A physician at the hospital performs forceps and vacuum deliveries. They are reserved for cases when a baby must be delivered quickly due to fetal distress or when a person cannot push the baby out due to exhaustion.
The baby must be low enough in the pelvis to perform the procedure safely, and these deliveries are not done as an alternative to cesarean if the baby is too high. The midwives become a support person during this type of delivery. The room can get busy, as extra staff is called in for the birth to assist the physician, the client, and baby.
An episiotomy may be considered and performed at the physician’s discretion. Forceps may bruise the baby’s skin, but the marks generally fade within 48 hours. The vacuum extractor may cause swelling from its attachment, but this too will disappear.