WHO not IT

I think it is a generic- neutral saying. You dont want to say "his heart beat is XYZ" implying boy. Or "their heart rate is XYZ"--could imply multiple.

So they says "its heart rate is XYZ"

Yes I agree maybe the unborn should be refered to as "little one" or just simply "baby". But I think it is just habit/generic statement.

I had 4 and honest to God, I cant tell you what my Dr/Nurse called them..I think it was "it", but ya know what, thinking back I may have said that myself as well. "Does the baby kick alot?"...."Yes it keeps me up all night"...."Wow your getting big"..."yes and its probably got a big head!!"

I don't think it is an attempt to depersonalize anything, I think it is just because you don't know if the baby is male or female. "It" is gender neutral. I don't remember what I called mine, but a friend of mine called hers "sprout" until they learned the babies gender.

I think "it" or "my baby" were used interchangably until I knew gender. Don't be too hard on folks who may insult you without meaning to.

As far as "who", I consider the "who" after I know who they are, what their personality is. At first they are a baby, then male or female, then who, once I get to meet them! I think if I was 5 months pregnant and someone pointed at my belly and said, "who are you having" or "who is in there" I would have thought they were crazy. Just one Mom's opinion.

"sprout"! that's cute! i am not offended by those who are "it" people. i was just curious about the term. my son used to shove his foot under my ribs and mash my heart, and once he kicked my stomach so i aspirated acid. woke up rather rudely that night! those times i just called him "kid"! :chuckle

I too wish people would say "the baby's heartrate is xyz" instead of "it's". Kind of bugs me.

People do it in adult care. Charge Nurse (Me) speakign to nurse: You're getting an admission in 533-2. Nurse: What is it? Me: It is not an it but a human being injured in a motorcycle accident. That's always bugged me that 99% of the the time when I tell someone their getting a patient they answer "what is it?",

i too wish people would say "the baby's heartrate is xyz" instead of "it's". kind of bugs me.

people do it in adult care. charge nurse (me) speakign to nurse: you're getting an admission in 533-2. nurse: what is it? me: it is not an it but a human being injured in a motorcycle accident. that's always bugged me that 99% of the the time when i tell someone their getting a patient they answer "what is it?",

you bring up a very good point...this one is "the knee" or "it's going to cath lab..." i guess these terms are used from day one and are used out of habit. it seems incongruous with our profession to care that these terms are used so freely. thank you for your post!

I always just ask, "Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?" or "Can you feel the baby kicking yet?" etc...

I've never been pregnant, but if someone were to ask me, "What are you having?" or "Do you know what it is yet?" I'd probably come back with a sarcastic response like, "I'm pretty sure I'm having a human....of the infant variety!"

I think that the "what is it" in the report is referring to the affliction not the person. The use of room numbers and "it" could be a result of HIPPA laws. Just a possibility.

As for the baby, I think it is a little over the edge to get upset about this. I personally call "it" my it's name if the parents have one or baby if not.

I personally don't think I have ever referred to the unborn as "it". As some of the others have said, I always ask if Mom/Dad know what they're having and refer to the baby as "he" or "she" If gender is unknown, I'll often just say "baby" or "little one" or some silly name like "peanut". I worked with an OB once that always referred to the baby as "your little darlin"! Not that I find it particularly offensive, but there are many alternatives to "it". I do think it would be kind of weird to say "who are you having" though!!

I think that the reason that patients are referred to according to their complications, is because (and I know this is true of me) we associate patient's with the problems they have. If I were to go to my charge nurse, "Joe Shmoe is having severe chest pain now." She would say, "who is that." I would have to reply, "the gentleman that came in with +3 pitting edema in bilateral legs." I think it is a coping mechanism for when people don't really know the patient. It shows that they at least know what is happening with that patient.