Picotin to induce labor

lilchino4af

A friend posted this on FB and it's an interesting read. Sharing only to provide food for thought...
http://briobirth.com/articles/21-scary-reasons-say-no-pitocin-according-manufacturer?page=0,0

nursenikki829

Great info. Pitocin is one of the biggest causes of the "cascade of interventions" in labor and delivery.

RBXChas

Thank you for this! I went into labor naturally when my son was born, but I suspect that they gave me pitocin as soon as I got there (I was strep B positive and so had to have an IV). My contractions went from painful but manageable to horrendous with no breaks inbetween, and they were so bad I would have preferred to die, no joke, than continue putting up with the pain (and they made me wait forever and a day for the epidural). I had a doctor's appointment this past Friday and meant to ask my OB if she could find out if I was given pitocin, but I am otherwise sick (bad cold and laryngitis) and forgot to ask because I was worried about having her listen to my lungs and make sure I sounded ok.

I actually posted something earlier asking about this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/782576-pitocin

I didn't know a lot of this information about pitocin, though. #2, as described above, definitely happened with me, and I am sure they overdosed me on it, assuming I was given it. #16 is interesting, too, because I am prone to PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) when stressed - I have actually gone to a cardiologist about it. They are annoyingly uncomfortable, and I would hate to add that into the whole equation of L&D, plus they should not be giving you medicine that messes with your heart!

Anyhow, regardless of whether or not I was given pitocin last time, which I can't change, I am going to refuse it this time and let labor run its course. I would stay home as long as possible to avoid it, but (1) the women in my family, myself included, tend to have quick labors, and your first is usually your slowest, (2) I may be strep B positive again, and (3) I have the Rh factor to take into consideration (I am Rh negative and my husband is Rh positive, plus my son is Rh positive). I am going to talk to my OB about the circumstances under which they consider pitocin "necessary" and basically make it clear to her and to the people at the hospital that I do not wish to have it at all unless they tell me I have to.

Here is another interesting link I found about pitocin, written by a nurse: http://www.momaroo.com/682028656/why-you-need-pitocin-in-labor/

Pepper2185

Interesting read!

I was induced with pitocin (overdue and gestational diabetes). It actually didn't even work at first and I ended up on the max allowable dose to get labor going. The only thing the nurses told me was that my uterus could rupture if they exceeded the dose I was given.

I think there's a lot of fear around pitocin use age - that it will make you have a horrible labor.

I was never worried about scary side effects, as me and the baby were carefully monitored the whole time. I also gave birth naturally and med-free.

If it needs to be used, don't fear it. I'd be more worried about why your doctor wants to induce, rather than the method.

RBXChas

Interesting read!

I was induced with pitocin (overdue and gestational diabetes). It actually didn't even work at first and I ended up on the max allowable dose to get labor going. The only thing the nurses told me was that my uterus could rupture if they exceeded the dose I was given.

I think there's a lot of fear around pitocin use age - that it will make you have a horrible labor.

I was never worried about scary side effects, as me and the baby were carefully monitored the whole time. I also gave birth naturally and med-free.

If it needs to be used, don't fear it. I'd be more worried about why your doctor wants to induce, rather than the method.

Agreed, I'm not afraid of it in and of itself, but I don't want it used unnecessarily and in what appears to be an overdose (since my guess is that's what happened to me last time). If I need it, that's fine, I'll take it, but if I'm progressing on my own, however slowly, then I don't want it.