Assisted delivery - Forceps or Ventouse

For a variety of reasons your baby may need a helping hand when being delivered.

Often this will happen if you’ve been pushing for a long time and your baby is making slow progress down the birth canal. If you have a large baby or your baby shows signs of distress, help may also be given to ease her out safely. There are several ways this might be done. They are:

Vacuum extraction
A vacuum extraction device is a small, soft rubber cup that’s placed on your baby’s head to gently ease her out with suction as you push. Your baby may have a little swelling on her head for about 24 hours after the birth, but this will soon go back to normal.

Forceps
Forceps are more likely to be used if your baby needs to come out quickly. They look like metal salad tongs and are inserted into your vagina on either side of your baby’s head so your OB-GYN can gently guide her out while you push. Some forceps can be used to turn your baby around if she’s in an awkward position. Sometimes a baby born with the help of forceps can have bruising and red marks on either side of her head, but they should fade within a couple of weeks.

Episiotomy
This is a surgical cut made in your perineum (the area that separates your vagina and rectum) to enlarge your vaginal opening so your baby can pass through. You’re likely to have an episiotomy if you need forceps; you may not need one with vacuum extraction. Read episiotomy for more information on what it involves and how to avoid it.