Women's experiences of being induced for post-date pregnancy.

Aim: To explore the women's experiences of being booked for induction of labour for a pregnancy greater than 41 weeks gestation.

Participants: 23 primigravidae who were booked for induction: 18 were induced (induction group) and 5 went into spontaneous labour (comparison group).

Method: Data were collected by a series of interviews from booking to after birthing: interpretative techniques analysed verbatim transcriptions.

Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: developing conscious body management in a shrinking life-world.

Aim: This paper is a report of a study to explore the changes experienced by the person living in a body with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the world's fourth leading cause of death, and the World Health Organisation predicts further increases in prevalence and mortality. Despite a growing body of associated knowledge, there remains much to learn about patient and family-driven goals for medical and surgical treatment to guide nursing practice, to support self-management strategies, and to provide a context for therapeutic outcomes.

Eutrophication of lakes cannot be controlled by reducing nitrogen input: results of a 37-year whole-ecosystem experiment.

Lake 227, a small lake in the Precambrian Shield at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), has been fertilized for 37 years with constant annual inputs of phosphorus and decreasing inputs of nitrogen to test the theory that controlling nitrogen inputs can control eutrophication. For the final 16 years (1990-2005), the lake was fertilized with phosphorus alone. Reducing nitrogen inputs increasingly favored nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria as a response by the phytoplankton community to extreme seasonal nitrogen limitation.

Eat, drink, and be labouring?

The practice of restricting oral intake during labour has been and remains controversial. Overall, the nutritional needs of labouring women are poorly understood. This literature review reveals that little evidence exists to support the general restriction of oral intake for all labouring women.

Back pain/discomfort in pregnancy: invisible and forgotten.

This paper is a comprehensive literature review of original research on the nature of back pain/discomfort in pregnancy. The causes of back pain/discomfort in pregnancy are reviewed and discussed, and the clinical manifestations and implications are explored. This analysis revealed that approximately 50% of pregnant women experience back pain/discomfort with little or no intervention from their health care providers.