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June 2015 Moms
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Pitocin after birth

Frogger5Frogger5 member
in June 2015 Moms
How do you guys feel about this? My OB says it's standard to give via IV after you deliver to ensure the uterus squishes back down. It sounds painful to me and I think I'd rather wait and see how my uterus does without it, but I haven't really heard much discussion about it. Thoughts? Is it standard at your hospital?
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Re: Pitocin after birth

  • BabyListBabyList member
    I've never heard of that. The nurses massaged my uterus and encouraged me to do the same after delivery.
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  • ngaines27ngaines27 member
    It was standard with my first two. Honestly, I was so engulfed with holding my babies for the first time and all that was going on around me, I didn't even notice. The cramping the day after birth was worse, IMO.
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  • kmama2013kmama2013 member
    I had it done with my first, once she popped out they hooked me up . I don't remember it being painful at all, and after I asked my mom about t and she said they did the same to her when she had kids. I'm going to let them do it again this time around.
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  • Sammy KSammy K member
    edited May 2015
    It is standard where I delivered, but you can request to try without. If the bleeding isn't controlled within 20-30 min, you get the pitocin. Between breastfeeding and massage, I didn't need pitocin with my first. Planning on the same route for this one.

    ETA: damn autocorrect.
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  • kherman14kherman14 member
    FTM here. I was wondering about picotin. Should I say no?
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  • ksimo6ksimo6 member
    They gave it to me after my c-section and it was fucking miserable. I do not recommend.
    • Married 6/1/2012
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  • Frogger5Frogger5 member
    Sammy K said:

    It is standard where I delivered, but you can request to try without. If the bleeding isn't controlled within 20-30 min, you get the pitocin. Between breastfeed and massage, I didn't need pitocin with my first. Planning on the same route for this one.

    This is kind of what I was thinking. At least it's not a crazy idea! I really don't want an IV if I can help it; makes me nervous. I feel like I can't move around when I have one. I know I might need one anyway (haven't gotten my GBS results back yet and I'm not going to refuse that if I need the antibiotics), but if I don't, I'd rather not.
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  • kherman14kherman14 member
    Can I ask...if you don't mind. What happens when you rreceive it and why it was miserable? @ksimo6
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  • britneythebridexobritneythebridexo member
    With my first child I never received it but idk if that's because I went all natural and the breastfeeding helped contract it down or what. But I did also have my placenta break in half while delivering it which was REALLY scary and I had to lie completely flat for an hour so that could be why I didn't receive it.
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  • KaLikeAWindKaLikeAWind member
    I think I heard the lady teaching my childbirth class mention this, too. Thanks for asking @Frogger5, and thanks for all the replies, too!
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  • mccall35mccall35 member
    edited May 2015
    I had it after my csection with DS. It was no biggy. The cramps I got while BFing DS for the week or so after delivery were much more painful IMO.

    Eta: albeit still manageable and not horrific or anything
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  • laurendutchlaurendutch member
    klkonwi said:

    Yes! FYI the breastfeeding causes cramps and helps shrink that uterus back down as well. It can be intense! Take your ibuprofen when offered before feeding!!!!!

    My Mom just reminded me that I started to puke after trying to breastfeed my last pregnancy...could this happen because of the contracting? I was pretty medicated...
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  • klkonwiklkonwi member
    edited May 2015
    Well the surge of hormones/pitocin could have made you puke. @laurendutch
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  • laurendutchlaurendutch member
    klkonwi said:

    Well the surge of hormones/pitocin could have made you puke. @laurendutch

    It was just strange bc it was at least 4 hours after I delivered...if not longer
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  • klkonwiklkonwi member
    edited May 2015
    Hmmm. Did you take any pain pills like norco/ morphine IV after your cesarean and have an empty stomach? @laurendutch the breastfeeding still causes a surge of oxytocin. The natural hormone ;)
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  • Frogger5Frogger5 member
    klkonwi said:

    It's completely for safety and it's protocol. However your nurse may have ran it too fast @ksimo6 if you were THAT uncomfortable.
    We have a protocol of how fast we run it.... But if you forget to reset the pump from the first setting than it can run in too fast and cause more cramping and pain. Postpartum hemorrhage is no joke and you can bleed out in seconds.
    I've had cesareans as well that hemorrhage later on in the day after their delivery so please just take the pitocin ;)
    There are other meds such as oral or rectal cytotec if you don't want IV pitocin but they will cause the same cramping. @mcknzzee @kherman14
    It contracts your uterus and prevents hemorrhage.

