People refusing induction against medical advice

[bollocksthemess]

I’m pregnant and I’ve been in hospital quite a bit lately, I’m in hospital now with a bit of high blood pressure, been here overnight but should be let out today.

I can’t believe the number of women I’ve overheard who don’t want to follow medical advice about having their baby.
There’s been over the last couple of hospital visits:

The lady who was 42+2 and was refusing induction, and walked out of her appointment without being scanned when the consultant said there was no benefit to her baby staying in longer.

The lady who came in at 38w with reduced foetal movement, was scanned and induction recommended, and was refusing induction even when the consultant explained that she was at term and the recommendation for reduced foetal movement at term is to get the baby out.

Today’s lady was in last night with pre-eclampsia at 37+5. Induction recommended. She wants to labour in the pool but obviously you can’t if you’re induced. She wants to go home and see what happens.

I just don’t understand it at all. I’ve had quite a bit of anxiety around this pregnancy and not being able to tell what’s going on with the twins, and while I’m trying to keep them in as long as possible there comes a point when they’re safer out than in.
I’ve seen more medical people in the last few weeks than in my whole life, I’m the sort to never even go to the GP and I’m usually of the wait and see mindset.
But Jesus, when someone who does this for a living tells you your baby needs evicting surely you’re just grateful that we have such good monitoring and get your baby out where it’s safest?
I know nobody wants to be induced, but I just want my babies to be safe, however they come out.

I asked for monitoring rather than induction for my baby that went post 42 weeks. I’m not sure I’d like someone chatting about my private medical info online without my knowledge, but I understand the balance of risks tilted to a slightly different set by doing this. Some increased and some decreased, for my family and specific medical scenario the tilt was largely neutral/positive, so that’s what we did.

I’d do the same thing again. It is not an exact science.

Yabu, you don't know peoples personal situations or reasoning for their own medical decisions.

I'm totally one of those people!!! but then my experience was that doctors never really cared about my history or anything at all!!

It all started 2 days before DD1 was due (yes!!!) and the obgyn wanted to induce because "why not?!" and then proceded to basically sexual assault me into having an unwanted sweep.

I was also forced to sign a form saying I was leaving against medical advice just because DD2 was 41 weeks!!! I had all the tests under the sun and we were extremely healthy and well!!! But the doctors wanted to induce "just because"!!!

I was born late, my cousin was born late, her son was born late and all my 3 kids were born at nearly 42 weeks. For all 3 kids had to deal with doctors saying I should induce "just because"!!!!!!! F THEM AND F YOU FOR THINKING IM NOT ALLOWED BODY AUTONOMY. 40 weeks is an average!!! Some people do less, some do more. I'm not a number, I'm a person!!

Their medical info is still private, I haven’t said where I am, I’ve no idea who they are, I haven’t said who I am.

I think it’s worth discussing as I’m baffled by all the anti-intervention feelings that I hear when I’m in hospital, and on here to be honest. I just provided examples that I’ve seen myself in the last few weeks.

My children’s birth is probably going to be highly medicalised, I’d rather that than ‘trust my body’.
My body had no idea that my blood pressure was really high, I felt great and was shocked to be admitted yesterday. I feel the same now my blood pressure is back down.

Medical advice is not always correct

Many inductions are and it go horribly wrong or right for MANY woman. However unless you have had a traumatic induction it's difficult and probably not worth commenting because you haven't been there and you haven't done it. You have heard snippets of these woman's medical history you don't know that they may or may not previously had a horrendous induction that ended in an emergency c -section and baby has been very unwell SO that's why they have said no. YOU JUST DONT KNOW

Sometimes induction is medically necessary. At the moment maternity services is taking the 'better out than in' position however and for the first time ever in UK history, last year more babies were induced or were born by elective caesarean than arrived spontaneously. Has something gone that wrong with biology that we accept that as a good thing? I would ask you to consider the massive impact unnecessary inductions can have on birth and how many women are coming out at the end with birth trauma. We need full conversations and the actual risks Vs benefits of all options for individuals including induction Vs caesarean Vs watchful waiting.

