Instrumental birth is a situation that terrifies most pregnant people, but why are they often used, and are there alternatives? I chat to consultant obstetrician Florence Wilcock about forceps, ventouse, caesarean birth, and why sometimes instrumental birth may be offered during labour.

Florence is a consultant obstetrician working in NHS maternity services for 30 years. She has a specific interest in perinatal mental health and improving women's experience of maternity care. In 2020 she started her podcast TheObsPod to try and demystify obstetrics and help both maternity staff and families going through maternity care understand a bit more about the role of the obstetrician. The podcast covers a wide range of subjects from common clinical topics to stories about my working life. In August 2022 she also gave a TEDxNHS talk ‘Birth Should be Special’. You can listen to to her podcast here: The Obs Pod (buzzsprout.com)

Birth should be special | Florence Wilcock | TEDxNHS - YouTube

Florence can be found on Twitter @FWMaternity @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod or email [email protected]

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