Mumsnet Talk

Reading recent posts, it's struck me how many people hate the phrase 'failure to progress'. Me too. After 72 hours of contractions and an eventual EMCS, the last thing I needed was to be made to feel like even more of a failure than I already felt.
Surely there's a better phrase? Can anyone think of a more positive one?
I'm wondering whether we could lobby to get the phrase changed. I have no idea how one goes about doing things like this... but maybe the power of Mumsnet will prevail?
Anyone with me?

Delay in the first or second stage.

That's what Mary Cronk recommends is used.

I hate this too, had it with both births, bloody battled for days with DD, hours with DS and then just get 'failure to progress', no mention of what caused progression to fail, no recognition that there was nothing I could have done to get them out vaginally.
No suggestions but Delay might be better.

I hate it too. I always just say my Cervix wouldn't dilate any further. Bit long winded but I'm not going to say "I failed to give birth"!

Absolutely. Horrible phrase and definitely didn't make me feel any better about the whole experience together with all comments on cs.

I had it twice too. Failure and birth in the same sentence make you feel a bit inadequate don't they?

Hate it, along with 'incompetent cervix'. Sadly, I doubt either will ever be changed.

How about "stalled labour", that's not quite as demeaning.

Neither my mws or doctor ever used that term with me, for which i am very grateful.
I second a campaign request.

My reason for Kiellands forceps delivery is on my notes as 'failed to progress in second stage'. I detest it, it brings up a mental image of 2 hours of pointless pushing with DS in an unbirthable position that the MW didn't spot. I already feel like I failed, I don't need it in writing thanks. A student MW who visited me after the birth said that it's a hot topic for debate in dissertations as it makes new mothers feel even worse if they've had a bad time. I like 'arrested progress' as an alternative? I think it gives the impression that an external factor might be responsible rather than the mother failing to do something. But anything without the word failure in it would be better.

I prefer 'failure to wait'! Obviously the failure is then shifted on to those who weren't patient enough rather than the mother's body.

I hate it too, but given ERPC is still used, I don't think sensitivity in medical terminology is a top priority...

I'd prefer something like 'extended labour' or something. Something that implies the bloody effort involved!

How about failure of the hospital to give adequate time?

Or failure of the hospital to provide the optimal environment for best birth outcome.

squiggley and starlight - you've beaten me to it. I was going to say 'clockwatching attendants'. I never felt that I had failed with forceps - I felt that I had been failed by the system.

Failure to progress according to their timescales. Not every woman is going to dilate 1 cm per hour while in a brightly lit noisy hospital room without any support. Sheila Kitzinger's Birth Your Way covers this well.

I'm going to buck the trend. My cervix failed to dilate. I had no control over that as my baby was back to back. It isn't failure on my part but my cervix did fail to dilate. So I needed some intervention, which I am mighty glad of.