Pts that want to have their baby NOW!

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Ok, now I know we've all taken care of pts like this......

Last noc I sent a pt home who was 36w2d......had mild cntx for a day now and was MAD at md and staff because she was sent home (didn't make any cervical change since last office visit).

I'm just getting a little fed up with 35-37 weekers coming in and wanting to be in labor &/or wanting to be induced!!..

.....because they are "tired of being pregnant....", "I want to see my baby.....", "I know a lady who had her baby early and its OK now....".....blah, blah, blah., yaddi, yaddi...

What I'm wondering is what other OB nurses tell their pts and significant others when they come like this........;)

I usually tell them stuff like......

"your baby and your baby's lungs really need to ripen just a few weeks more, if possible",

"yes, babys have been born early and do OK, but our closest NICU is 1hr away....do you really want to take the chance of possibly sending your baby that far?"

"The one thing that you can absolutely rely on is that......you WILL NOT be pregnant forever!!.....this baby will come!"

:rolleyes:

What I can't understand is this...when you get pregnant you know it's a 40 week process...and if you can't hack it, DON'T GET PREGNANT Suck it up, worse things have happened. If it's that bad for your schedule...just wait until they become little children! Ooooh, they grate me...

Amanda :)

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What I can't understand is this...when you get pregnant you know it's a 40 week process...and if you can't hack it, DON'T GET PREGNANT Suck it up, worse things have happened. If it's that bad for your schedule...just wait until they become little children! Ooooh, they grate me...

Amanda :)

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Specializes in NICU.

At a unit meeting MCH............one of the L&D nurses called the end result of labor the "product". That was enlightening....To us in the level II it's a baby!

Kristi.....when the tcom is that size on his chest, he's very little.....is that the same baby in your avatar?

mimi

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Specializes in NICU.

At a unit meeting MCH............one of the L&D nurses called the end result of labor the "product". That was enlightening....To us in the level II it's a baby!

Kristi.....when the tcom is that size on his chest, he's very little.....is that the same baby in your avatar?

mimi

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Specializes in NICU.

No, Mimi, those are different babies from various preemie sites on the internet. I guess working in the NICU has changed my perspective a bit- my husband still calls them see-thrus (he's terrified of the NICU!) and says he'd be scared to death to touch a baby that small or sick, but I just fall in love with them as soon as they roll in the door. Wish I could say the same about some of the parents, but of course, it's important to keep an open mind. I'm just huge on patient education, and sometimes, after hearing what some of these moms do to bring on early or convenient delivery, I wish I could reach them BEFORE I meet their babies, you know what I mean?

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Specializes in NICU.

No, Mimi, those are different babies from various preemie sites on the internet. I guess working in the NICU has changed my perspective a bit- my husband still calls them see-thrus (he's terrified of the NICU!) and says he'd be scared to death to touch a baby that small or sick, but I just fall in love with them as soon as they roll in the door. Wish I could say the same about some of the parents, but of course, it's important to keep an open mind. I'm just huge on patient education, and sometimes, after hearing what some of these moms do to bring on early or convenient delivery, I wish I could reach them BEFORE I meet their babies, you know what I mean?

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Specializes in OB.

Kristi - I have used these kind of pics before with antepartum patients who "just couldn't stand" the side effects of tocolytics and were demanding to be taken off them and deliver. Patient education as to what your baby will likely look like at birth and what kind of equipment will be hooked up to your baby. NICU nurses are a great backup for this teaching! I figure if a patient is determined to do this, it needs to be a fully informed decision.

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Specializes in OB.

Kristi - I have used these kind of pics before with antepartum patients who "just couldn't stand" the side effects of tocolytics and were demanding to be taken off them and deliver. Patient education as to what your baby will likely look like at birth and what kind of equipment will be hooked up to your baby. NICU nurses are a great backup for this teaching! I figure if a patient is determined to do this, it needs to be a fully informed decision.

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Originally posted by bagladyrn

Kristi - I have used these kind of pics before with antepartum patients who "just couldn't stand" the side effects of tocolytics and were demanding to be taken off them and deliver. Patient education as to what your baby will likely look like at birth and what kind of equipment will be hooked up to your baby. NICU nurses are a great backup for this teaching! I figure if a patient is determined to do this, it needs to be a fully informed decision.

Although do you think many parents believe "my baby won't look like that" -- denial?

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Originally posted by bagladyrn

Kristi - I have used these kind of pics before with antepartum patients who "just couldn't stand" the side effects of tocolytics and were demanding to be taken off them and deliver. Patient education as to what your baby will likely look like at birth and what kind of equipment will be hooked up to your baby. NICU nurses are a great backup for this teaching! I figure if a patient is determined to do this, it needs to be a fully informed decision.

Although do you think many parents believe "my baby won't look like that" -- denial?

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susanmary, i think you are right on the mark. pictures deter some pt's, but not everyone. the "my sister had a baby at 26 weeks that's fine" pt. thinks mostly of herself. i remember one gal who said no way would she have tocolytics. if i am having contractions, it's because "God wants me to have this baby now."

she was approx. 32 weeks gestation and signed out ama. she was having baby #4 at about age 21. of course, she knew everything! some people hear the message. some people just plain do not want to hear it.

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Originally posted by imenid37

to capitalize on the selfishness of some of these moms, i usually tell them that even if the baby is physically ok at 35-36 weeks, they are harder to calm, don't sleep as well, and take longer to feed. then of course the minute they are 37 weeks, they come to the hospital.

I agree totally. My first three were all term (or post-term) babies. Happy, healthy -- slept through the night by 2 months. And then the youngest...he arrived right at 37 weeks after my water broke. Fussy, hard to console, colicky, didn't sleep through until almost a year old - contracted RSV at 3 months, nebulizer on-again, off-again w/bronchiolitis for the better part of a year. At 18 months, he's finally mellowed a bit. But those babies need to cook for NINE months.

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