Vac extraction 2nd time round?

With DD i had a vac extraction as she was stuck, couldnt get over the 'hump' as my Dr said. She just wouldnt get more then a teeny tiny bit of her head out then she would go back in....so it was decided that was the best way to get her out. I never had an episeotomy (sp?) but did get a 2nd degree tear, nothing to major.

My question is... will this be the case with this bub.... will s/he get stuck as well and ill need intervention?

Is it my fault she needed this in the first place? Was i not pushing good enuf?

My DD also had to have vacc cause i was tired and also cause her head got a bit stuck. I was advised to have a c/s next time. But i went with my gut feeling and birthed my baby boy with no problems. i also had a epidural with him and he came out really quick.

Were you laying on the bed? That could have been one of the causes. It's definatly not your fault. it's just something that happens sometimes. I advice that next time you try squating or similar so your pelvis is wider for bub's head.

Thanks Tegan. I was indeed laying down with legs in them stirrup things (lol is that what they are called??). Ta for the advice re. positions!

Yeah i was laying like that too.

I was also laying like that with DS cause of the epidural but i had no problems with him i think because i was so determined not to have the vacc again i just pushed him out with everything i had and just shot out lol.

Wow Caro.. big diff!

It seems that maybe if u have an epidural it helps Or am i wrong.. and that has nothing to do with it! lol

I guess i just have to wait and see , But i feel like i failed at delivering DD myself. I wanted todo it on my own and not have help. I didnt want drugs and only had the smallest amout of gas....so was proud there.

Kim, i felt like i failed at birthing Lily too. It took me until a few days before i went into labour with DS to actually get over it(so nearly 2 years).

I actually thought having an epidural would make it harder to push cause you cant move. Though i could still feel him moving down and out, just no pain. It was the most awesome feeling ever! Though i only had the epidural cause i had been in labour for 2 days and had had no drugs at all until the epi.

Just to also add, DS was also posterior and he came out no probs. So maybe it's the fact we've done it before so the second one is easier? I dunno.

I know that it is hard to stop feeling guilty. But just think of it this way, vacc extraction only help you with 10% of getting bub out. You do the other 90% with pushing, which in my books is a bloody big effort.

Hi girls, the fact that you have birthed a baby before is a huge help. You body knows what to do and in majority of cases the 2nd stage of labour ( pushing) is alot quicker and more efficient.

The epidural does not actually help in this intance, but as Tegan says positioning can also have alot to do with it.

I had a mid forcep delivery with No1 and then with No2 pushed him out in 14 mins.

Kim, as you will be having this bub within a year of having Chelsea, your body will be well prepared to birth no 2 hun!

There is a book by Janet Balaskas about Active Birth, that is fantastic at explaining the benefits of an active and if possible upright birth.

I agree with Relle & the others.

If you can, any position other than lying on your back would probably help, gravity is awesome!

Thanks Relle :)

Ive heard things about that book.... been on the look out for it too!

Lying down means that the baby needs to be pushed over the curve in your tailbone. This is why a lot of babies rock back as mums are trying to push them out.

Upright positions mean that babies don't have to be pushed over that curve in the tailbone...

Also, as someone mentioned, gravity is great :)

I think it all just depends - I had vacuum with DD and then her shoulders got stuck so I ended up giving birth with my knees up near my ears! Worried about this happening again, and about the baby being bigger 2nd time around (DD was 3835g, so not that small) my obs insisted that the actual bith is much easier 2nd time around and that if the baby looks like he'll be big then they may just induce me a week early. I definitely don't want to do that, I'd rather go into spontaneous labour, but we'll just have to wait and see.

In any case, having ANY sort of intervention does NOT mean you're a failure - it's an achievement to carry a baby for 9 months and to birth them healthily in any way that needs to happen, and then recover from the whole thing physically and mentally, and then raise a child... so just be proud of yourself no matter what! :D

The second time is definately easier with the pushing in theory because the first baby has 'paved the way' so to speak, but this isn't always the case - many things like your's and baby's positoin can affect the way it moves down the birth canal.

Even if you don't have the strength anymore to stay upright for the last moments, even laying on your side helps, as this take your bodyweight off the tailbone, allowing it to push outwards to accommodate the baby coming through - almost like a little gate in a way.