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A Forceps Delivery
When Forceps are Necessary to Speed Up Baby's Arrival
By Kendeyl Johansen
In some cases, maternal health problems dictate forceps use. "There are some mothers that can't generate enough force to deliver, like women with pulmonary or neuromuscular diseases," says Dr. Bowling. "Also, some women with heart disease or cerebrovascular disease should avoid pushing."
Not every forceps delivery is perfect. Kathryn Howard of New York advises women delivering in a teaching hospital to insist that an experienced doctor perform complex birthing procedures. Howard was 36 hours into an induced labor when her baby experienced distress. "I pushed for about an hour and got my baby down two-thirds of the way through the birth canal and then she got stuck with one shoulder on my pubic bone." she says. "She stayed there for over 30 minutes and it was really painful even with the epidural." Forceps were used and Howard experienced a large tear, requiring 30 stitches. Still, she was thankful that her daughter came out healthy. Howard later dscovered that a medical student had used the forceps.
Indeed, insufficient instrument knowledge and improper technique contribute to complications during forceps delivery, including cuts or tears. Experienced practitioners decrease the risk of complications. Still, because of the resulting faster delivery time with forceps, the body has less time to stretch in preparation for birth. Possible complications include tearing of the vagina or episiotomy, but tears are repairable where a bad baby outcome isn't.
A Canadian study reports that it may be possible to minimize rectal tearing during forceps delivery. Researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton reported that when forceps were used, rectal injury occurred in 58 percent of women with episiotomies, in contrast to 32 percent without episitomies.
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