I made the mistake of watching that new Discovery show "Deliver Me" the other day (marginally better than "A Baby Story", but still fully the typical mainstream stuff you'd expect). A mother on there was induced with Pitocin . . . TWO DAYS after her due date. I just love how there's no further explanation of this, let alone a discussion of it. Just "She's 'overdue' therefore we are inducing, the end." No medical reasons whatsoever. And most people who watch these shows are just going to file that away in their own understanding of how all this works, so when they're in the same position, of course they're just gonna freakin' swallow it. So many people think they're "educating themselves" by watching all these shows.
What really galled me was that when they examined her prior to this, her cervix was 80% effaced and she was one centimeter dilated. HELLO? Doesn't that mean she is totally on the way to going into labor spontaneously? Like, possibly within a day or two??? I. just. don't. understand.
The woman was also 'determined to have a natural birth'. So even after Pitocin, and later, rupturing her amniotic sac, she tried to resist an epidural - even using a doula. I don't know where to begin with that! Dude, you're already not having a NATURAL birth - I frankly think it's so counterproductive to consent to these other interventions and then try t resist an epidural, as if that's ALL natural childbirth is about. No wonder some people dismiss the desire for natural birth as martyrdom. If she had educated herself even a little bit about the interventions LEADING TO the need for an epidural, she could have had a totally different outcome.
OP, your friend may have already made up her mind, but since she does say that she doesn't want a c-section, I'd recommend at least presenting her with the research on how these interventions may very well lead her directly into one anyway. And if you feel like going the extra mile, I'd also look into the this has-to-be-BS claim about it being "illegal" to go over due by 3 days & see if it's based on anything at all in your state. What a CROCK. As if a due date isn't an estimate based on an estimate ANYWAY.
Can you tell this topic really irks me?
What really galled me was that when they examined her prior to this, her cervix was 80% effaced and she was one centimeter dilated. HELLO? Doesn't that mean she is totally on the way to going into labor spontaneously? Like, possibly within a day or two??? I. just. don't. understand.
The woman was also 'determined to have a natural birth'. So even after Pitocin, and later, rupturing her amniotic sac, she tried to resist an epidural - even using a doula. I don't know where to begin with that! Dude, you're already not having a NATURAL birth - I frankly think it's so counterproductive to consent to these other interventions and then try t resist an epidural, as if that's ALL natural childbirth is about. No wonder some people dismiss the desire for natural birth as martyrdom. If she had educated herself even a little bit about the interventions LEADING TO the need for an epidural, she could have had a totally different outcome.
OP, your friend may have already made up her mind, but since she does say that she doesn't want a c-section, I'd recommend at least presenting her with the research on how these interventions may very well lead her directly into one anyway. And if you feel like going the extra mile, I'd also look into the this has-to-be-BS claim about it being "illegal" to go over due by 3 days & see if it's based on anything at all in your state. What a CROCK. As if a due date isn't an estimate based on an estimate ANYWAY.
Can you tell this topic really irks me?
What I really want to say won't make it past the censors, so let me just say BLARGH!!!! 
I shouldn't still find it so shocking that doctors are willing to put their own convenience ahead of their patient's health, but somehow, I do!
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Id say coming from a Harvard educated OB with over 25 years of experience under his belt, its pretty safe to assume he knew what he was talking about. (I might also add that he had never had a case of *baby being too big to be delivered vaginally.* The only time a cesarean was needed was due to bad positioning or baby being in distress-of course, not all of those were necessary either if you think about it, but its still pretty impressive to hear from an OBs own mouth.)
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