Pitocin after delivery?
ConstanceGoodspeed
member
My midwife gives pitocin after delivery, to prevent hemorrhaging and to help deliver the placenta. She said they give it in a shot to the leg at the end of delivery, most mom's don't even notice (wtf!), and that the dosage is so low that the contractions are mild.
I feel like this is probably hospital policy that the midwife is obligated to follow, but she was very reluctant and almost hostile when I suggested that I won't want to do that. I am sure in the moment I won't even be aware of her actions, so it makes me nervous that the midwife has this expectation and attitude.
They claim to be very pro-natural childbirth, but if they trust my body to deliver the baby, how can they not trust it to deliver the placenta? Obviously in an emergency situation I would take the pitocin.
What are your experiences with this?
IVF FET - BFP, due April 2017
Re: Pitocin after delivery?
I delivered in a hospital with a hep lock, and I got an IV of pitocin after delivery to help shrink my uterus and avoid hemorrhage.
There are negative consequences to having pitocin pre-birth: more intense contractions, not your own hormones, can interfere with your body's natural progression. But I have yet to find any evidence that pitocin AFTER delivery is dangerous at all. I only noticed 1 contraction on it, and it was mild. The research I've seen indicates that while it isn't always necessary, it does no harm to get it and is beneficial, even if your bleeding isn't at a hemorrhage level. And it really helps if the bleeding is that bad. Basically, I haven't found a con to it that would make me decline.
Interesting...
I'm with you...isn't med-free birth all about trusting that birth is a natural process and women's bodies are fully equipped to do everything correctly (in most cases)?
To my knowledge (which I felt very sure of before your MW's comment about mom's not noticing), I did not receive pitocin at the end of delivery with DD. And I would not want to unless necessary.
I'm glad you brought this up, I have an MW appt this afternoon and will ask about it.
My medwife gave it to me without discussing it with #1 and #2. I labored without an IV with #2 and they actually inserted an IV while I was pushing (ugh) just so they could give me the pitocin afterwards. I didn't know that's why they were doing it at the time or I probably would have thrown a fit mid-push. I didn't have any with #3 thankfully, because my MWs don't think it is necessary unless you are actually have a bleeding problem. I just nursed DD right away to help with everything.
You rmidwife can't make you do anything you don't want to.
I had Pitocin after delivery, and I was very glad I did, because I was bleeding way more than my doctor wanted. She didn't make a big deal out of it, and no one said anything about it afterward so it obviously turned out fine, but I remember her rushing the nurse to get the Pitocin started because I was bleeding so much.
It's true that you can always opt out, and I did discuss it with my doctor beforehand and debated about not even getting a hep-lock, but looking back, I definitely think I made the right decision.
I don't think I got any pitocin at all with my first. However, 10 days after giving birth I had a HUGE gush of blood, it was horrifying. Soaked floor, pants, etc. I now wonder if it had anything to do with not getting pitocin after delivery.
This time, I will get it to help deliver the placenta.
I had some bleeding issues after DS was born so they did pitocin through the hep lock that I already had in place "just in case".... i never noticed the IV... I was way too wrapped up in my baby boy on my chest.
This time around I plan to see if we can skip the hep lock and do the pitocin shot if it is necessary. At my hospital they like to be prepared for it (hep lock) but they ONLY do it if its necessary... I would push for that option. But honestly- I think this is something you just need to trust our MW on... I wouldnt want my MW interrupting my bonding time just after LO was born to ask for my conscent on pitocin... it wasnt invasive for me at all and I literally dont even remember them doing it!
My MW recommended active management of that stage because of my slightly increased risk of hemorrhaging, and it had nothing to do with hospital policies. I agreed to it because of my circumstnaces and it would really have no effect on the baby after delivery. It's unfortunate she gave you that reaction though. My MW would have respected my choices either way. As it was I had a c/s so pitocin was the least of my worries
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As others have said, pitocin after delivery is a lot different than before. I didn't want and didn't receive any pitocin before DS was born, but after he was out of there, I did. The risks I worry about with pitocin are stresses on DS, so if he's not part of the equation, then I can step back and look at risks of not getting pit to deliver the placenta to me and say it's ok.
Certainly our bodies are designed to birth both a baby and a placenta, but keep in mind that modern medicine like pitocin helps those who could have bled out after delivering a baby.
Sometimes, I'm hilarious.
They claim to be very pro-natural childbirth, but if they trust my body to deliver the baby, how can they not trust it to deliver the placenta? Obviously in an emergency situation I would take the pitocin.
