[Mooncricket55]

Hi, I just recently returned to L&D (26 yrs experience), and now I remember why I left !!! Too many inductions, too much interference, too many interventions !! Doesn't anyone have a baby anymore without Cytotec, an IV, Pit, Epidural,C/Section ???? I remember when women could walk around the unit, we checked heart tones q 15-30 minutes, they didn't have to have an IV, they could drink clear liquids !! Is there anyone else out there who is fed up with the way labor is "managed" ?????

[JenTheRN]

At our hospital we don't usually induce without a good reason. Same for C-Sections. Regarding the epidurals, I think its great that women have this and other choices (including no pain meds) in their pain control management. (It's much better than what used to be done: being strapped down in four-point restraints and being given 'knock-out' drugs and not being able to remember the entire labor).

Regarding the IV's, I guess I have to disagree...I feel it's better to have a line in because you never know who's gonna bleed or need pit post partum. Better to be safe than sorry in my mind.

[TeleRNer]

Ironically, you'd put up this post prior to Super Bowl....oh yeah, ten and touchdown, but wait....induce labor now! "Waaah, waahhhhhh!" touch down and baby scores the extra point!!!!

[Spidey's mom]

I work in a rural setting. We don't start IV's unless we are doing an epidural. There are a fair number of cytotec/pit inductions but mostly for post-dates. Our patients can have clear liquids. They do walk around.

Maybe you should check out a more rural setting.

steph

[JenTheRN]

Oh, I also forgot to add our pt's do get clear liquids, can walk around (not epidurals obviously) and if there are no problems can be monitored intermittently.

[eden]

I don't think rural has anything to do with it. I work in a large urban center, where we use lots of IA, no routine IV's and less the half our patients have epidurals. Most of our IV's are in pt's being induced or are those who are GBS pos and they are allowed to have clear fluids. I think alot of it has to do with policy and if you a good committee who are up on the latest studies/practices they can do great things so that not everyone needs all these interventions.

[SmilingBluEyes]

The rural hospital in which I worked was VERY pro-intervention. It was not til I left the state that I realized birth need not be so medical-ized in the hospital setting (and in a place where we had midwives). I agree; rural may not be the key so much as attitude of the health care providers in a given setting. One of the biggest hospitals in a major metro area here has a whole wing of suites dedicated to tub and natural birthing.

Steph, your hospital sounds great-----I am sure you give wonderful care there too.

[beanie29]

This is why I'm nervous about working L&D. I don't understand the reason for so many routine interventions. I think I'll just do my best to get through those few years until I can apply to the CNM program.
I know not all hospitals are like that, though. When I had my 2nd, I picked a different hospital because I wanted a natural VBAC. The hospital was an hour away (and I passed 4 others on the way), but it was so worth it. Jacuzzi tub to labor in, aromatherapy kits in the rooms.. some of the nurses were also trained as doulas. A few of the nurses were also lactation educators, which proved to be very helpful. They didn't bat an eyelash about my very specific wishes for the birth and for our newborn & really respected birth as a natural process. I wish more hospitals were like that.

[Spidey's mom]

I stand corrected -


steph

[Elvish]

I am glad to see that there are hospitals out there that respect women's wishes for their birth experiences. I would like you all to be my labor nurses!!! If I had a nickel for every primary c/s I've seen that's mostly r/t residents that don't know how to let women labor effectively (walking, showering, eating, squatting, etc.), I'd be writing to you from my palace in Bali.

Complete previa yes, PLEASE section her. But just because she's not following a pattern on some graph you saw in doctor school? Please.