Anyone else feel bullied into an induction?

Uptheduff

I see a different Doctor at each ante-natal appointment. The one I saw at 37 weeks decided on my behalf that Id be having a sweep at the next appointment. Baby is looking large apparently but both myself and my partner are tall and my last baby was overdue and large and everything went fine with a natural birth. Thankfully the Doctor for the following appointment accepted that I didnt want to have a sweep.

Im 39 weeks now and had the sweep happy Doctor for todays appointmnet. She was very reluctant to let me go home without a sweep today. When I kept refusing she told me she was booking me for medical induction the day after my due date. I asked if I could just agree to have the sweep at that stage if I hadnt gone into labour naturally by then and she bluntly said no. Everything Ive read online says that a sweep is done if its medically neccessary or if your gone two weeks overdue. What is it with this Doctor being so hell bent on pushing me into labour before my body has decided its ready? The other ante-natal Doctors dont seem overly concerned about me wanting to wait for my due date at least before considering interventions.

Flinty997

Politely request a different doctor. There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion.

notAMember

The doctor may have experienced late stage placental failure in their career or training, and wants to avoid taking that risk. The risk of stillbirth increases from about 38 weeks onwards. A lot of doctors will take the position that the baby is full term there.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0/html/tileshop_pmc/tileshop_pmc_inline.html?title=Click%20on%20image%20to%20zoom&p=PMC3&id=3719843_nihms486624f1.jpg

Uptheduff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119303909#Comment_119303909

Then surely her job is to explain her concerns and allow me to make an informed decision instead of treating me like an inconvenience to her schedule.

Flinty997

Doctors may not share your priorities.

Uptheduff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119304070#Comment_119304070

It left me feeling fairly anxious. Like if she's there during my labour I'll be bulldozed into procedures I'm not in favour of. (And from what I can discern are unnecessary)

Flinty997

If you don't like the doctor you can request not to have that doctor.

I meant the doctors priority will be to err on the side of caution both in the patients interest and the hospitals.

notAMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119304006#Comment_119304006

Yes definitely. There’s a weird reluctance to tell patients the reason for anything.

I was induced for my second (amniotic hook ) and it went way too fast

Uptheduff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306338#Comment_119306338

Exactly. I feel like she expects me to just go along with her instructions without her reasons being properly explained. My gut instinct when she said she was booking me for induction whether I liked it or not was "Fine, but I'll still refuse when the time comes". She eventually went to get a second opinion and the other Dr said to wait another week and reassess the situation. None of the other Doctors in the clinic have expressed any concerns or suggested I need to be induced so her enthusiasm for it just seems like a personal preference of hers.

UID0

Ask her to explain in detail why she thinks you should be induced - what is it that she is trying to avoid? Be careful not to read too much into no other doctor expressing concern. No doctor is going to tell you before 37/38 weeks that induction should be considered. If there is something major visible before that point, they are more likely to suggest a scheduled c section. The other doctor saying to wait and reassess could be just that they didn't want to have an argument. The doctor who was seeing you made her opinion clear, and if something goes wrong, it's on you.

On the other hand, an induction can be scheduled to reduce the risk of later c section, especially for conditions like pre-eclampsia. Some doctors like to intervene earlier on the basis that the earlier intervention has a lower risk of complications.

The main thing is that if the doctor thinks an induction is medically necessary, then she should be able to inform you why, and what the risks are both of not having an induction or having an induction. There are a lot of doctors that don't have great people skills and are confident that they are making the correct recommendation and don't believe that they should be questioned. But a major part of the job is to make sure the patient is happy with the course of action, and in this she seems to have failed.

shesty

Why why why.

What does she see that makes her think it might be necessary?

Ask.And wait for an answer.I won't go so far as to say demand an answer but why is she pushing so hard.

I had a sweep at 40 weeks on my first, 41 weeks on my second and third.My choice and they were offered from 39 weeks and I refused.Induction was likely 10-12 days after due date though I never needed it.What hosptial are you with.Hospitals usually have a policy of how many days they will let you go over before booking an induction.If she is inside that time period, she must have a reason of some sort.

Uptheduff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119310903#Comment_119310903

I had my previous 9lb 1oz baby naturally at 40 +6. No complications. There was no one trying to coerce me into an induction at any point. It's just this particular Doctor. I asked her why, she just gives the rote answer of avoiding potential complications. She actually spoke over me when I tried to ask more questions.

She put it in my notes at 36 weeks that I wanted a sweep at my 38 week appointment. That was her unilateral decision, She never asked if I wanted it she just said "we'll do a sweep next time your here." I was a bit blind sided by it and said nothing at the time. Luckily I had a different Doctor at the 38 week appointment and when he said "so you want a sweep today?" I told him I didn't and he was fine with that and said the baby seems a normal enough size and there's no reason not to let it happen naturally.

No other Doctor that's examined me has expressed any concern at all. I'm not concerned. It's just her. She has a bee in her bonnet to get her hooks into my cervix for some reason. As a result I don't trust her or feel safe with her so I'm going to be telling them to keep her away from me from here on in.

It might come across a bit racist but she'd be from a culture not known for women's rights so I'm wondering if she's used to patients just going along with what she tells them to do. She's not the Doctor whose officially looking after me for this pregnancy either, just one of the many random Doctors that attend the ante natal clinic so I don't feel she's a particular authority on me or my pregnancy.

shesty

That all seems completely reasonable from your side @Uptheduff .I hope you can avoid her.

laoisgem

I'm a bit confused as a sweep and an induction are 2 completely different things. I can see the aversion to an induction but not a sweep tbh.

Uptheduff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119313344#Comment_119313344

In a nutshell, she wanted me to have a sweep at 38 weeks, I didn't. She tried to get me to have one at 39 weeks. I declined so she booked me for an induction at 40 weeks whether I liked it or not. Too late for a sweep by then she said. Which is total nonsense. I can see no reason why she is pushing for a sweep before my due date. Or why she is against me going into labour by myself since no one else has expressed any cause for concern.

laoisgem

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119313452#Comment_119313452

I totally understand your frustration, especially at that stage. I can understand them offering a sweep after 40 weeks but not before. I was 10 days over having my my first and it was never mentioned, granted that was 1999. My second was a week over and again wasn't mentioned but being 2002 maybe things have changed. Honestly a sweep is only bringing on natural labour so after 40 weeks I'd probably be asking for one. I know you want to go naturally but you don't want to risk being induced. If you don't go at 40 plus 7 I'd agree to it.

Uptheduff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119313525#Comment_119313525

Yeah I agree, I'd be ok with a sweep after I'm overdue but there's no need for it before my due date. It bothered/worried me that she was saying if I didn't agree to the sweep before I'm due I was getting a medical induction at 40 weeks. It felt like she was trying to put me in my place which didn't seem like something a caring Doctor would be trying to do.