Regional differences in OB terminology ....

midwife2b · Mar 28, 2006

My first nursing job: "Primies" were first time moms (primagravidas)

Cervix was thick, thin or complete with respect to effacement.

Now: Due to a mix of northern, midwestern and southern RN's, we interchange "fully" and "complete" (although "complete" was the term we used most often).

I learned to write dilatation/effacement/station ie: 5/90/0; some nurses write 90/5/0 (if you want to confuse our residents just write that on the labor board!)

SAHY: "she aint here yet" (induction or someone coming for direct admit)

BUFA: "baby up for adoption"

TBP "tired of being pregnant"

TOLACB: Trial of labor after Cesarean birth

midwife2b · Mar 28, 2006

Forgot a couple: "She needs some O's (oxygen)

And about 10 years ago I worked at a small community hospital that had about 200 births a year. One of the first days I worked the discharge order was written as "send her on to the house". I had NO CLUE at first what that meant.

The postpartum nurses "mash" tummies. And they "cut off" the TV when patients are asleep.

allnurses Guide · Mar 28, 2006

I couldn't say "fully" without thinking "fully what?"

We use "anterior lip".

We say "prime - ip" for first timers.

Posterior, fingertip (ft) and thick.

And yes, we use all those euphemisms for the earthy hippy girls.

steph

GraceRN1 · Mar 29, 2006

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?

Well its the same thing. 10 cm means it is dilated 10cm.It is the maximum cm, therefore it is fully dilated.

RNmommy · Mar 31, 2006

Funny, I never thought about it before but we call it Cytotec when inducing labor and misoprostil when trying to stop a PPH. We use FLK a lot . We say complete and use TOLAC.

I'm shocked by the term used above referrring to "out of wedlock". Good grief the 70s are well over. I could not imagine using that term. I don't think marital status has a lot of bearing in OB. It's more inportant to evaluate the MOBs support system, specifically FOBs involvment.

imenid37 · Mar 31, 2006

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?

Dutichified refers to them being very localand "hick" to our area. It may also refer to being almost insanely thrifty. This sometimes relates to their unwillingness to pay for things for themselves or their child. Not really OB terminology, it's true.

Selke · Mar 31, 2006

Funny, I never thought about it before but we call it Cytotec when inducing labor and misoprostil when trying to stop a PPH. We use FLK a lot . We say complete and use TOLAC.
I'm shocked by the term used above referrring to "out of wedlock". Good grief the 70s are well over. I could not imagine using that term. I don't think marital status has a lot of bearing in OB. It's more inportant to evaluate the MOBs support system, specifically FOBs involvment.

TOLAC, trial of labor after a casearan; after a successful TOLAC it's a VBAC, lady partsl birth after casearan. At least this is what they said at my last job; it makes sense, but I'd never heard this distinction before -- they were all VBACs.

My current job requires the RNs ask all pts if they are married or not. If not, we give them paternity papers to fill out. They tell me the reason is there's no separate person who fills out birth certificates; the RNs initiate getting the pts to fill out paternity forms and the clerks are notaries who notarize the papers. Does anybody else have to do this? This is a very conservative catholic hospital, too; I've never done anything like this and feel uncomfortable asking my pts if they are married. The staff talk about the pts in a judgemental manner, too.

Jolie, BSN · Mar 31, 2006

My current job requires the RNs ask all pts if they are married or not. If not, we give them paternity papers to fill out. They tell me the reason is there's no separate person who fills out birth certificates; the RNs initiate getting the pts to fill out paternity forms and the clerks are notaries who notarize the papers. Does anybody else have to do this? This is a very conservative catholic hospital, too; I've never done anything like this and feel uncomfortable asking my pts if they are married. The staff talk about the pts in a judgemental manner, too.

Some states legally require hospital staff to determine marital status of delivering couples and provide paternity papers to those who are unwed. Studies have shown that unmarried fathers are more likely to accept responsibility for their children at delivery than at any other time, so by asking them to complete the paperwork during the hospital stay, states are able to begin child support proceedings and reduce the number of children on welfare.

I agree that it is a shame that nurses must get involved in this social issue, but as a taxpayer, I understand the rationale.

I'm sorry that there is such a judgemental attitude at your Catholic hospital. I found the opposite to be true in the Catholic facility where I worked.

Mermaid4 · Mar 31, 2006

This is a neat topic..We do often say fully in New England but with travelers and military people from all over, you also hear complete but to me "complete' means fully effaced...:)

Selke · Mar 31, 2006

Some states legally require hospital staff to determine marital status of delivering couples and provide paternity papers to those who are unwed. Studies have shown that unmarried fathers are more likely to accept responsibility for their children at delivery than at any other time, so by asking them to complete the paperwork during the hospital stay, states are able to begin child support proceedings and reduce the number of children on welfare....

Thanks for the different perspective on this. I learn new things every day, and in every new place I work. Every state has different requirements. I guess everywhere I've worked had an office staff which dealth with paternity, birth certificates, &c, so it's new to me, and initially took me aback. Interesting that unmarried fathers are more likely to accept responsibility at birth ... do you have references? Birth is a life changing transition for mom, and for dad, of course, but one doesn't hear much about how we can address this with dad, what we can do/say at birth and PP (besides having him cut the cord, participate in baby care) to acknowledge his role transition, and his importance, in his child's life. This should be researched and written about ... (Note: I realize my comments are hetero-biased -- I'm leaving out lesbian couples here to not complicate the issue; the legal issues are different for same sex parents than heterosex ones.) I think I'll start a new thread.

allnurses Guide · Mar 31, 2006

In CA, an "unwed" couple has to watch a paternity video and fill out papers . . . or the FOB cannot have his name on the birth certificate. Only a few disgruntled FOB's have refused . . .we usually manage to get family to help them see the light and they end up watching the video and signing the papers.

steph

kids · Mar 31, 2006

BUFA - baby up for adoption

In (SW) WA they use NINK (no info not keeping).

The baby is given a seperate chart that contains none of the birth mother's identifying info.

Also in (SW) WA the paternity papers are given at the hospital. They can either be completed and notarized by the hospital or returned (notrized) for up to 10 days after the birth.