Most of us would be aware about forceps delivery, and it is high time that you are aware about vacuum delivery baby. It also goes by the name of ventouse.
Why do you think assistance is needed?
The main reason on why assistance is needed is that your doctor may need to rely on the use of an instrument in order to take the baby out of the birth canal. Normally this stage is called for in the second stage of pregnancy when the labor comes to a standstill. The mother is having contractions and pushing, the head of the baby has descended and the cervix has dilated. The sad part is that both the mother and the baby are reaching now where. This sort of delivery is also needed when the heartbeat of the baby indicates a problem and the delivery has to happen at the very stage.
The doctor can use a vacuum assisted delivery in comparison to forceps, but both these types of child birth are hardly to be used in the modern era. What is to be noticed is that the rates are dropping. It has to be stated that the use of both these methods has reduced ever since C section has sprung up. At a point of time forceps was the only method of delivery if the labor had stalled. With modern surgical methods and better blood transfusions a C section was rated to be deadly for the mother and it was only undertaken to save the child once the mother had passed off.
If the doctor is of the opinion that you may need a delivery of this type, they are going to discuss the situation with you. If you are not provided with an epidural, then you may need anaesthesia as well. The doctor is likely to reach out to the birth canal and a suction cup is likely to be placed on the head of your baby. If this operation does not work for you a C section would be an option.
The risks?
The possible risk would include a temporary swelling on the head of a baby where the suction cup was attached. The swelling could reduce in a day or two and it has to be stated that serious injury from this form of surgery is also on the rarer side. One of the major risks associated with this form of surgery is any tear occurring to your vagina. You could experience difficulty in urinating or emptying the bladder. It has to be stated that these form of complications do occur with vaginal birth, but their chances increase all the more when it is vacuum delivery. If you do suffer from tear the chances of infection or excessive bleeding also increase.
It is suggested that you do discuss the possibility of all these type of birth with your doctor well in advance. You can ask your doctor about forceps or vacuum and which method of delivery they are likely to prefer