pitocin for delivering placenta

kindacrunchy

I was just reading another thread that mentioned getting a shot of pitocin for delivering the placenta and it seems like this is standard for many care providers now? I had my last baby almost three years ago and never heard about it being standard then, only if necessary. Obviously I have plenty of time and will ask my midwife what her policy is (different midwife because we moved) but I'm curious what your thoughts are? Is it standard practice for your provider? Is anyone refusing it unless necessary?

FunSizeGrl

I haven't asked my provider yet but am at my next appointment. It does seem totally unnecessary for it to be a blanket standard practice. Unless something is wrong, it seems like the only reason they'd do it is to speed stuff up. I'd like to hear some more experiences on this as well.

aylafsu88

I spoke with my OB about it. It is standard in their practice as they feel it helps shrink the uterus and can prevent a hemorrhage. I was OK with that and felt like it was better to get it than to wait and see if I hemorrhaged. When I delivered it was a busy night at the hospital and my OB was running around from room to room. I had to wait to get stitched up since he had to go deliver another baby  I never ended up getting it and  I was fine with that. I did not have any issues so it was not a big deal for me. I would get it next time if the OB administered it.

We had a natural birth friendly nurse and she never asked me about it and I forgot to ask. I was to absorbed with LO. I am sure if I would have requested it they would have found time to administer it.

CLLDLL

Around here, I don't think it's necessarily standard proceedure, but it's not uncommon either.  My OB wanted to give it to me after DS2 was born since he came out so fast.  I guess it's pretty common to bleed more after a fast birth, and pitocin can help shrink up your ute and prevent hemorrage.  She was willing to wait to see what my body did it I wanted her to though.

AmyRI

It was standard in the hospital where I delivered, and was the standard for the 3 different providers I saw before/during delivery.

I had no problem consenting. From everything I've read, it can have a lot of benefit (and even more if administered early, and not after a problem has started) and no risks. I had a hep lock in my hand, so it was administered through an IV instead of a shot.

wifeofadam

It's standard procedure at the hospital I delivered at with my first two.  I never had an IV with #2 during labor and they inserted one during pushing and told me it was "just in case" and then ended up giving me pitocin without asking afterwards.  I didn't find out until I read my chart at my PP check-up.

I obviously didn't have it with my two HBs.  To help shrink up the uterus I just started nursing immediately, which did the trick.  If I were ever to deliver in the hospital again I would refuse the pitocin and nurse immediately, unless I was hemorraging, of course.

headgear03

I wish i refused it with my fourth. I delivered my first three at a free standing birth center where its standard not to give pitocin . With my fourth i had to deliver at the hospital because my midwife was in another birth and my baby was coming fast . They gave me to pitocin and massaged the uterus ( more like manhandled ) . A week after my fourths birth I ended up in the ER with PP hemorrhaging . My uterus stopped clamping down because i had developed so many blood clots they filled my uterus . I ended up with a blood transfusion and a d&c . It was pointless and likely because of there massages and pitocin shocked my uterus and interfered with a process it was used to . If we were to have any more kids i would refuse it .

jess9802

jennish11 said:

My OB said it was to prevent/minimize too much bleeding.
I just recently switched to a midwife and haven't gotten a chance to ask them about it, but will probably ask at my next appointment.

To me it's like the Vitamin K shot - I understand why they do it, but at the same time, shouldn't our bodies and our babies bodies do that naturally?  I wonder if they need pitocin because they often try to force the placenta out instead of let our bodies naturally expel it.  And the Vitamin K shot because they clean the baby off so quickly (Vitamin K is in the stuff that coats the baby's skin).

If you really understood why newborns are given Vitamin K, you would know it doesn't have a damn thing to do with wiping off vernix.

babywisher

I have knew about it being common until just reading on here today. Very interesting. I didn't have it with dd. It wasn't even mentioned by anyone.

aylafsu88

jennish11 said:

My OB said it was to prevent/minimize too much bleeding.
I just recently switched to a midwife and haven't gotten a chance to ask them about it, but will probably ask at my next appointment.

