Assisted Birth

Sometimes women will experience difficulty during the second stage of labour, requiring help from a doctor. For example, if your baby is not in an easy position to be born or if s/he is showing signs of distress. There are two ways in which assistance can be offered;

Ventouse - a small suction cup will be applied to the top or your baby’s head. The doctor will need to apply gentle traction/pulling, as you push to deliver your baby.

Forceps - involve two instruments (shaped like salad servers), which are placed around baby’s head. The doctor will gently pull as you push. Sometimes, forceps are easier for the doctor to use particularly if your baby is not in an easy position for birth with the ventouse cup. Occasionally you may be transferred into theatre as an extra precaution, so that the appropriate staff and equipment are on hand should they be needed.

Are there any risks with ventouse or forceps?

As with any procedure there are risks. The reason you might need assistance is usually because there is a problem with either you managing to push your baby out or that the baby is in distress. Your baby may have superficial marks or bruising as a result of ventouse or forceps which usually disappear within a few days. If you remained un-delivered for many hours you could experience permanent pelvic floor or bladder damage. If your baby is distressed and not delivered in a timely way s/he could suffer brain damage or death.

This page was last modified on Thu Jul 29 2010