I agree, it seems so unnecessary to me to have a date set in stone but i can see how its easier for the mother and more convenient for the ob. However despite the risks, ironically everyone i know who had inductions has had fantastic enjoyable births, so whether thats a fluke or not, i don't know.... Obviously the risks should be more publicised, like with anything, but women are always going to want to have the choice and probably make it either way. I'm sure the ob's would down play those risks because their mindset seems to be that natural birth is fairly dangerous or cough-inconvenient-cough.