To me it's like the Vitamin K shot - I understand why they do it, but at the same time, shouldn't our bodies and our babies bodies do that naturally?  I wonder if they need pitocin because they often try to force the placenta out instead of let our bodies naturally expel it.  And the Vitamin K shot because they clean the baby off so quickly (Vitamin K is in the stuff that coats the baby's skin).

Yes, many women do not need pitocin. However, hemorraging is a real possibility and women have died from it in the past. Child birth was the leading cause of female death for a long time.
Pitocin is routinely given now to help prevent hemorrhage because it is easier to avoid it than to treat it once it happens.
The vernix has nothing to do with vitamin K.

sschwege

It was not standard at the hospital I gave birth at, so I didn't get it either time.  Had it been standard I probably would have gone with it.  The evidence seems to support its value.

sschwege

You might also consider drinking red raspberry leaf tea or taking caplets.  The herb is said to tone the ute making contractions more efficient for labor and postpartum.  With my first I drank the tea and with my second I drank the tea and took the caplets.  Perhaps it was a coincidence, but my ute worked much more efficiently the second time, they didn't have to do much of the uterine massage, plus the postpartum contractions were not as unpleasant as they were the first time which usually they say every subsequent the afterpains are more and more intense because your ute has to keep working harder and harder.  

Here's so more info:

https://modernalternativepregnancy.com/2013/01/07/red-raspberry-leaf-the-wonder-herb-for-a-healthy-uterus/#.Ux4fAPldWSo  

spicysurro

I had a pitocin shot, but my midwife said because my labor was 36 hours long she was worried my body would get tired and not expel the placenta. To me that made sense and I was onboard plus my midwife is someone I trusted who would never suggest something to me unless absolutely necessary.

pdilly2b

I had in my birth plan that I didn't want it unless there was a problem. No problem and I didn't get it. Same plan this time around.

Maternal hemhorraging isn't a silent phenomenon so it should be obvious if it's occurring and pit is needed. We do the vitamin K because that can be silent.

Rrrrrachel

I know I got it (in my leg I guess) but idk if there was some indication for it or it was just a matter of course, tbh. My midwife suggested it and I said ok. I was at a freestanding birth center. I also got uterine massage which definitely is standard (unfortunately. Last thing I want after giving birth is that crap!)

Ladyburd

It is standard practice with my team although I did not have it to deliver the placenta. It came out shortly after birth. The pit was hung after to decrease the risk of hemorrhaging. I did not have any negative side affects from it.

KateLouise

With DD1 my mw gave me a shot of pitocin shortly after the birth. I don't know if it was just routine (I think she said she only used it if necessary) as it was so quick after the birth, or if she was concerned for some reason.

DD2 I was "borderline heamorrhaging" (whatever that means) and was given the pitocin probably 40 minutes after baby was born. My mw said, that for another birth, in light of that situation, she would have the pitocin already drawn up and ready to go in case it was needed.

catsinawindow

Last time around, PP pitocin was standard practice at the hospital I delivered at. After doing research and talking with my OB, I decided to allow it mainly because it is evidence based, unlike many of the other standard procedures that I was declining.

This time, I will hopefully be delivering at a freestanding birth center with CNMs. Their standard practice is to not give PP pitocin unless needed. However, bc I had a PPH with my son, they are going to give me pitocin PP immediately just to be safe. I'm fine with this.

PoppySeedWindsor

I talked with my OBGYN yesterday at my 35 week check up after reading this thread. I am definitely against pitocin during labor and delivery. I asked him what the standard procedure for delivering the placenta was and he said that they give a shot of pitocin for it. He said this is standard because it enables the uterus to shrink back down and prevent hemmorrhaging. By nursing immediately, we can get the same uterus-shrinking effect...as long as baby can latch on right away and begin the release of our natural pitocin. 