    Good tip on the cytotec. I'll ask about that next appointment. I know hemorrhaging is no joke, and I don't want to goof around with it, so I'll ask my OB and see what she says. I'd even take an injection over an IV, but, I'm not going to freak out if the IV is the best way to go. I just like to question!
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  • klkonwiklkonwi member
    edited May 2015
    Heck yeah on being your own advocate and asking questions about your healthcare. Yeah if you absolutely don't want an IV they can do the cytotec under your tongue or rectally. @Frogger5 IF your doc will go for it!
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  • aliciaspinnetaliciaspinnet member
    Post partum haemorrhages can be scary, I'd prefer to go the safer route and take the pitocin.
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  • HayesRN13HayesRN13 member
    Iv pitocin is absolutely standard postpartum (in most hospitals)...the studies on its effect on preventing pp hemorrhage have been well documented. This in most cases prevents having to go for the Cytotec and/or methergine
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  • HayesRN13HayesRN13 member
    Added ^^ you will cramp after delivery, regardless because it's what your uterus HAS to do so you don't bleed to death.. I would take some iv pitocin over a RN straddling me doing vigorous fundal massage trying to stop a hemorrhage any day... You think some iv pitocin is uncomfortable ... #:-S
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  • RedlipzRedlipz member
    I started to hemorrhage after I had my daughter and the nurses had to stick their whole hand in my vag up to my belly button and between 2 nurses they were massaging through the inside and out, that hurt like hell. Worse than labor. They had to give me something in my iv to somewhat control the pain.
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  • btm013btm013 member
    They do it at the hospital where I am delivering but I am going to request that it not be done unless medically necessary. I'm more than willing if there are complications but I want to see how I do without it first.
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  • Anjelyk2Anjelyk2 member
    @btm013 - thats my stance as well ... only if medically necessary. It is given as an injection in the thigh here, they said usually when baby's shoulders are out. That is a little more bearable than an IV for me but I told them to administer meds only if absolutely needed.
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  • janat1717janat1717 member
    My midwife for homebirth also carries this with her although only uses it if necessary. Be sure to be getting lots of natural vitamin K. It can't hurt if you are worried about bleeding.
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  • mccall35mccall35 member
    laurendutch said:

    klkonwi said:

    Hmmm. Did you take any pain pills like norco/ morphine IV after your cesarean and have an empty stomach?

    Yep...that might have been it!

    Sorry to hijack the thread everyone!
    I threw up for 2hours the morning following my surgery (about 4-5hrs post OP). I was told that can happen while your insides settle back into place.
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  • btm013btm013 member
    dancegurl1118 said:
    We give it per protocol. If you don't have an IV we give it via IM injection in your leg immediately following delivery of the placenta (or with the delivery of the first shoulder depending on who the provider is). I have never had a patient refuse it. Even our crunchy midwives all do it and counsel their patients on the fact that there are no risks and only benefits. A hemorrhage is horrible, terrifying, life-threatening, can happen in seconds, and the biggest cause of maternal death in childbirth -- there is not an iota of chance I would risk it. Also the reason that I am planning on having an IV inserted even though I don't plan on medication necessarily, just to know that if I hemorrhage they have IV access immediately.
    You are making me rethink this...I too am planning on having an IV insert. If something goes awry I want that available.
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  • KaLikeAWindKaLikeAWind member
    dancegurl1118 said:

    We give it per protocol. If you don't have an IV we give it via IM injection in your leg immediately following delivery of the placenta (or with the delivery of the first shoulder depending on who the provider is). I have never had a patient refuse it. Even our crunchy midwives all do it and counsel their patients on the fact that there are no risks and only benefits.

    A hemorrhage is horrible, terrifying, life-threatening, can happen in seconds, and the biggest cause of maternal death in childbirth -- there is not an iota of chance I would risk it. Also the reason that I am planning on having an IV inserted even though I don't plan on medication necessarily, just to know that if I hemorrhage they have IV access immediately.

    This is why I do not mind having an IV. Firstly, for those who complain about not being able to move around, they can place the IV cath and cap it off, so you're not hooked up to anything, but you have the IV in place (at least, you can in animals. I don't see why that wouldn't be possible for humans). I would rather them have easy vein access in the event of an emergency than to have someone be struggling with a roller vein or poor veins due to dehydration at that point while I am potentially dying. There has been a couple of times in my veterinary technician career where an animal has been crashing and the team is struggling to get a vein to administer life saving medication.
    Me personally, I'd rather have them stick me while I am (essentially) healthy and well hydrated so that should things go downhill fast, they're all set to go.