I agree with you OP but think messaging can be mixed. I was advised to be induced ah 38 weeks due to high BP. I was crying to my midwife about not wanting a medicalised birth and she said "we'll decline it then. The doctors don't know everything..." I still went ahead with the induction because I couldn't have forgiven myself if something had gone wrong, but this was another medical professional validating the other option so I reckon someone less risk averse or less likely to have researched might have taken the word of the midwife over the doctor

@GoodnightGrandma

Yep, and then they’ll sue when it all goes wrong. This is what we have to deal with at work.

Yup. I have cases that make me shudder over a decade later. When you just know this is going to end tragically but there is nothing you can do.

That said, it’s the trade off for women not being incubators I guess.

I remember when i was 8n hospital during covid times and i heard the dr telling a woman she had lost her baby due to covid. It was so sad. The dr was so cold about it though...very matter of fact.

@EvilEdna1

Sometimes induction is medically necessary. At the moment maternity services is taking the 'better out than in' position however and for the first time ever in UK history, last year more babies were induced or were born by elective caesarean than arrived spontaneously. Has something gone that wrong with biology that we accept that as a good thing? I would ask you to consider the massive impact unnecessary inductions can have on birth and how many women are coming out at the end with birth trauma. We need full conversations and the actual risks Vs benefits of all options for individuals including induction Vs caesarean Vs watchful waiting.

This is probably due to the stress of potentially being alone in parts of the labour during the pandemic. I was induced and had DS at 40 + 13 days - I was dreading labour as I thought I'd be alone and in pain. Apparently it's a very primal thing, your body will encourage the baby to come when you feel 'safe' from 'predators'. When you don't feel 'safe' you may well go overdue. Stress is a huge factor and a lot of women are more stressed than normal I would imagine

I’ve had quite a bit of anxiety

That's you OP. Other people make decisions without being driven by whatever you're anxious about. Isn't it nice you can meet your needs & have autonomy to get your needs met, while other people can make decisions according to different priorities and with respect to their autonomy about what happens in their life, to their bodies?

To be honest, I’m not sure why you feel the need to nosey into other peoples’ discussions with their doctor (which, as we all know, are intended to be private and confidential) just so you can judge their choices and get all hoity toity and superior on the internet. Get your husband to bring you a book or something if you’re that bored!

Each to their own. No one’s impacting on you with their own personal choices, so leave it alone.

Is this y

I do think YABU. You might have overheard part of a conversation, but you have no idea why those women chose not to have an induction and I think it's a bit off to be judging them because you feel they don't have the same beliefs as you.

Maybe I am naive but I thought the induction was because research shows that the risk of still birth. I saw a study somewhere that it increased a lot already at 41 weeks but couldn’t find the study, only a news report on it.

mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1UK2L3

I would personally always follow medical advice regarding induction, and I say that as someone who had an induction (first child) after the waters broke and labour failed to start (pretty horrendous experience, long, medical interventions etc).

I actually wanted to be induced with my third as I was really worried that something was wrong and a wonderful doctor did a sweep and booked me for an induction (39 + 3). When I arrived, feeling pretty rough, I was patted on the head and sent home. Luckily the sweep started labour.

As it turned out, when I had complained about “incontinence”, that was me leaking amniotic fluid. The water was completely gone, I wasn’t “imagining” reduced movements and “feeling rough” was the beginning of an infection. The lovely doctor might have saved my child and I asked to meet her after and thank her. She had somehow listened to me and got an “uneasy feeling” and therefore done the sweep.

I guess this is the underfunding of the NHS. They are so stretched that many don’t have the time to really assess each individual, see what their unique risk situation is and go from there. Instead they rely on macro statistics.

I agree with you OP. But I also wish that ELCs were offered as a choice at this stage. While both have risks, inductions are more of a risk to the baby and ELCs are more of a risk to the mother. And I would always want to prioritise my babys. I lived in the states for years in a very litigious state, where over 50% of deliveries where ELCs.

