Induction craze

[Blizzard]

My unit is being overwhelmed by inductions. I work on a LDRP unit and as labor nurses we triage, circulate in the OR, L&D, recovery, early newborn care and occasionally go to the main OR's to monitor pregnant pts undergoing other surgical procedures. Most days there just are not enough of us to go around. We find ourselves spread dangerously thin and inductions really push us over the edge. We have tried putting policies in place to cancel and reschedule inductions that are not medically necessary but now the doctors give diagnosis to make all of them medically necessary by claiming oligo, macrosomia, and early PIH. Are other units finding this to be a problem?

[cabbage patch rn]

We have tried putting policies in place to cancel and reschedule inductions that are not medically necessary but now the doctors give diagnosis to make all of them medically necessary

Now that sounds hauntingly familliar.

[at your cervix]

I am frustrated with patients that demand to be induced and drive the docs crazy until the induce. In the past week I have had patients that have gone to their doctors office every day for 2 weeks for a labor check and admit that they did it until the MD agreed to induce, I had a patient intentionally switch from one doctor to another just to try to lie about her due date to be induced, a patient (at 34 weeks) refuse to leave until she was induced (don't worry, we didn't induce her). Don't patients understand that they are putting their babies health in jeopardy by trying these tricks????? And yet, it would be unethical for you to tell a mother of a 36 week baby in the NICU that it is her fault because she lied about her due date!!!!!!

[PNCC2001]

Now that sounds hauntingly familliar.

Sounds like "falsying medical records"! ....And the Hypocratic Oath???

Unfortunately, women push for inductions, because doctors have allowed and encouraged them. Even though babies do come on their own at 38 weeks, the notion that now anything over 37 weeks is known as "full-term" is appalling...and if dates happen to be wrong? Then what??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the ACOG recommendation for inductions, not before 39 weeks?

We have among the worst infant morbidity and morality rates among most other industrialized countries. Think the "Cascade of Interventions", might have something to do with that? Sorry for the sarcasm. This is a hot button issue for me.

Inductions have their place, in legitimate medical situations; but social inductions need to be STOPPED.

Ok, I'm getting down off my soap box now...

[lisamct]

Im pretty shocked at how early your docs will do inductions in the US.

We describe a term pregnancy as anything from 37-42 weeks and women are made aware of that at booking and pretty much told to ignore their 'due date' and assume their baby will be born at some point before they are 42 weeks.

So, our policies (which are pretty strictly followed) are that for non-medically necessary inductions we wont even see women to discuss their options until they are 41+3 weeks with an aim to induce at 42+. All we will offer before 41+3 is a membrane sweep at 40+ weeks if its possible.

There are also strict criteria for our medically advised inductions which are upheld across the board and women are always advised that the procedure will be to aim to keep them pregnant as long as is deemed safe for them and their baby before starting induction.

Obviously there are a few exceptions to every rule and every now and again we will induce someone at 38 weeks for psychological reasons (previous term stillbirth is a common one) but we try to avoid that by offering women the option of coming into our Daycare dept for daily monitoring.

[Aislstarfish]

Wow, this thread is so so sad to me Why can't women just go into labor when their bodies say so?? And it is sooo true, everyone is just in such a rush... I can't imagine that those dr's would want to have their children that way.

[Aislstarfish]

Sounds like "falsying medical records"! ....And the Hypocratic Oath???

Unfortunately, women push for inductions, because doctors have allowed and encouraged them. Even though babies do come on their own at 38 weeks, the notion that now anything over 37 weeks is known as "full-term" is appalling...and if dates happen to be wrong? Then what??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the ACOG recommendation for inductions, not before 39 weeks?

We have among the worst infant morbidity and morality rates among most other industrialized countries. Think the "Cascade of Interventions", might have something to do with that? Sorry for the sarcasm. This is a hot button issue for me.

Inductions have their place, in legitimate medical situations; but social inductions need to be STOPPED.

Ok, I'm getting down off my soap box now...

:yeahthat: YES!! I agree entirely!