"Make sure to get induced...everyone does it!"

[Penelope_Pitstop]

Okay, let me start off by saying a few things...A) I am a MedSurg nurse, B) It has been six years since I've been in any sort of OB/GYN area besides being a visitor or patient and C) I am really glad nurses want to work in these departments, bless you all!

Anyway, my friend "Annabeth" is expecting her first baby in late February. She had a few hiccups during the end of the first trimester, but things have been great since, so she is considered low risk.

One of our mutual friends, "Denise," is an L & D nurse and well, she has advised Annabeth to go ahead and schedule her induction because "at least 95% of women do that." She also suggested it so Annabeth could choose her baby's birthdate and ensure Denise as her delivery nurse.

Um, is this for real? Forgive my ignorance, but are those statistics a bit skewed? And do OBs honestly go for those reasons? I have not given birth but plenty of my friends are now pregnant or have given birth in the last few years and the only inductions I know about were for legit medical reasons. (Maybe more of my friends had inductions and I didn't know about it).

And, the other thing, would you ladies and gents of the OB/GYN world advise YOUR friends in this manner? I'm not saying Denise is a bad person, but I didn't think most L & D nurses encouraged women to induce for convenience.

Thanks, everyone...for your answers and for the work you do! I thought I wanted to do L & D or postpartum until I had my clinical, haha.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I don't know if I agree. Women in labor have a need to feel safe, and part of that is having people around you that you trust and love. "Specialing" happens all the time in OB, and I've done it for a friend, and I had my best friend be my labor nurse as well (as well as my friend who was my OB - their service did rotating call, but she "specialed" me).

My friend labored me with baby #2 as well....she wasn't scheduled to work but came in on her off day to labor me, and she had ok'd it with management. I did feel more comfortable, like I could just be Elvish and not have to put on a show. I told her it was up to her, though. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, because I could see how someone might not want their name on their friends' medical records.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I don't know if I agree. Women in labor have a need to feel safe, and part of that is having people around you that you trust and love. "Specialing" happens all the time in OB, and I've done it for a friend, and I had my best friend be my labor nurse as well (as well as my friend who was my OB - their service did rotating call, but she "specialed" me).

Again, I've never been a labor patient, but I know if I were admitted to my hospital for something, I'd prefer to be cared for on my own floor.

[souprflyhony]

WOW! I think that it is commonly forgotten that birth is "NATURAL"! In most cases, especially low risk, no complications, pregnancy should be allowed to run its course and labor should begin and progress naturally. Any intervention in the labor process does drastically increase the instance of c-sections. I am a L&D nurse and it does sadden me all of the c-sections that I seen done, both primary and repeat. I do realize that there is a time and place where c-sections are necessary however I do not think that childbirth should be put in the express lane. LOL I couldn't help but have a flashback to my mother saying "if everyone jumped off of a bridge, would you?" That does seem to be the mentality with some mothers.

I teach birthing classes for our hospital and I discuss inductions at length with my class and the inceased incident of c-sections related to inductions. It is shocking to me at the number of women that verbalize that they do not desire a trial of labor and would like to have a c-section because they do not want to feel any discomfort at all! Oh and a little added bonus...I've even have a few ask if they can just have the general anesthesia because they do not want to have a spinal!

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

My GYN doesn't do the OB part anymore, so I guess I'll have to really hunt around for an OB who doesn't encourage this when the time does come for me if this is truly the norm in my area. It's a shame, because my hospital has a huge suite specifically for high risk patients, several "rooming-in" suites in postpartum and the best NICU within fifty miles.

Check to see if your area has Certified Nurse Midwives.... most of the OB offices in my area have CNMs with hospital rights, and you can get the "midwife" experience while still having the benefit of the medical setting if it should be required.

[geminiRNC]

Sourflyhony-that comment about general anesthesia is HILARIOUS!

There are many legitimate reasons for inductions...but let's remember "pregnany is a condition-NOT an illness." Your back hurts, your feet are sore, your can't get comfy, you have heartburn...sorry, goes with the territory. Induction should not be an option for these things-which they so often are. That falls on docs that should not be engaging these women because it fits better with their schedule, etc...I remember attending a CE class where there were many nurses from hospitals larger than mine. They were AMAZED-and I say that with as much emphasis as possible-that at our facility we very rarely induced before 40 weeks...Sometimes 41+ weeks (GASP!) with no medical complication or indication to proceed before. I've worked at other facility where anything goes. Nothing worse than seeing the 38 week primip come in for an IOL for backaches and end up with a primary c/s.....so avoidable.

[lovemyjoblandd]

Definitely not condoning these ridiculous "convenience" inductions, but I do want to point out, as a general rule, first time moms have longer labors, longer pushing, etc than multips. So regardless of whether induced or not, GENERALLY speaking, your second and so forth babies, will be an easier labor/birthing process than your first :)

Totally agree with snazzy. My induction was 48 hours my natural labor was less than 12, pushing with the first was over 4 hours with the second was less than 30 minutes, granted it was my second but I really would never wish an induction on anyone. The being figuratively tethered to the bed with an induction contributes to how difficult making it through the contractions without pain medications. Both of my children were posterior however by listening to my body with my second one I was able to get him to turn during labor.

[Overwhelmed1026]

I was induced at 39 weeks for medical reasons. I insisted on ONLY Cervidil! No Pitocin and no AROM.... after 24 hours, every nurse on the floor was telling me that I was going to need a section, with NO indications of fetal distress and no ROM.

I think there is kind of a mentality that just get it over and done with. Hour 25, with only 2cm dilation, my membranes ruptured spontaneously and 4 hours and 3 pushes later, a very healthy, non-distressed little princess was here :) She's 5 now.

If I would have anything to do over again it was the epidural. I let myself get scared into it and HATED it. It on;y numbed half my body for about 18 hours and even after it was removed and reinserted it didn't work, so I made them shut it off! If I ever had another child, I would avoid that at all costs. And although the "laboring" was long, if needed I would do the slow, no Pit induction again.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I was induced at 39 weeks for medical reasons. I insisted on ONLY Cervidil! No Pitocin and no AROM.... after 24 hours, every nurse on the floor was telling me that I was going to need a section, with NO indications of fetal distress and no ROM.

I think there is kind of a mentality that just get it over and done with.

I do think there is that mentality at many places. I know the first hospital I worked at, the OBs were not interested in 2-3 day inductions. After 24 hours, if there was no progress, they'd be pushing for a C/S. Where I work now is SO different from that. Not only do they allow inductions to go on for several days, as long as both mom and baby are doing okay, but there are times when, after 2-3 days, if nothing is happening, they will allow the mom to go home for a day or two and come back. They truly look at the mom and baby and how they're doing, and I have NEVER seen them make decisions based only on convenience. I LOVE my current facility.

[losbozos]

Random, elective inductions w/o medical indications or extremly important social reasons are not the standard of care, anymore. Thankfully. ACOG & AWHONN have initiatives to curtail the induction rampage. It was getting out of hand for awhile & the babies suffered the fallout.

[atlnurse477]

I think it's still much better to be all natural and I don't particularly favor induction, though it is e necessary in some conditions..It's still a better experience to give birth following all the natural process as much as possible...