What Happens In A Vacuum Assisted Delivery?

Vacuum assisted delivery, also known as ventouse delivery, is a procedure that is sometimes done during the course of vaginal childbirth.

A vacuum-assisted delivery might be necessary if your labour is prolonged and needs to be sped up, particularly if you or your baby are at the risk for health complications during the delivery.

Vacuum delivery is typically done if the labour doesn’t progress or if the health condition of the baby is such that it requires urgent delivery. For instance, the baby might be short of oxygen or the heart rate might have gone down. In such conditions, an urgent delivery is required.

However, the rates of both vacuum extraction and forceps delivery have been reducing as caesarean rates are on the rise. Assisted vaginal delivery is performed only under specific conditions.

Here’s everything you should know about a vacuum assisted delivery. Take a look!

What is Vacuum Assisted Delivery?

A vacuum-assisted delivery is a procedure that aids vaginal birth when the baby has descended into the birth canal and the mum’s pushing is not sufficient.

A vacuum extraction is done during the second stage of labour (the “pushing” phase) when your baby is close to being delivered.

Although the doctor might recommend a vacuum extraction to speed up your delivery, there are risks of injury. If vacuum extraction fails, a C-section might be needed.

How Is Vacuum Extraction Done?

During a vacuum assisted delivery, the doctor places the ventouse cup in the vagina, and applies it to the baby’s head to help guide the baby out of the birth canal.

The ventouse cup is a soft or rigid cup with an attached handle and a vacuum pump.

Before a vacuum extraction is done, the mum is usually given an epidural (if she hasn’t had it already) or numbing medication to block the pain.

The doctor might also perform an episiotomy, an incision of the tissue between the vagina and the anus in order to enlarge the vaginal opening for the placement of the vacuum for delivery.

The doctor will then perform the following steps:

• Between contractions, the doctor will place the ventouse cup onto your baby’s head.

• During contractions, the doctor will use the vacuum pump to create suction that will help guide the baby through the birth canal easily. This will also prevent the baby’s head from moving back up the birth canal in between contractions.

• After the baby’s head comes out, the doctor will remove the cup. The mum can push the rest of the baby’s body out.

When is Vacuum Delivery Necessary?

Need for vacuum delivery arises under some conditions:

• You’re pushing, but labour isn’t progressing: A vacuum delivery might be necessary if you’re pushing, but your labour isn’t progressing as expected. After a certain time, your doctor might use a vacuum to assist.

         Read More: Signs of Labour

• Your baby’s heartbeat suggests a problem: If the doctor is concerned about changes in your baby’s heartbeat he/ she might feel an immediate delivery is necessary. A vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery can be the need of the hour.

• You have a health concern: If you have certain medical conditions such as narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve (aortic valve stenosis), the doctor might limit the amount of time you push and use a vacuum to assist.

What Are The Risks of Vacuum Delivery To The Mother?

If the doctor uses a vacuum extraction, there are a few possible risks to the mother:

• Pain in the area between your anus and vagina after delivery: This small area of tissue is highly sensitive and often becomes stretched during childbirth. It usually gets better over time.

• Vaginal tearing: During childbirth, the vagina can tear sometimes. The doctor can treat it with dissolvable stitches.

• Short-term problems with urination: After a vacuum-assisted delivery, you might experience trouble emptying your bladder fully while urinating.

• Involuntary bowel movements: After a vacuum-assisted delivery, you might have involuntary bowel movements and also urinate involuntarily as well. These challenges are most often temporary and will go away soon.

What Are The Risks of Vacuum Delivery To The Baby?

It’s rare for a baby to get a serious injury during a vacuum extraction. However, some of the risks include:

• Wounds on the scalp: As a result of vacuum-assisted deliveries, the baby might have swelling on their scalp. The swelling usually goes away over time.

• Jaundice: The skin of the infant might take a yellowish hue. This may need to be treated with light therapy.

• Shoulder dystocia: Shoulder dystocia occurs when the shoulder of the baby gets stuck after the head has been delivered.

How To Prepare for Ventouse Delivery?

Before the doctor considers a vacuum extraction, he/ she might try ways to encourage labour to progress. For example, the doctor might adjust your anaesthesia to encourage more-effective pushing.

To stimulate stronger contractions, intravenous medication would be another option.

The doctor might also make an incision in the tissue between your vagina and anus (episiotomy). This will help ease the delivery of your baby.

Most importantly, the doctor will explain the risks and benefits of the procedure. You might also ask about alternatives to clear all your doubts.

Conditions Where Vacuum-Assisted Delivery Is Not Recommended

Your doctor might advise not recommend vacuum extraction in one of the following cases:

• If the gestation age is less than 34 weeks.

• Medical conditions affecting the baby’s bones such as osteogenesis imperfecta.

• Not enough change in the position of the baby’s head after the long duration of labour.

• Confusion regarding the exact position of the baby’s head.

• Breech position of the baby, i.e., when the legs go first into the birth canal instead of the head going first.

• Issues with baby fitting inside the pelvis due to a small pelvis size or bigger size of the baby.

What To Expect during Vacuum Delivery?

If the doctor feels that you need a vacuum assisted delivery, they will talk to you about its options, risks, and benefits. They will ask for your consent. After you give the consent, the doctor will provide you with medicine to help block the pain. This may be an epidural pain (medicine injected into the space around your spinal cord).

As you lay on your back with your legs open, the doctor will place the vacuum cup for delivery on your baby’s head. During the next contraction, you will be asked by your doctor to push.

At the same time, your doctor or midwife will use the vacuum, creating suction to help gently pull your baby. Once the baby’s head is seen, they will release the vacuum, and ask you to push your baby the rest of the way out.

In some cases, a vacuum delivery does not work. Under such circumstances, a C-section might be performed.

What To Expect after Vacuum Delivery?

After a vacuum delivery, the doctor will examine your vagina and birth canal for any injuries that might have occurred during childbirth while using the vacuum.

The tears or injuries (if any) will be repaired. Your baby will also be examined to ensure that they haven’t experienced any injuries.

If you have experienced a tear during childbirth, it’s common to have some pain. Usually, the discomfort lasts only a few weeks and gets better over time.

If you’re not healing as expected, or are experiencing fever or other signs of infection, it is advisable to contact your doctor.

Conclusion

Several expecting women hope and plan for a simple vaginal birth. However, the course of childbirth can have its twists and turns. Even though difficulties arise, the good news is that there are different delivery method types. Vacuum extraction is a strategic tool that the doctor might choose to help deliver your baby under certain conditions after your consent. Vacuum extraction helps deliver your baby from an oxygen-deprived environment without putting you through surgery. The process is faster than surgery.

FAQs

Is Vacuum Safe for Delivery?

A vacuum is safe for delivery. However, there are potential risks. The good news is that these are temporary and fade away soon.

Is A Vacuum Delivery More Painful?

After a vacuum delivery, it is common for women to experience pain in the perineum, the tissue between the vagina and the anus. The good news is that it usually gets better over time.

Which Is Safer: Vacuum Or Forceps?

A vacuum delivery is safer than forceps deliveries. The latter is associated with greater risk of facial nerve damage when compared to vacuum assisted deliveries. Forceps deliveries also carry a risk of retinal haemorrhage and cephalhematoma.

How Long Does It Take to Heal From A Vacuum Delivery?

If there aren’t any serious complications, you’ll recover normally within the next six weeks. You might need to wear a pad for vaginal bleeding that is normal.

Does Vacuum Delivery Affect Babies?

A vacuum-assisted delivery can rarely put your baby at risk of brain or nerve damage.