I know this is an old thread, but I just came across it today and can really relate to the article. I am a first-time-mum and currently 36+4 and have been leaking amniotic fluid since 36+1.

In my experience I have found that from the get go, I was being groomed to have an induction. It was quite clear from the beginning with numerous doctors over the past three days that induction was going to be my only option. All the risks of not inducing were drilled into me, you could even say this option was aggressively dictated to me and packaged to me as though I had no choice and there wasn't any other alternative with the use of words like "we are going to induce" and "it is our protocol". At each consultation with four separate doctors, I have found the doctors to lack objectivity and only laid out the negatives of NOT inducing and not once have they mentioned anything negative with inducing.

After informing ourselves with as much information as possible with PROM and inductions, my husband and I decided to not induce immediately to possibly allow my body go into labour naturally in efforts to try and minimise distress as much as possible to our unborn baby. We have expressed this intention with the doctors and midwives, but have only been met with aggression from doctors. What I find interesting is that after making them acknowledge that it was my decision and my right to not be induced despite "Hospital protocol", it felt like we got there in an uphill battle.

My point is that yes medical professionals require the patient's consent, however due to the medical environment in which pregnant women and particularly first-time-mums like myself find themselves, places them in a position where it is just easier to consent to inductions. The quality of the patient's consent and how that consent was reached is very much skewed by medical professionals simply by how induction is packaged and sold to these women (and their partners) in the first place.

I have no doubt that if medical professionals were to inform patients of the risks of induction such as risk of uterine rupture, long term incontinence and higher rate of fetal distress and c-sections, many women would certainly think twice before jumping at inductions as their safest option.

Apologies if my post is long winded, I've just come home from a terrible experience with my doctor and spent many hours waiting at Hospital and I just needed to vent a little.

Thanks for listening