I am so 100% with you on this. I don't understand why women don't follow medical advice from the experts. It makes me really cross.

When I had my first baby, the midwife actually thanked me for following her advice when in labour. I just couldn't believe some people don't!

It’s because of all the pressure about how natural birth is good and medical intervention is bad. It’s causing women to refuse medical intervention even when it could save their baby’s life.

The thing is that you're only hearing a tiny little snippet from that woman's obstetric history. Who's to say they haven't experienced a horrific induction in the past, or have family members that have? An induction isn't always plain sailing, especially when performed prior to the due date. These women won't have made the decision not to be induced, lightly. Just because it seem like madness to you, it doesn't mean that they aren't displaying an informed choice, or are not supported by their midwife.

I'll preface this by saying that I was induced at 35 weeks because of obstetric cholestasis. I wouldn't want to risk my baby's life for anything as trivial as my birth plan.

That said, I was told from the outset that I'd be induced at 38 weeks because it was an IVF pregnancy and they tend to be smaller. My baby was huge in the end but that would never have been a factor they considered. They work on statistics and often don't take personal circumstances into consideration. I've seen this many times so I think women are right to question and think about recommendations. That's not to say I'd do the same in each of these circumstance, but I wouldn't be so judgemental about it.

Some people forget that death is also natural..

Obs & gynae is a victim of its own success. Women don’t see or hear of the tragedy of stillbirth as much now because of scientific interventions.

It makes absolutely no sense to me AT ALL why a woman would ‘buy in’ to NHS care for their whole pregnancy then right at the end want to ignore the advice and go it alone. Why did they both even telling the nhs they were pregnant? Why did they go for scans? Why did they turn up for multiple midwife appointments? Why did they even attend the appointment where they were told they’d be induced if they didn’t want to follow the advice? If you think the person talking to you is talking a load of shit you just wouldn’t turn up..

I was induced with all 3 pregnancies, my first I was under a consultant due to a residual eating disorder, I was only 18. They induced bang on 39 weeks as they didn't want me to struggle mentally with more weight gain. I followed their advice. 2nd baby, much later on I was healthy but at 41+6 was happy to be induced. My third I had spd and was bed bound by 30 weeks, they induced him at 38 weeks. Personally I'd always follow Dr's advice...

YABU. Women are free to make their own choices and you are judging them without knowing their full history. They may be idiots or they may be making a fully informed choice.

I declined an induction at 1pm (obs all fine - it was only recommended as I was 41 weeks). It was my 3rd (all my babies were past 40weeks) and I knew my body was getting going as I could feel very minor contractions. I gave birth that evening- I don't think induction was the right call for me that day and it would have increased risks.

I think its naive to think all drs make the right decisions each time 🤷‍♀️
I've also seen multiple examples of poor clinical practice in my job. Patients should never be shamed for asking questions about their care.

I understand some women who refuse but the scenarios you do describe do sound like the women may be being daft in not going ahead with induction! For me, I'm being told I'll be induced between 40 - 40+6 and I've no idea why it's necessary. I have gestational diabetes but I'm controlling it really well, don't have it bad, so I'm diet controlled and baby is on the smaller side rather than large (not worryingly so though - he's growing steadily). It seems like I've just been lumped into the ' has gestational diabetes' box therefore automatically get induced! It's something I will be questioning. If at any point baby is in danger, then obviously there's no question!

@Notbluepeter

I agree with you OP. But I also wish that ELCs were offered as a choice at this stage. While both have risks, inductions are more of a risk to the baby and ELCs are more of a risk to the mother. And I would always want to prioritise my babys. I lived in the states for years in a very litigious state, where over 50% of deliveries where ELCs.

I agree. I was induced and it was awful. I wouldn’t reject advice that my baby needed to come out but I would ask for a caesarean. And actually I don’t agree they’re always more risky for the mother than induction, that depends what risks you’re talking about and what weight you put on them.