Forceps and ventouse (or the vacuum method), are used to vaginally deliver babies more rapidly, when the woman is experiencing complications, or slow progress in the 2nd stage of her labour (or even towards the end of the 1st stage with the ventouse). Both these methods essentially perform the same task in different ways. The medical terms for either of these interventions include 'assisted delivery', 'instrumental delivery' or 'operative vaginal delivery'.
Women having their first baby are more likely to have an assisted delivery. It is quite uncommon for a woman having her second, or subsequent baby, to need either forceps or a ventouse (unless her pervious birth was a Caesarean, and she has not given birth vaginally before).
The main reasons for 'assisting' the delivery of a baby in this way can include:
 |
The baby being unwell (or distressed) and the caregiver feeling that it would be safer for the baby to be born sooner, rather than later. |
|
The woman being unwell, or unable to push, for medical reasons such as heart disease or high blood pressure. |
|
Unexpected complications, such as heavy bleeding that may threaten the life of the woman and / or her baby. |
|
The pushing phase falling outside the caregiver's time frames and / or the woman's progress being considered 'too slow'. |
|
The baby not descending, given that after an acceptable period of time, with good pushing and good contractions, the baby still does not appear to be coming down the vaginal canal. The caregiver then believes that the woman will be unable to push her baby out on her own. |
The use of assisted vaginal deliveries will vary depending on different cultural approaches, and individual caregiver preferences for managing a woman's labour.