WARNING! A PSA for December DDC

[autumn_faune]

If you are in this DDC, and you have a medical care provider:

You are in the elite group of women due during the peak induction and c/s season. Beware. You may expect to be greatly pressured and experience many scare tactics to prevent your untimely delivery that might cause said care provider to miss holiday festivities. All members of this group are hereby urged to go to their local libraries and check out, via interlibrary loan if necessary, Henci Goer's Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities, and educate themselves on which are legit reasons for induction and c/s, and which are convenience and scare tactics.

[carmel23]

Autumn Faune, This is a very interesting idea and one that makes a lot of sense that I never thought of...

I'm glad that I've already had this conversation with my OB and know that he is very against inducing labor. It is probably a good conversation to have with ones doc if they haven't already....

[Cathi]

I couldn't agree more. End of term for students, vacation time for OBs, holiday time for families, tax season....all very bad reasons to be induced. But very, very common nonetheless.

[Dwmama]

This is a very common time for that. I also talked to my doctor and he is also against induction unless medically needed. Takes the stress off.

[amyandelle]

Thanks!!

I had a conversation a few months ago with my (horrible) Midwife and she asked me if I went overdue how long would I want to wait before being induced because she is going out of town for the Holidays :

Amy

[autumn_faune]

Originally Posted by amyandelle

I had a conversation a few months ago with my (horrible) Midwife and she asked me if I went overdue how long would I want to wait before being induced because she is going out of town for the Holidays :

Amy
I'm so sorry about that. On the plus side, she did admit it up front, right?

I've just read too many stories of inductions being pushed on women around holiday time for "medical reasons" that aren't.

But... 'tis the season for inductions and primary c-sections, fa la la la la, la laa laa laaaaa!

But seriously folks, let's just be educated consumers, eh?

[Naughty Dingo]

Man, isn't that sad?

I wish it wasn't like this. I wish the mainstream honored this sacred event for what it is.....


ND

[njbeachgirl]

Yup. One of my reasons for switching to a midwife from an OB!!!

[happydoulamama]

WOW I never put it into perspective before- but you are right! And let me tell you now, looking back at how confused I was about some of my clients all-of-a-sudden urgent "need" for induction did show up around holidays (had the pants scared off of them by sOB's about problems that really weren't occurring- had a mama induced for HBP and when we got to the hospital her BP was 110/75!!!).

I wish at least they'd come right out and say "I really don't care about your wishes or your health- I just want to spend time with my family at the holidays, so let's get this going." At least then women would RUN to another provider rather than worrying about problems that really aren't there or really aren't as severe as needing an induction.

I'm SOOOO glad I'm homebirthing with a midwife! I can't even tell you...

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Tis the season for everything else to get rushed at the hospital too....my dad broke his ankle in two places around Christmas a number of years ago, and the on call dr in the ER was trying to get out of there for a ski trip and neglected to notice that Dad needed pins in his leg - just casted him up and left. Dad noticed 'something bouncing around in there' a day or two later...

Keep your wits about you, mamas

[juliansmom]

An excellent point.

I wonder if this played any role in my OB wanting me to have an induction at 39 weeks vs. 40. If I actually go past my due date and end up overdue, I'll be very, very close to X-Mas. Interesting...Thank you for posting this.

[KrystalC]

As I've said before, I have an induction date scheduled due to limited time off work/school. When I first asked my OB about potentially being induced, she suggested we schedule for the 21st of December so I could be home with baby for the holidays. I refused to be induced before my EDD (December 23), so we scheduled it for the 26th instead. She honestly didn't argue with me at all, was more than happy to schedule the 26th, and understood why I didn't want to be induced BEFORE my EDD. I was actually very, very thankful that she didn't try to push me into inducing before the holidays and instead respected my wishes.

However, it sounds like a lot of women aren't that lucky and their providers try to push induction on them just before the holidays. That's so sad.

[Twilight]

I guess since I am due closer to the beginning of the month I don't get the same pressures or questions. But my OB has always been good about not suggesting induction unless I go overdue. She did say that even in the presence of reassuring test results, she doesn't like to see pregnancies go beyond 41.5 weeks because the placenta tends to age and not provide for the baby as well as it did. I'm thinking about that one.