Elective induction

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Do any current nurses (ob) have any opinions about the pros and cons of elective induction?

Just doing a presentation on this and would love the input

Thanks!

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I am not a nurse, just a CNA, but I can tell you my experience. When I was 38 weeks I was told by my doctor that we could induce labor because my placenta was starting to calcify and we might as well get it done with. Everything went fine with the labor and I had a normal pregnancy. When my water broke the heartrate started to drop and I was rushed to have an Emergency C-section. I was told later that my my son had a prolapsed cord. It is my belief that since the doctor decided to induce before I was ready, the baby didn't decend fully into the pelvis, and when my water broke the cord rushed into that space between the pelvis and head and he compressed his own cord as a result. So I would not recommend elective induction unless everything shows that the baby is ready and descended. Also I believe that the cervix needs to be given the time to begin to dilate. I was given some kind of medicine to make my cervix dilate faster and the process was very painful. But when I had my firstborn, it happened gradually so it wasn't as bad. So that is why I think its best to just let nature take its course if you can.:twocents:

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you should play some parts from the documentary "the business of being born". it basically goes into detail about how the united states has one of the worst infant mortality rates out of developed countries and how some countries in europe have the best outcomes even though the majority birth at home. really makes you think!

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I'm not a fan of elective induction...think that it often opens up a whole can of worms...my niece had her first baby in Nov..told everyone that she was going to deliver on the 16th, because that was the day that her md did deliveries. He's in solo practice, guess it works for him. Wonder wha his c/s rate is. Luckily, her water broke, labor progressed...on the 15th.

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Specializes in OB-GYN.

I am an OB nurse and am always of the opinion that it is a bad idea unless the baby is going on 42 weeks. Women have had babies for eons and it's not natural. C-sections are even worse without a solid medical reason. Fetal monitors are a big cause of that problem. Anyway... there's a massive rant in the making. We'll just leave it at that.

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I was induced for both my children. One at 42 weeks and the other at 38 due to pih. I was lucky to have had a lady partsl birth for both, but they threw around the thought of c-sections many times. I felt like they gave up on me and i had to keep holding them off because thier was nothing medically wrong...they just seemed sick of the wait. Imagine them sick of the wait while im the one laboring for hours and hours with pitocin and no epidural. I would give anything to know what it feels like to go into labor on my own and I cant believe that you can just pick and choose what days work for you to have a baby...it is crazy!!

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
you should play some parts from the documentary "the business of being born". it basically goes into detail about how the united states has one of the worst infant mortality rates out of developed countries and how some countries in europe have the best outcomes even though the majority birth at home. really makes you think!

Some of these European studies do not include the birth rates of micro-prems and premies.

It is not valid to compare to the U.S.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Generally speaking, not a fan. There are certain circumstances in which I don't have a problem with it. We've recently scheduled elective induction for a woman whose husband was in the military and had to leave for Afghanistan. If they hadn't induced her, he wouldn't have been able to see his baby for a year. She was 39+ weeks and had a good Bishop score.

Research has found that babies induced/sectioned at 39 completed weeks of gestation or later fare MUCH better, healthwise, than babies taken before 39 completed weeks. I don't have the study in front of me, but the stats were a dramatic argument for waiting until at least 39 weeks to induce.

To me, a lot of it comes down to the reasons for the induction, and whether the woman has a favorable cervix. So I can't say that I'm 100% opposed to all elective inductions across the board. Generally speaking, though, I'm opposed to "social" inductions for a woman who has not yet completed 39 weeks gestation.

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Thank you...there's always info left out of those opinion pieces.

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This is all great feedback....thank you all......feel free to keep it coming

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Specializes in OB.

OB nurse for 22 years now.

My opinion: All inductions (and c/sections) involve some increase in risks to mother and/or baby. These procedures should not be done unless it can be demonstrated that there is a greater risk to the mother and/or baby in continuing the pregnancy.

And most definitely TOBP (tired of being pregnant) is NOT a reason for induced delivery!

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well you can't have an induction without continuous monitoring or an epidural and you can't have an epidural and be out of bed, a laboring mama on her back is not as efficient at pushing, which increases the need for assistance ( vacuum extraction, forceps, episiotomy, c/s); there is alot of education that needs to happen for mamas and families to know it is not always quick fix and does not come with out risks to mama and baby....I had 2 convience inductions bc I did not know better (forceps with one vacuum with another, episiotomies with both)

--As a RN, I know better know and can see how much medicine contributes to the slippery slope that leads to unnecessary sections...

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