Forceps look like large sugar tongs and are designed so that they will fit snugly over the sides of the baby’s head, covering the ears. They are rather like a cage and protect the head from any pressure within the birth canal.

The decision to use forceps is a medical one. Forceps are only applied when the first stage is complete, the cervix is fully dilated and the head is in the birth canal

Why it is done

Forceps are used when the baby`s head has descended into the mothers pelvis but fails to descend further; when the baby is presenting in a posterior position; in a breech delivery (see opposite); when the uterus fails to maintain contractions; and when the mother lacks the strength to push out her baby. Nowadays, nearly all premature babies are delivered by forceps to protect their delicate skulls from being compressed in the birth canal.

How it is done

You will be asked to lie on your back and your legs will be put up in stirrups. A local anaesthetic will be injected into your perineum, and an episiotomy performed. Then the forceps will be inserted into your vagina one at a time. A few gentle pulls on the forceps, 30-40 seconds at a time, will bring your baby`s head out. The rest of his body will be delivered as usual

Episiotomy Wound

The pain from an episiotomy wound gets worse before it gets better. The wound is positioned where fluid can accumulate in the cut edges. These then swell, with the result that the stitches become tighter and bite into the sore skin around the wound

if you are bruised or if the stitches are really painful, it will help to sit on an inflatable rubber ring (some hospitals have these). Good hygiene is vitally important while the wound is healing, so make sure that it is kept clean. Most stitches will dissolve after five or six days.

Warm baths and showers are soothing and encourage the healing process, as do pelvic floor exercises. You may also find that ice packs or local anaesthetic creams are helpful There are special perineal pads that fit between your sanitary towel and the wound. Your doctor or midwife will advise you about these.

Don’t use antiseptics or perfumed bubble liquid in your bath water because they can cause irritation. After bathing if you can, dry the area with a hairdryer instead of a towel, which can be painful.

Urine, which is strongly acid, will make the raw skin sting Standing up to urinate may help. You could also try pouring warm water over yourself as you’re urinating to dilute the acid and reduce the sting.

There are more than 100 types of HPV, most of which cause infection without any symptoms and will clear. However, some strains of the virus can cause infections with serious consequences.

About 30 types of HPV are known as genital HPV since they affect the genital area. Some types can cause cervical cancer or abnormal in the lining of the cervix that could turn into cancer. HPV type 16 and 18 account for an estimated 70% of all cervical cancers, while other cancer causing HPV types are associated with about half of all vaginal, vulvar and penile cancers, and about 85% of anal cancers.

*Non-cancer causing HPV types 6 and 11 have a negligible risk of progressing but may persist, and account for 90% of all genital warts.

HPV is also responsible for nearly all juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis – a rare disease acquired through the vertical transmission of HPV from mother to infant, characterized by warts in the throat of the child. HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, so people can transmit the virus without even knowing it. Because the virus is transmitted via the skin, even non penetrative sexual contact can result in passing on the virus to another person.

How do You know if You have contracted HPV?
Most people infected with HPV do not know they have it. HPVrelated cervical lesions can be detected by Papanicolaou (Pap) test, or Pap smear. A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV.

A HPV DNA test can also identify 13 of the cancer causing HPV types associated with the development of cervical cancer. Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap test results. There is no laboratory test available to detect HPV infection in men.
How is HPV treated?
Unfortunately, at current moment, there is no known cure for HPV infection yet. However, HPV-related lesions and warts can be treated by freezing and destroying the affected tissues, removal using a hot wire loop and conventional surgery.

Cervical Cancer and Precancerous Lesions
Cervix , is the part of the uterus (or womb) that connects to the vagina. Sometimes, cells in the lining of the cervix begin to grow in abnormal ways. This precancerous condition is called dysplasia, and it can go away without treatment for some women.

However, dysplasia may need to be treated to keep it from developing into cancer. Cervical cancer develops when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix begin to grow out of control, and when these abnormal cells later invade other parts of the body, it is called metastasis.
Abnormal cervical cells sometimes form benign (noncancerous) tumors ; they do not spread and are usually not harmful. Malignant (cancerous) tumors, however, spread from their sources and can grow into life-threatening cancers.