Saturday, still pregnant, two days post-dates. Last baby was born 9 days post date and the limit is typically 14 days. No signs of anything happening. Glad I go to midwives, who will not induce me until we reach the limit.
I've been reading about/listening to/discussing both the local and the internet debates about inductions and c-sections vs. natural births. A support group I go to is decidedly anti-medical, and if you read the web, well, the vitriol between natural birth advocates and obstetricians flies freely. I have always taken a fairly centrist view of these things, such as: Yes, our intervention rates are too high, but that's an unfortunate consequence of a litigious society/ defensive medicine. I have also taken the view that, though there are jerk docs and nurses out there, they in general care about a mother's wishes and don't induce/ section for their own convenience.
Then I had this chat with my aunt:
Aunt: Well they were gonna set her up for the week after
but a friend was the charge nurse and asked if she could come right away
so she could be her nurse...Rachel was 39 + weeks and the doc was going
out of town for the weekend and wanted to do the delivery, and not leave
it for another doc Rachel didnt know, so there ya go...
[11:42:14 PM] Me: seriously? they induced her labor for their
own convenience?!?!!? Well, I'm glad it was a good delivery.
and that just made me pretty angry. But Aunt seemed pleased with how it went down, calling her daughter a "good patient". I dropped the subject and continued with warm congratulations.
I am sure Rachel could have said no and waited for the natural birth, right? It's not like they coerced her to go in (or maybe I am missing something). The issue with doctor being out of town happens, it happened to 3 people I know; one went into labor early, two went late, and the docs were out of town, so you do what you must. I am sure one of my friends (who had a tricky pregnancy, with twins) would have considered inducing early just to be delivered by her own doctor...
ReplyDeleteI think people have different priorities. I personally don't particularly care who delivers -- it's going to always be an Ob/Gyn from my doctor's practice, but not once was it actually my doctor.
True, GMP. Rachel is young and poor, and I think that she didn't know what her options were, or she just accepted whatever the Dr. says. It is widely accepted that inductions are contributing to the high c-section rate. (glad to get you more on that if needed). In any case the family is pleased with the delivery, there were no complications, and everyone is healthy. So there you go.
ReplyDeleteI, however, will choose to avoid UNNECESSARY interventions. For instance, I will go the two weeks post date before induction, but WILL accept the induction at the end of those two weeks. I know women who would get induced today because they are uncomfortable (uh, pit-driven contractions are uncomfortable, too!), and I know women who would drop their provider and have a home birth if told they must induce at the 2-week post dates mark.
I have read a few studies, and agree, two weeks is my limit for risk of stillbirth.
I think everything with labout today seem to be driven by time consumption and "not having enough time to wait" or "not having enough sick leave to be home and feel miserable and wait"... and not that it is the mothers' faults, but they are trying to adapt to the crazy world that doesn't accept "I don't know" and "I don't know when baby decides to leave my body".... and let's just wait and be natural about it.
ReplyDeleteSince we humans rule the world, right?! ;)
i wish you the best when baby decides to move, or when you decide to "help" to induce the moving. (I'm in the 10 days post planned date... its the increasing risk)
I¨ve always thought though, why on earth would anyone like to leave the worm and comfy place for the hard, cold world outside? (maybe cuddles, hugs and kisses (and boobs) are exactly as essential as some poeple always told me :) )
I hear you, PUI. Like you, I am not a fan of unnecessary interventions; I am all for a natural birth if it can happen, but of course health of mom and baby come first, and doing whatever is necessary to ensure that. I was 3 days overdue with my first, and 1 day early with my second, so basically both times close to the due date so I really didn't have to think much about inducing... I think I would probably start getting really scared getting into the second week post due date...
ReplyDeleteHang in there and the best of luck.