Talk to me about Vac**** and Forceps...

Sorry to be such a post-hog lately.... but as my "time" nears all these questions I have put off asking are coming forward.

I have heard of deliveries with vac****uction and/or using forceps to pull the baby out....    This sounds bad to me?  Like something I wouldn't want to happen ? 

Can I refuse it?  Should I refuse it?  Can it hurt the baby? 

I have an OB appointment late this afternoon and plan on asking him.....but I hoped to go in armed with more informaation!

Thanks in advance!

Cindy 

I'd say you can refuse it but at some point if they think they need it or baby won't come out and you say no, you'll likely end up a csection.

I don't know specifics on what they do or not do though.  sorry.

 They used a vacuum when my daughter was born. I could not get her out. She was only 6lbs. After the fact my OB told me that I am just not made to have big baby's. I am built small I guess. I had gestational diabetes and they were afraid she would be big. So I guess in that sense I was lucky to have a smaller baby.
They did not give me the option to not have the vacuum. She was already in some distress. I had a long labor 22 hours, and in that time her heart rate had dropped several times.I think they just wanted to help me get her out as fast as possible. I also had a pretty severe episiotomy to I guess give her more room to try and get out, but the vacuum was still needed. She has no problems as a result of the assisted birth. I was just glad she was out and healthy.
Hopefully you wont need it.
Good Luck,
Amy  

The vaccum is this suction cup thing that sticks to the top of the baby's head to help pull it out. As far as I am aware... it's pretty harmless. I've known quite a few cases where it's been used and no consequences. It does leave a little hickey mark on the baby's head that goes away pretty fast.

The forceps are like salad tongs. They are for helping out the head or shoulders. They were used on me when I was born and no problem. There is a slight risk that they can injure the baby... normally a broken collar bone (which again isn't something to be happy about, but it heals)

In my opion, I would say yes to either. The risk to the baby being stuck half in-half out seems worse to me. An emergency c-section takes time and depending on the position of the baby.... you really don't have any time to spare at that point. My husband's step mom was really upset when his little brother's collar bone was broken (due to forceps) but he healed fine and is no worse for the wear. I'd be more concerned that the time it takes to get to the c-section, there could be pressure on the cord cutting off blood flow and oxygen to the baby.

Good luck deciding. Just offering my opinon here.

Trust me when I tell you if you have to get to that point, you aren't going to be refusing anything to get that baby out LOL.

It's one of those things, again, that you can't control.  Hopefully you will have one of those "made for birthing" bodies.  It's a gift. 

I don't think again this is something you can change the outcome of - other than preparation, and keeping that open mind.

HUGS.  You are going to fine.

Cindy,
I didn't have either (c-section), but this is my understanding.  Both of those devices are used only at a point where the baby is in the path (birth can.) of having to come out and needing assistance.  (i.e. usually to late for a c-section) and needs out (having distress or your not able to push past head).  My sister had a baby that was really stuck and it required using both...the result of using them was some head bruising and a cone head, but much better then what the result could have been..oh- he's a healthy, very smart almost 16 year old. I can tell that your time is getting near as you are asking all the right questions in preparing for your little one.  I hope you are able to have a healthy, happy baby, with no complications.

 My friend had the vaccum and forceps used on her son. He just had a cone head but was perfect within a couple days. He wore his little beanie for pics. Little bruised but she was like GET THIS BABY OUT!!! It's a good thing to talk to your DR. about now to get more info.
Jessica 

While it's not the most comfortable thing in the world for baby (we played with both during my pre-natal class -- we thought we were getting breathing techniques, but we got everything but, including QUITE a tutorial on the tools used throughout the birthing process, how the bed breaks down,a nd how they cir****ize a boy -- can you say OWWW!?) and I know this cause I played with it..  but if it's baby in distress by staying in, or having a fluke injury, I'd go with the fluke injury over known danger.

See if your doc will let you play with the tools.  Like I said, our prenatal class had demos of all of the tools.. including what an epidural catheter looked like, etc.  It really helped calm our fears.

I didn't have either but let me tell you about the difference between an episiotomy and not having one.

My first son was 7.7 lbs and came out normally with just a little tear.  I was fine after that delivery.  When I was sent home the next day they were giving me Tylenol with Codiene and I didn't understand why because I wasn't in any pain at all.

When #2 came along, a different Dr. automatically did an episiotomy because the baby was going to be big and it was horrible for weeks after the birth. 

My recommendation is to not let them do one just to do one.  The difference in pain is huge!!!

I am here to tell you... YES YOU CAN REFUSE IT!!!   I told the nurses when I was first admitted to the L & D floor with my son after my water had broken. I told them that I did NOT want them to SUCK or PULL my baby out...  even the SMALLEST chance of complication to happen my child... I was NOT willing to take. So I told them... If I cant have him vaginally, I wanted a C-section. And when the time came... after 19 hours of labor. They wanted to  suck him out.. I said.. NO. So Emergency c-section is what I got. He was so far decended (they could touch his hair, lol) they had to literally PUSH him back up into my uterus so they could cut him out.  The doctors told me later that it was "Good, I chose the c-section because a bone (down there... SOMEWHERE..lol) was straight instead of curved so he would of been 'brain-dead' if they had SUCKED him out"...
 Which surprisingly I have found a lot of women had the same "bone" issues.. which I had him. Almost 5 yrs ago..

Hope it helps.. sorry if I scared you. LOL  it surprisingly as traumatic as it sounds... LOL
I was just glad he son came out beautiful... a little bruised from getting "stuck".. but beautiful!!