I'm still debating on whether or not I will get the shot of pitocin for the placenta delivery. My OBGYN, (who is totally awesome and pro-natural/anti-pills/antiobiotics/shots EVERYTHING) said he would even do this (His wife who had four water births did this). I DO plan on nursing right away (we have a lactation consultant who will be in the room immediately upon delivery)  but I'm figuring...hey...why not give my uterus a solid one-two punch of shrinking properties?

Still debating though. Decisions decisions decisions!

lizztheo

I don't know if it's standard but I received it with a midwife at very natural birth friendly hospital (I was supposed to deliver in the hospital's birth center but needed IV fluids and monitoring so I had to go to regular L&D). I remember her telling the nurse to do pitocin about 5 minutes after I gave birth. I know they mentioned I had quite a bit of bleeding so maybe that was the reason? I never asked, I was enjoying my newborn.

rooftop

I didn't get any but my placenta delivered itself quickly and my ute was quick to start shrinking.

Chichigo

I had IV pitocin after delivery..I delivered the placenta two minutes after the baby, but still didn't object. I felt the standard use of post-delivery pitocin was less invasive than dealing with hemorrhaging if it occurred.

I probably didn't need it. The nurses commented on how quickly my uterus recovered.

iris427

jennish11 said:

My OB said it was to prevent/minimize too much bleeding.
I just recently switched to a midwife and haven't gotten a chance to ask them about it, but will probably ask at my next appointment.

To me it's like the Vitamin K shot - I understand why they do it, but at the same time, shouldn't our bodies and our babies bodies do that naturally?  I wonder if they need pitocin because they often try to force the placenta out instead of let our bodies naturally expel it.  And the Vitamin K shot because they clean the baby off so quickly (Vitamin K is in the stuff that coats the baby's skin).

They should, and yet postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity.  It's actually the number 1 cause of maternal death worldwide.  Bodies don't always do what they are supposed to, and giving Pit before a hemorrhage starts is evidence-based.  It's easier to prevent a hemorrhage than treat one.  

I don't think it's crazy to turn down the Pit or take a wait and see approach.  I had a home birth with my second, and I didn't have any Pit.  But I'll probably take it this time around.  PPH can necessitate a longer hospital stay, D&C and blood transfusions, and it can seriously affect milk production.  So I'd rather lower the odds of that, and a shot of Pit is pretty low-risk.

wifeofadam

I just wanted to add that just as it is with any medication, there are potential risks and side effects from pitocin. Are they common? Probably not. But that doesn't mean that it is a completely harmless intervention. I get that people want to be proactive, just in case there is a hemorrhage, however, the reason why I always want to wait it out is because I know there are risks to any medication. Pitocin is synthetic oxytocin. It does pass into your breastmilk, so your baby will be getting it. Also, if you're pumping yourself full of the synthetic version, it can interfere with your body's ability to naturally release oxytocin, potentially affecting breastfeeding and possibly causing PPD issues. Like I said, for most women it will never cause issues, but if you look at the drug information for pitocin, there is a list of possible side effects. I think it's a shame that doctors are able to give this drug to patients without their consent. That is why I was upset when it was given to me after #2 when I specifically said I didn't want any drugs unless they were absolutely necessary. Why give a drug when I could just breastfeed and release the oxytocin naturally?

iris427

kitchencolors said:

Nature doesn't really have an issue if a small percentage of women die in childbirth.  From an evolutionary perspective it's not really super detrimental to a species to have a certain percentage of members just die (especially if they do so after reproducing).

The point of a natural birth (for most women) is not to avoid all interventions and leave us at nature's mercy. 

A shot of pitocin was standard at the hospital where I delivered DD.

ETA: Words.

