As with all medical interventions, the use of forceps or a vacuum extractor will only be offered when it is thought to be necessary for the health of the baby and/or mother. The forceps are placed so that they hold the sides of the baby’s head near the ears and cheeks. The operator of the forceps then gently pulls the baby’s head downward while you push during a contraction, and then will guide the baby out of the birth canal. Forceps can also be used to adjust the baby’s head before the birth if the baby is lying in an occiput posterior position, which is with his back facing the mother’s back (see Posterior presentation), toward the end of labor. After turning the baby’s head and body, delivery is then completed as in the same way as described above.
