tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post3982568879612866435..comments2024-03-05T11:36:50.299-05:00Comments on Stand and Deliver: Elective induction, patient choice, and physician preferenceRixahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07908864785513937876noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-78413489516905487442010-12-08T10:37:55.842-05:002010-12-08T10:37:55.842-05:00@ Emily - I completely agree with you. That despe...@ Emily - I completely agree with you. That desperate wish for the pregnancy end must be "natural" because it's so common. It's not just some modern aversion to discomfort. It prepares you mentally and physically for labor - and helps you be less afraid, right, because you're like JUST MAKE IT END. My boys were born at 41 w exactly (S&S - I didn't know it counted as a form of induction) and 40 w 5 days. With #2, I elected for another S&S hoping it would bring on labor, but in my situation my husband lived a 5 hour drive away and was only home on the weekends. It was very stressful to have the pg go on and on in such a state of anxiety about where he would be. My midwife decided I was favorable for the procedure, and then I had some acupuncture to help get things moving, but it was a very gentle treatment. I would not have ask for (or received) a medical-induction.<br /><br />Anyway, my point is, I agree w/ Emily that the feeling is natural. The problem is we now have a medical-treatment-on-demand system where many doctors don't inform patients of the risk and they will perform unnecessary (and medically risky) inductions to make their "customers" happy - this is what happens when health care is a business. I'm a very strong believer in patient autonomy, but I think there's a difference between a patient's right to REFUSE an intervention and a patient's right to DEMAND an intervention that is deemed medically risky/ unnecesssary, especially one like induction where the potential benefit of an on-demand induction is usually very minimal, medically speaking. <br />-ErinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-85073568335527358492010-12-07T21:45:02.234-05:002010-12-07T21:45:02.234-05:00I can totally understand wanting to be induced, or...I can totally understand wanting to be induced, or rather, wanting to go into labor. I think it is most likely a very old survival mechanism. Before there was the option of c-section or induction, it was probably quite adaptive for women in late pregnancy to want that baby out! I had spent about 6 months learning about how to have the best chance at avoiding a c-section, and at 39 weeks a part of me felt "I don't care anymore just get it out!". Women need information. They need to know about iatrogenic prematurity. They need to know that their feelings are totally normal but may not be pointing them in the safest direction. Some people may never listen, but I have to think that most women whose doctor explains to them the benefits of waiting would choose to wait.Emilynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-25149619909086203832010-12-07T17:52:26.129-05:002010-12-07T17:52:26.129-05:00I have a friend who is expecting her first child i...I have a friend who is expecting her first child in March, and she's mad that her doctor won't induce her before 39 weeks. <br /><br />Yeah, I really don't understand "wanting" to be induced. I just don't. Then again, I don't have kids yet.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13020605792006010879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-90943915817538692972010-12-07T17:15:31.508-05:002010-12-07T17:15:31.508-05:00I'm not surprised at this in the least. (I'...I'm not surprised at this in the least. (I've had a lot more people react with "They <i>made</i> you go that long?" than react with "They <i>let</i> you go that long?" when I say how far past my due date my kids arrived.)<br /><br />What I find frustrating is that patient choice and autonomy, even in the face of best practices, seem to only run one-way. How many stories have we heard of women wanting VBACs who cannot find a doctor to take them at 36/37/38 weeks, or doctors who support VBAC for their own patients but won't take a late third trimester transfer from another doc because they don't want to look like they are undermining the other docs in their area? But a woman who wants an induction at 38 weeks or even earlier has no problem obtaining it.<br /><br />Why does fear that informed consent won't protect you from a lawsuit in the case of a bad outcome not apply to elective induction at 37 weeks, when it's all we hear about when it comes to VBAC?chingonanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-62959794918631682582010-12-07T17:05:42.346-05:002010-12-07T17:05:42.346-05:00Amazing! You can only hope and pray more doctors ...Amazing! You can only hope and pray more doctors will choose to be like this but it is highly doubtful when it can be so convenient for a doc to schedule everything around his schedule!Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16501491720957045554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-22754196659208853632010-12-07T17:04:01.997-05:002010-12-07T17:04:01.997-05:00I've never understood the whole elective induc...I've never understood the whole elective induction thing either...I sure as hell was uncomfortable at 41 weeks, but why would I want to put myself and my baby at risk just because I was "uncomfortable". It seem so immature to me!Caroline @ The Feminist Housewifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14042647064869326025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-30460474521077024302010-12-07T14:59:39.173-05:002010-12-07T14:59:39.173-05:00I have never heard of a doc sending someone home a...I have never heard of a doc sending someone home after a failed attempt at induction. granted they usually break the water at some point making it impossible to send them home. this ob is awesome!Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16281368864448367942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-57672206322702837632010-12-07T14:54:14.237-05:002010-12-07T14:54:14.237-05:00"Inductions" come in all shapes and size..."Inductions" come in all shapes and sizes - some not so obvious. My midwife did a stretch and sweep at 38.5 weeks and 2cm, "Just to prepare things," she said, "it NEVER leads right into labour." Of course, I was in labour later that day and had a wonderful homebirth the next evening - despite our daughter's insistence to come out sunny-side up! <br /><br />My husband still won't let it go though - he met our midwife in the grocery store a bit more than a year later, and had to make a comment: we had been looking forward to a few more weeks to just sit back and relax before the birth. We all have a good laugh about it now, but I guess I'm just naive, and can't understand the whole elective induction thing.<br /><br />Now five months pregnant with #2, I know I'll take a pass on the S&S this time. Live and learn.Jen McVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15755308104602110880noreply@blogger.com