At 08:02 AM 7/5/01 EDT, you wrote:
>Nikki says,
>
>
>> This is going to have an enormous impact on breastfeeding and babies. I
>> predict a 30% US cesarean section rate by 2010. I hope I am wrong.

No need to wait long. In May when I had "my" TV interview I learned that
one hospital in the Milwaukee area is at a 30% induction rate. The "news"
spot was a commercial for elective inductions--reasons given were no April
Fools babies, no leap year babies, Gramma can plan timing of visit, end of
year tax break, and "tired of being pregnant." Of course, he pointed out
how much more convenient it is for hospital staffing and OBs themselves.
Why would any woman not go for it?

These women, many of whom had c-sections after "failed inductions" will
probably not flinch at the recommendation that any subsequent babies be
delivered by c-cections. That will make the whole process even shorter than
the OBs joyful claim, "In for induction at 9AM; have your baby by 5PM."

Of the nine new clients I have had in the past week, only one of the babies
initiated labor, 7 were induced for either convenience or for questionable
reasons (in my opinion) and one was necessary for mother's health. There
were two high forceps deliveries and 5 sections.

Two inductions were because the babies were too big for Mom to deliver
vaginally. I wrote about one whose baby was predicted to be a huge 9# and
who came a tiny 6#1oz (section). The other was guestimated to be over 8#
and he came in at 6# with breathing challenges, acting like a premie--also
section.

Of course, I saw these babies because of various sucking problems. But
mother was not told by any HCP that these problems may have been caused by
induction, cranked up Pit, fetal distress, followed by c-section, deep tube
suctioning....

The Peds whom I talked with in May said that they are seeing major (and
some minor) problems with the high number of inductions. But the Ped
doesn't talk with the OB, who is the woman's doctor and who sees the
delivery as the end of the story, except for the return visit to examine
the healing of the surgery. And everything is "fine."

I read the news article about ruptured uteruses with labor following
induction with subsequent deliveries. The point that these were "induced"
labors was not stated as loudly as was warning of the ruptured uterus after
having had a section. The one or two sentences that pointed out that
subsequent labors that begin naturally are not of concern were hidden
amidst the alarm.

Jan is right. We will not be working ourselves out of a job in the U.S.
With TV spots like the one we had in May, there will only be more
inductions and more c-sections. It will become the "norm" for a woman to
pick her delivery date and to have her section... and (hopefully) call the
LC 3 days later.

Woe is me.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html