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A friend delivered her second baby a couple of days ago by VBAC. She said everything went pretty well and they stood up to the rude on-call doc in the hospital on things like AROM and pit. But when it came to pushing, everyone said, "the head's right there, this won't take long!" Yet it took a long time with no progress. Eventually the rude doc walked out, a new doc came in, and suggested what my friend called "a suction cup thingy" and they used this to turn the baby while she pushed. She said baby was facing her right and was anterior, and this, she says, is why she was stuck.
So my questions... Isn't LOA the "best" position, and doesn't that leave baby facing mom's right side? What's the most likely account for why baby was *really* stuck? Or do we just say "asynclitic" and leave it at that? FWIW, mom had an "epi-light" and says she could move around some but was exhausted after no sleep for a couple of nights. Sounded like she was fairly upright, and she used words like "supported" and "squat," though I'm not sure exactly what she was meaning (obviously I know what a supported squat is, but this sounded more like sitting than that).
Also, is there more than one type of vacuum device? She said this was a small unit, not attached to anything; like a suction piece and then a small pump, maybe? Said something about him pulling a string, I think. He apparently turned the baby a little with each of two pushes and then she "came right out." Just wondering if this is the standard vacuum extractor, or perhaps something a little less manipulative.
Mama ended up with 3rd degree tears. She had ice packs in hospital, but what's best to help heal those up now? I know that's the worst part of a VBAC, at least for me! (Though mine were 2nd degree.) I know my MW said ice for 24 hours at least but is it effective and helpful after 48?
Thanks for your help as I try to process what happened!
So my questions... Isn't LOA the "best" position, and doesn't that leave baby facing mom's right side? What's the most likely account for why baby was *really* stuck? Or do we just say "asynclitic" and leave it at that? FWIW, mom had an "epi-light" and says she could move around some but was exhausted after no sleep for a couple of nights. Sounded like she was fairly upright, and she used words like "supported" and "squat," though I'm not sure exactly what she was meaning (obviously I know what a supported squat is, but this sounded more like sitting than that).
Also, is there more than one type of vacuum device? She said this was a small unit, not attached to anything; like a suction piece and then a small pump, maybe? Said something about him pulling a string, I think. He apparently turned the baby a little with each of two pushes and then she "came right out." Just wondering if this is the standard vacuum extractor, or perhaps something a little less manipulative.
Mama ended up with 3rd degree tears. She had ice packs in hospital, but what's best to help heal those up now? I know that's the worst part of a VBAC, at least for me! (Though mine were 2nd degree.) I know my MW said ice for 24 hours at least but is it effective and helpful after 48?
Thanks for your help as I try to process what happened!
