to get it moving again. I'd also been in active labour for fifteen hours (twenty since my water broke and contractions started) and I was just so freaking tired! Baby was delivered by ventouse because like @loveisstrange: her head was crooked and I'd already been pushing for over two hours with not a lot of progress.
I do "believe" in the cascade of interventions theory but sometimes a birth is going to need assistance either way.
watermelon / 14206 posts
No, but I did have an episiotomy...but that had nothing to do with the epidural, cause it had worn off by the time I was pushing S out.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
I have a hard time believing that is true.
Did she say it in a matter of fact way? Or in a trying to scare you into not getting an epidural way?
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
Nope, no problems getting the baby out. I pushed her out in 40 minutes.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
Nope, but mine wore off while I was pushing. I did have to get an episiotomy, and I had a bigger baby.
nectarine / 2019 posts
The rate of forceps/vacuum with an epidural are higher, but "almost every time" seems like a whacky statement.
It really depends on the care provider and hospital too. I work as a doula for a hospital, and only one of the OB's uses forceps and vacuums regularly and she's over 70.
coconut / 8483 posts
@lawbee11: I think she said it in a matter of fact way. BUT she has only been a doula for 1 year and mentioned previously that she's only had one mom get an epidural. So I'm assuming that one ended with some assistance?
She isn't my doula, just the prenatal class teacher... I wouldn't want her for a doula.. she seems pushy!
Thanks for the responses everyone.
coconut / 8498 posts
No. There was talk of using the vacuum because I had been pushing for hours with little progress. But the talk was enough motivation to make something happen. Which was my OB's goal.
coconut / 8483 posts
@junebugmama: thank you! yes i researched a bit after and saw it was higher, which makes sense! But telling a whole class that epidural= assistance was not responsible I thought.
I am using midwives, so they would for sure avoid vacuum/forceps if they can.
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
That sounds like a sensationalist statement. I had to take natural childbirth classes to use the midwife I went with for DS and that sounds like something the incredibly biased instructor would have said as a way to push everyone to thinking natural childbirth is the only way. (And I say that as someone who agrees that natural childbirth is ideal -- but not always possible.)
That said, DS was 9.3 lbs and I pushed him out without any assistance and I had an epidural.
nectarine / 2019 posts
@Mrs. Champagne: It was an irresponsible statement. A doula should be in support of what the Mother wants, not their own agenda anyway. Poo poo on her lol
pomegranate / 3438 posts
I had a forceps assisted delivery but there is no way the epidural caused it! DS had the cord wrapped around his neck and there were two large knots in it preventing him from descending on his own. I pushed for 3 hours before the Dr came in and gave me my options of either vacuum, forceps or c-section. If anything the epidural sped up my labor because I was 10cm within 2 hours after receiving it. I was finally able to relax a little bit and get some rest before pushing.
kiwi / 689 posts
Epidural and no assistance required. The hospital where I gave birth rarely performs forceps delivery.
Its important when interpreting statistics on rates of intervention not to confuse correlation with causation, which it sounds like what the doula was doing there. From what I read prior to birth, the reason epidurals correlate with vacuum and forceps delivery is not necessarily because epidurals cause complications but because the types of situations that indicate for further assistance are also the types of situations that hurt like the blazes. If that makes sense.
honeydew / 7687 posts
"almost every time" sounds like malarkey. epidural (lover) here with no vaccuum or forceps.
pineapple / 12526 posts
@Mrs. Champagne: I was delivered by midwives and they ended up using the forceps to save me a csection. I'm grateful for that.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
epidural twice and great experiences both times.
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