    As for the pitocin afterward, after reading the replies here I'm not going to kick up a fuss about it. Makes sense.
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  • dancegurl1118dancegurl1118 member
    @btm013 @mellymar my post is totally not meant to scare you into an extra intervention though, we do plenty of deliveries sans-IV. I have shitty veins to begin with and really don't need them not being able to get one in quick enough after I've already lost blood making me further dehydrated. There are also other ways to control the bleeding that are not through IV (we do rectal cytotec and IM Methergine). I am just well aware of the "nurse curse" and also having an IV in that is not connected to anything doesn't have any risks in my mind even if I do go "natural" so it's only benefit to me if something goes wrong.

    Again, my post was not meant to scare any of you into further intervention, I just personally do not see any risk in pitocin vs the benefit of not hemorrhaging, and would rather have an IV inserted but not being used in case things head south quickly.
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  • virginiaunicorn11virginiaunicorn11 member
    I have such a needle phobia. It is so irrational and immature, but when I have an IV, I just cannot get my mind off it. It puts me into such a fearful mindset. Wish that weren't the case, but it is. Therefore, my hospital has agreed to try things without an IV to start. If it becomes necessary, so be it.

    On the pitocin after birth and hemmhoraging... My understanding is that some practices have become standard even though the rate of incidence is low, but the risk is high. That is to say: are my chances of hemmhoraging actually pretty low, but if it happens it is so bad... And therefore the standard is just to give everyone the pitocin?

    Just curious, not trying to be contrarian. My birth plan is to have a baby and listen to the medical professionals. I will be the only one in the room (well, and DH) who has never done this before. So I am not planning to be the one calling the shots (haha, "shots" - or IVs).
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  • LaurenAnn0405LaurenAnn0405 member
    I had pitocin to start labor last time so I had an IV in from the beginning.  I don't remember getting pitocin during the process but honestly if the nurse was pushing buttons to administer more through my IV I wouldn't know because I was pre-occupied pushing haha.  This time I know I'll have to get an IV because I am GBS positive so like PP have said it will be good to have the IV in place before I'm actually pushing so if they give me pitocin then I'll trust them to do that.  Like I said I had no clue that this was something that happened so this time I can ask before at least so I'll be better educated!  Thanks for this thread and all the information ladies!
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  • foxa319foxa319 member
    Pitocin is also given as a protocol in my hospital as well. Immediately after the placenta is delivered the md massages the fundus (it's really not a massage at all it's a vigorous rubbing!) most women complain it hurts a lot but it is done to express any excess blood, clots and to help the uterus begin to contract again. At my hospital the pitocin is given in a 1L bag of fluids so you are being hydrated at the same time. Many women have problems with post partum hemorrhaging dt larger babies, and stress on the uterus and it is definitly safer to have an IV in place just in case. Labor and delivery is a scary place where everything can look perfect and in 10 seconds without any warning you or baby could be crashing!
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  • britneythebridexobritneythebridexo member
    dancegurl1118 said:

    @btm013 @mellymar my post is totally not meant to scare you into an extra intervention though, we do plenty of deliveries sans-IV. I have shitty veins to begin with and really don't need them not being able to get one in quick enough after I've already lost blood making me further dehydrated. There are also other ways to control the bleeding that are not through IV (we do rectal cytotec and IM Methergine). I am just well aware of the "nurse curse" and also having an IV in that is not connected to anything doesn't have any risks in my mind even if I do go "natural" so it's only benefit to me if something goes wrong.

    Again, my post was not meant to scare any of you into further intervention, I just personally do not see any risk in pitocin vs the benefit of not hemorrhaging, and would rather have an IV inserted but not being used in case things head south quickly.

    My hospital does this, they always insert an IV just in case without it actually being hooked up to anything. I asked why and the nurse said it was protocol and that its in case for an emergency or if I change my mind about anything.

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  • jessieR358jessieR358 member
    Nurse here...So I plan on having a saline lock put in place but can I still shower and get in the labor tub? Totally agree it's good to have a line in place for emergencies, but if I can't labor naturally that way I'll have to seriously think about that.
    My mom's a trauma/ER nurse so I'll just have her put one in if I start bleeding bc she never misses...kidding lol
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  • KaLikeAWindKaLikeAWind member
    @dancegurl1118 you didn't scare me, no worries! I had already made the decision regarding an IV forever ago. It went back to my time working with those crashing animals and trying to find a vein and stressing the animal is dying while we are poking around vs when we had an admit that we had placed an IV cath that morning and bam, could administer iv drugs with ease. And I wasn't scared of pitocin either, it just surprised me because I thought it was only for induction, but once I read the above posts I realized why it would be used after. Like I said, makes sense. Its a logical reason to use it after, so I'm not gonna fuss about it if they do it.

    I ain't a'scairt! :)
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