I agree with this completely. I delivered twice at a natural birth friendly hospital with a CNM. It is not the hospital policy to routinely give pitocin after birth, so I did not have it after my first birth. After my second birth, I had some bleeding that was not slowing down (not a full on hemmorhage) so she asked my permission for the shot in the leg, and I agreed.
This is what makes sense to me. Why automatically administer it when it is so easy to wait and see, and then administer it if necessary.
Sorry, my computer was acting up, obviously the first paragraph of my response if from OP and I was attempting to use the quote feature, but something went wrong.
The remainder of the text is my own response.
Though standard practice at the hospital I delivered at, when I asked that they hold off (actually, my H asked after my son was born and on my chest) to see if it was required, the MW said that was fine and said if I needed it, it would come as a shot in my thigh. I didn't need it, didn't receive it.
This time, my MW doesn't do it standard at all, and her apprentice seemed actually shocked that it's standard at any hospital.
Because it is easier to prevent a hemorrhage than treat one. A full on PPH can become serious quickly and a shot of Pit that may have prevented it or lessened its severity may not be as effective later. PPH is still a leading cause of maternal death and morbidity even in developed nations, and this is a simple way to reduce the risk of PPH, with few downsides.
Like I said before, I think refusing the Pit is reasonable and I did not have any with my second delivey either. But its use has been well studied and unlike some other obstetrical practices, this one is supported by evidence. Not all medical practices are bad (not saying you said that but sometimes that seems to be the sentiment).
I had piton after both of my med-free deliveries - unless I'd been told they were going to do it, I wouldn't have know. I had already delivered the placenta in both cases but was bleeding more heavily than my midwives were happy with (it wasn't a routine thing in either practice I delivered with). With Eleanor my midwife was actually pretty worried about me - she didn't really let on but she wouldn't let me get up at all or even eat or drink anything until my bleeding slowed (and this at a birth center where they don't worry about eating and drinking and encourage it in labor) - so I'd take the shot of pitocin gladly in that case!
I think it is reasonable to ask that it not be done as a matter of routine if you feel strongly about it but as others have said, it really isn't something that interferes with anything if you do end up needing it.
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I did not have pitocin after the birth's of either of my LOs. Prior to the birth of my LOs my OB identified the time limit he places on waiting for the placenta before using pitocin but I can not remember it for the life of me.I think it is definitely worth asking your MW if she is willing to wait before giving you pitocin.
This. I work in a blood bank that services an L&D department. We have sooooo many women who end up in our ICU because of Hemorrhages, and they stay for days or weeks...which is valuable time lost with baby. I dont' look at post-delivery Pit as an intervention. It's a medical advancement that has saved a lot of women from transfusions and hospital stays, with no harm to mother and baby.
I did have mild hemorrhaging after birth and my doctor told me that she was going to give me two minutes to see if my body would take over and that if it didn't she had to give me a shot of Pitocin. I agreed and said it would be fine but by the time she was getting ready to give it my body pushed out the placenta and instantly stopped bleeding.
I was a bloody mess, to the point where the floor was covered, my doctor was covered, her shoes had to be thrown out, there was blood everywhere and I felt perfectly fine, alert and was working on nursing with my baby. Talking to her later she said that my body just seemed to want to get rid of all the extra blood it had stored up and didn't want to do it gradually like usual.
My point is, they can wait to evaluate how you're doing before giving you a shot. If they instantly see that you're not doing okay, they give you the shot to save you. If you're doing fine then there's no reason for it.
Thanks, everyone. I wish my midwife could give information as respectfully as you did!
I still don't know what I'll end up doing, but I guess in that moment I won't care one way or the other.
IVF FET - BFP, due April 2017
When I had my fourth baby, at a birth center, my midwife asked if I minded if I got a shot of the Pit. in my leg post-birth. The more babies you have the higher the risk of hemorrhage. I saw NO problem and it didn't affect me or baby. I even think I got it after the placenta was delivered so it had nothing to do with the placenta delivery.
I don't think being a naturally-minded person means declining and saying no to absolutely everything and anything that is asked of you. Sometimes it's OKAY to say yes. Medicine isn't always the bad guy.
I did get the Pit shot after my fourth birth (it was just a shot in my leg). It didn't interrupt anything. They just quickly and quietly did it. I don't KNOW if I was bleeding more than usual but I wonder if my midwife asked because there was something going on and they didn't want to alarm me. I'm going to try to remember to ask her just so I know for sure.