Mmmm, it's interesting re. the whole forceps/c-section thing. I had a four hour second stage, with a malpositioned and posterior baby. Ob let me go on my own (with midwife support, he was just in the background) for almost three hours before he got ansty. Even then he didn't rush into anything. Ventouse was eventually tried a number of times, but my bubba wasn't moving, he was seriously stuck! Eventually forceps were called for, and with them and some almighty pushes DS was born. The middies all said that any other Ob would have had me in theatre, that I was lucky to have him. I never thought before that that was because of anyone's reluctance to use forceps, but maybe that was what they meant. I think time-frame would have had something to do with it too.
Absolutely Janie. A four hour second stage when it's known that the baby is posterior would be completely unheard of in alot of hospitals. Most OB's would tell you that you're not going to birth vaginally at that point and want to do something. Even with an anterior baby usually 1.5 to 2 hours (first baby) is where there will be pressure to intervene.