Exactly.

wifeofadam

I don't think anyone here is asking to be put at nature's mercy. I will use intervention when needed. But I know that pitocin is not necessary and that other measures can be used to shrink the uterus before relying on drugs with a potential side effect. But I think a good point is raised that not everyone has a natural birth for the same reasons. One of my reasons is because I have an autoimmune disease and my body does not always react well to medications. In the past, certain medications have caused me to flare-up, so I am very hesitant to put any unnecessary drugs or toxins into my body. That's where I'm coming from. But of course, if I were hemorrhaging, the benefit would outweigh the risk and you better believe I would want that shot of pitocin in my thigh.

kindacrunchy

Thanks for all the replies! I'll definitely have to bring this up to my midwife. I feel kinda torn because I can see how it can be easier to prevent a hemorrhage than to stop it, that makes sense. But at the same time both of my previous labors were 24+ hours and my uterus had no problem shrinking down either time, in fact they didn't even do massage the second time. So that just makes me hesitant to get it since there's a proven track record and to be honest the after delivery cramps were already so painful I wouldn't want the pitocin making them worse.

KrisM86

It's standard at my birth center, which makes sense to me. Especially because we aren't in a hospital setting, even more important to do everything possible to avoid postpartum hemorrhage. From my research, a shot of pitocin to help deliver the placenta is very, very safe and I saw no reason to decline.

pinksweetpea2

I had home births with both my girls and it was not a standard practice.  With my first it was not an issue.  The placenta came out really easily and although I bled a lot, my MW said it was within normal range.   With my second, I had to get on a birth stool to push out the placenta and I bled enough that my MW had the pit ready...but the flow chilled before she needed to use it.  My placenta with my second was huge- the biggest my MW had ever seen. LOL  You won't believe the amount of placenta pills I got from it.  I wonder if that had something to do with it.  

jenn43

My hypnobirthing instructor had some interesting input on the whole pp pitocin debate: the way she explained it, if you get pitocin to augment labor then you're uterus can become exhausted from contracting so strongly.  Then you need pitocin to keep it going and deliver the placenta.  If you've had a natural labor, however, your uterus usually contracts just fine.  In addition, allowing the placenta to deliver on its own time rather than trying to help it along allows the uterus time to shrink appropriately and for the blood vessels to constrict.  Made sense to me anyway.

marriedinaugust

I had a hospital birth with my first 4 years ago and pit was never mentioned and I never got the shot. I think it took 15-20 minutes to deliver the placenta. I recently moved and am hoping to give birth at a birth center this time and will decline the pit if it is standard practice. Before this thread I had never heard of it being standard practice anywhere, just an as needed thing.

wintersong139

I don't really see the negative about getting the shot after delivery of the baby. I mean, if it is standard practice, it is not the battle I am going to pick. I've never seen any evidence that it is negative--the worst I've heard can be said about it is that it can be unecessary.

ah625

My two children were born in different states. One with an OB, the other with a midwife. Neither time did I get pitocin for placenta delivery. I wouldn't say it's the norm, but it may be gaining popularity.

HNRomance

It is standard at the hospital we delivered  at but I refused unless necessary. My uterus contracted faster than the nurses had seen with anyone else. They all commented on it. Natural is better! I did BF though so I had lots of oxytocin with that....

momtojad

My midwife does this as standard practice.  They say it also helps to prevent post partum  hemrrorage.

Cchewning

I had a natural birth in a hospital with ds and they asked my permission to give me pitocin to deliver the placenta because I started to bleed excessively. I accepted

MauraLou25

Rrrrrachel said:

I know I got it (in my leg I guess) but idk if there was some indication for it or it was just a matter of course, tbh. My midwife suggested it and I said ok. I was at a freestanding birth center. I also got uterine massage which definitely is standard (unfortunately. Last thing I want after giving birth is that crap!)

Ute massage was awful for me!

Then I had an allergic reaction the numbing agent used for my stitches (really bad tearing). So my non-medicated birth quickly turned to me being doped up on Benadryl.