Regional differences in OB terminology ....

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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Good morning everyone,

What are some of the regional differences in terminology you all have encountered? For example, I lived and worked in Chicago and the California Bay Area. When a lady is 10 cm she is "complete." Now I'm in New England and they say she's "fully." After 16 years of saying "complete" it's taking some time to get used to this and I'm not sure if I want to change my own usage of words, just because I guess I'm a stubborn old lady and want to hang onto something that I'm used to :) ;)

Does anybody else have other regional differences in terminology they'd like to share? Other OB terms? Is "fully" used anyplace else other than CT?

It's complete here in southern Ohio. We also use NCB for natural childbirth. And when talking about Miso (meeso), we just call it Cytotec. :lol2:

Re: calling it "cytotec" vs "miso" or "misoprostil"- a couple years ago, one of the OBs made a comment about how she was surprised that some pts were more worried when they talked about starting pitocin due to what they had "heard about it on the internet" but these same pts didn't express any concerns about miso, and that surprised her given what was said about it. My reply- "do you think it's because we refer to it as misoprostil and not Cytotec?" The thought had never occurred to her, that patients might not realize they were getting the dreaded cytotec because they didn't know the generic name for it, and we only used the generic name in conversations, on the consent form, etc.

Interesting. At least, I thought it was.

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You'd be fully here in PA. We use percentages for effacement. "Dutchified" is something or someone who is local and maybe a little backward too depending on the context. Can we feed someone who's hemmorhaging the "cytotec soup"?

What does the "Dutchified" refer to? I think of Pennsylvania Dutch, but what's the connection between that and OB? Do you mean like a local, hick health care provider or pt?

Sure, we can make miso soup and dissolve cytotec in it for PPH! ;) Why not?

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I work in Alabama and we say:

Complete (never heard "fully" used)

Cytotec (not miso)

Anterior lip or rim

We do use BUFA, TOLAC, NCB and other abbreviations

One thing I was curious if other people have heard of is ... when we have a woman who is very "earthy", natural childbirth, no IV type ... some nurses on my unit call them Granolas. Anyone else do that?

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I work in Alabama and we say:

Complete (never heard "fully" used)

Cytotec (not miso)

Anterior lip or rim

We do use BUFA, TOLAC, NCB and other abbreviations

One thing I was curious if other people have heard of is ... when we have a woman who is very "earthy", natural childbirth, no IV type ... some nurses on my unit call them Granolas. Anyone else do that?

Yup, I've heard that ... "crunchy granola", a stereotype or a linguistic shorthand to designate someone like "hippie" or vegetarian or midwife or someone who wants as little intervention as possible and who uses alternative medicine. Also used in conjunction with "birkenstocks" (a type of sandal associated stereotypically with lesbians over a certain age, and crunchy granola midwives. ("Birkenstock" is used on the ob-gyn-l listserv by OBs to designate, um, midwives who advocate non intervention.) We used these terms in CA, but not necessarily negatively, it was also a term of endearment -- there are still self-professed hippies in CA and lots of natural birth advocates.

Anterior lip or rim are pretty interchangeable and universal, I think. What's BUFA? TOLAC is the proper term; after delivery then it's a VBAC.

The NICU nurses I worked with in the midwest had a few of their own. FLK = Funny Looking Kid. JFL = Just F@@@ed Look (referring to a nurse who might come into work disheveled with a smile on her face).

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Old hospital (west coast): C-section

New hospital (midwest): C-birth

Old hospital: NICU (nick-U)

New hospital: NI (N-I)

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BUFA - baby up for adoption

OWNK .....Out of Wedlock Not Keeping

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Specializes in OB.

Anyone else say "block" for epidural? We use that, even draw a little square on the pt board when they get a block.

We use complete also, not fully. We say Miso, not cytotec. We say both NI and NICU (nick U).

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

we use "block" for epidural frequently yes.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

also use "rim" for nearly complete---actually I have to say, I abuse it----to let a complete woman labor down ---prevents the dr telling me to start her pushin right away; this works.

Anterior lip used often---but why not? that is what it is, right?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

the term "crunchy" is used sometimes,yes. But I hate terming PEOPLE this way myself. Try to avoid it.

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JFL = Just F@@@ed Look (referring to a nurse who might come into work disheveled with a smile on her face).

LOL, I love that one...

I think Anterior lip is used pretty widely, isn't that the correct term? At my last hospital, they used a variety of terms for an almost complete cervix- rim, 9 1/2 cm, 9-10cm, there wasn't really a standard, everyone knew what was meant. When we went to computer documentation, it only allowed us to put "9", "10" or "9-10", no half numbers or words, in the field that populated the bulletin board monitor at the nurse's station.

How about "LTC" for "long, thick & closed"? Anyone else use that? (LOL, or "sky-high and way the he** back there" when calling the OB/CNM with your assessment on the frequent flyer 3am labor checks?)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

please, let's keep the cleverly-disguised "f" word out of our posts. this is a tos rule. thanks for understanding!

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/allnurses-com-terms-service-welcome-all-members-please-read-31788.html

(under the heading "foul language")

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