Complications
If mother or baby face complications during birth, an assisted birth may be required. The doctor or midwife will advise and discuss with you the best way in which to help the progression of parturition.
There are three main ways in which the birth can be assited by the medical team can:
- Forceps
- Ventouse, sometimes known as vacuum extraction
- Caesarean section
Caesarian section
There are situations where the safest option for either you or your baby, or both, is to have a caesarean section. As a caesarean section involves major surgery, it will only be performed where there is a real clinical need for this type of delivery. For more information on caesarians check out the nhs website.
Instrumental delivery
Forceps and vaccum extraction of often reffered to as 'instrumental delivery'. During the second stage of labour when the baby is part way down the birth canal but cannot get any further for any reason, progressing too slowly or needs to be born quickly then an instrumental delivery is an option.
Ventouse or vacuum extraction: A silicone cup fixed to a suction pump goes over the baby's head and stays in place with suction. The mother pushes with each contraction, while the doctor pulls the ventouse. This can cause swelling of the baby's head, but this will disappear in the first few days.
Forceps: These are two spoon-like instruments that fit together and are placed on each side of the baby's head. Again, the mother and doctor coordinate to help the baby come out. The baby may have a mark on either side of his head, or even bruising, where the forceps have been. This will fade in a short time.
You'll be asked to lie flat on your back and your legs will be raised and supported at the ankles in stirrups. You'll be given a local anaesthetic (unless you already have an epidural in place) and probably an episiotomy (a cut made to enlarge the opening of your vagina) too, so there's room to insert the instrument. This will be stitched up after the birth.
You and your baby may feel a bit bruised and sore afterwards. Recovery from an assisted birth can take longer than an unassisted birth. There's some evidence that ventouse is less damaging for you than forceps, but forceps may be less distressing to your baby.
Most mothers and babies make a full recovery from forceps or ventouse deliveries.
Slow progress
Labour isn't always smooth and progressively intense. At times, contractions may slow down or even cease. If you and your baby are fine, you needn't worry. Just be patient, calm and prepared to walk around or move into a different position, while you wait for them to start again.
If contractions slow for a long period of time and it's thought you and/or your baby might benefit from things being helped along, you may be advised to agree to:
- Stimulation of contractions with a hormone drip in the arm (usually a synthetic oxytocin called syntocinon)
- inserting a pessary or gel into the vagina
- Artificial rupturing of your membranes (ARM), the technical term for breaking the waters around your baby
Induction of labour may take a while, particularly if the cervix needs to be softened with pessaries or gels. Once labour starts, it should proceed normally however is some women very strong contractions can begin which some women find very difficult to deal with.
Information sourced from:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/having_a_baby/pregnancy_labour.shtm
https://www.nhs.uk/planners/pregnancycareplanner/Pages/PregnancyHome.aspx