Vacuum-assisted birth

In a vacuum-assisted birth, a doctor qualified in obstetric care helps deliver the baby with a suction cup on the head. The method is used only when vaginal birth is expected to be completed safely and there is a reason to assist or speed it up.

• Reasons include insufficient progress during pushing, exhaustion, a medical reason to avoid prolonged pushing or concerns about the baby's heart rate.
• The cervix must be fully open, the waters must have broken, and the head's position and descent must be sufficiently clear.
• The cup is attached by suction during a contraction. The doctor pulls in a controlled way along the birth canal while the person giving birth pushes.
• An episiotomy is sometimes needed. If the baby does not descend enough or the safe number of attempts has been reached, the procedure is stopped and forceps or a caesarean may be needed.
• Temporary swelling or bruising on the baby's head is common. Serious complications are rare, but parents receive instructions about what to watch for.
• Tears, an episiotomy, pain and temporary bladder or pelvic floor problems are more common for the mother than after spontaneous birth.
• After birth, ask for an explanation of the reason, what happened, effects on recovery and implications for another pregnancy.