Your medical mind

I am reading the book ‘Your medical mind, how to decide what is right for you’ by Groopman,MD & Hartzband, MD. They say that patients should be aware that doctors and other experts may frame information in a way that reflects their own preferences. What is recommended is that information should be presented in a neutral way and doctors work to understand their patient’s own thinking.

Encourage a discussion on the basis of understanding each other’s perspective. If you don’t know what you want or what you value then you will probably take the default option offered to you. Informed patient preference is when you are asked about your preferences.

Women with low-risk pregnancies are facing a decision before full-term that puts what is normal into question. No longer are we seeing the majority of pregnancies reaching full term where babies are choosing their birth date. More and more I am being asked to help women navigate the induction process. We have an induction epidemic on our hands and women need to be educated about the induction process and be offered good information and understand their rights to refuse.

Read these two articles to learn more and get educated so you can make a good decision on behalf of yourself and your baby.

Synthetic Oxytocin (Pitocin, Syntocinon): Unpacking the myths and side-effects by Dr Sarah Buckley

“Like all maternity-care interventions, synthetic oxytocin may be beneficial, even life-saving, for mothers and babies in some situations. However, because of its widespread use, including in many healthy mothers and babies, it is important to understand the possible risks and side-effects.” Dr Sarah Buckley To read more about the effects of synthetic oxytocin on birthing physiology.

Induction of labour should be offered to all women at term Seijmonsbergen- Schermers et al (2019)

Induction of labour can improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, more and more women without medical risks or complications are being induced. Although induction at term could prevent rare cases of fetal death, all induced women will be exposed to potential disadvantages. Women whose labours are induced have a higher risk of postpartum haemorrhage, uterine rupture, hyperstimulation resulting in fetal distress, and perineal injuries (Miller et al. Lancet 2016;388:2176–92). To read more.

Induction will be the right decision for some, and not for others, there is always more than one perspective.