Pitocin shot (xposted in ddc)

[chattyprincess]

So thinking that you ladies don't end up on pitocin iv's are any of you planning on having the pitocin (routine) shot after birth to "help" the placenta come out?
I am thinking of refusing on the grounds that if up to that point I have had no need of interventions why start then? I would not refuse if my mw think its necessary but I was a bit shocked to learn that it is still routine even with the mw!
Anyone have any good info on this?
I bled for 10weeks after dd and have every intention of NOT doing that again this time! I hope by allowing the placenta to self detach that it will self heal and just do better, kwim????
Thoughts ladies?

[lilmiss'mama]

Hmm, I didn't realize that was common practice. Both of my placentas have come out on their own, but I do bleed a lot after birth. So much so that it worries everyone & gets close to being called a hemorrhage. I've gotten a pitocin shot for that but after the placenta was out & thankfully I stopped bleeding.
Curious as to others experience.

[honeybee]

For some reason, when I researched birth with my first, I kind of skimmed over all the third stage stuff. So I was not prepared for the pitocin shot, the hammering on my stomach, and the severe after pains. I also didn't know enough to insist on NOT cutting the chord until after it stops pulsating.

With my homebirths, pitocin is a last resort in case of hemorrage (and then we are very thankful to have it available), not a routine procedure. Nursing your baby right away is very effective for stopping bleeding and getting the placenta out. And there's time... it does not need to come out immediately (assuming no warning signs). Sometimes it takes 20 minutes or longer. But most docs aren't that patient. I would definitely research the pros and cons of "active management" of the third stage, which is the common practice.

And even though after pains are supposed to get worse after each birth, my pitocin-induced afterpains were the WORST with my first hospital birth.

[karika]

I did not get pitocin (or any interventions) with dd2. I did not have an IV. My placenta came out fine. I bled for 12 weeks. I do not think the length of bleeding has anything to do with it, but I could be wrong.

For dd1 I only bled for 6 wks. I had a pit labor with an epidural. Since I was on an IV, I have no idea if they gave me more pit to get the placenta out, its not like they asked or anything.

I had a birth plan with dd2 filed with hospital in writing. I did not get the birth I wanted 100%, but I got no interventions at least. I also delivered within an hour of getting to the hospital, and had a midwife instead of an OB (but she is just a wanna be OB IMO, but that's another post)

[honeybee]

Oh, and I would recommend drinking red raspberry leaf tea during pg and immediately before birth as a preventative. My mw also recommends alfafa in the later part of pg... she has never had a mom hemorrage who was taking alfafa.

[honeybee]

Sorry for multiple posts... I just found this discussion, which should answer your questions.

I Henci Goer.

http://www.lamaze.org/OnlineCommunit...c/Default.aspx

[ein328]

I didn't have the pit shot with DD, but I came close to having to. I was bleeding excessively, and my mw wanted to give it, but I resisted. It was then a hurried task to get DD to latch to help curb the bleeding, and luckily it worked. However, I still dealt with anemia for months afterward.

In hindsight, I don't know that I'd refuse it again. I mean, the baby was already delivered, so I don't know why I worried about it.

That's not to say I think it should be routine. But in some situations (like mine, where bleeding is excessive), I don't think there's anything wrong with having it.

[ein328]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Oh, and I would recommend drinking red raspberry leaf tea during pg and immediately before birth as a preventative. My mw also recommends alfafa in the later part of pg... she has never had a mom hemorrage who was taking alfafa.

I bled heavily, and I drank a blend of nettle/RRL/alfalfa religiously three times a day for the 2nd and 3rd trimesters....

[2sweetboysmom]

I have always had hospital births, including 2 medically necessary pitocin inductions. I asked that the pitocin be stopped at delivery (or not started), I left the possibility of it's use after delivery (allowing it to still be hooked up but clamped off), but have never needed it. After my first I have done my own uterine massage, that, plus nursing has been sufficient.

[CherryBomb]

I had a shot of pit after my hospital vba2c. Honestly I don't recall if it was before or after my placenta came out, I was too focused on my baby

Anectdotal, but I took alfalfa the last trimester of my second pregnancy. My daughter wound up having a prental a stroke (blood clot) sometime after I started taking it (and she's got MTHFR). Not saying the alfalfa absolutely caused her stroke, but I'm a lot more careful about taking stuff during pregnancy now.

[SteelerMom]

I never had that with either of my first two deliveries. I didn't know it was a usual intervention. I had a pitocin induction with my first and had no iv or any medications at all with my second delivery. I can't remember how long I bled for after my first baby but I easily bled for 3 months after my second. I do know that while annoying to me, to bleed for that long, it didn't concern my ob. I doubt I would take it if offered.

[Lit Chick]

Wow, another reason I'm glad I'm HBing! I had no idea that pit was standard post-birth. Ugh.
With my first, I took my sweet time delivering the placenta, about 30 min. I was not bleeding heavily, just more concerned with nursing, and I really did not want to push anymore (I did not realize that getting it out would feel good). When my MWs said "ok, time to get this out," I gave a little push and we were done.

I do have a friend who HBed twice, and both times had PPD. Her MW gave her pit both times, but it was to deal with the complication - it was not run-of-the-mill shot giving.

If my MW thought it was a good idea, I would do it. She has it for a reason. But she would never offer the shot just as a matter of course. I find that really shocking!

[butterflies]

I had pitocin in the 3rd stage with both my births. With dd, it was not standard at that hospital but my placenta was "slow" to deliver and they started an IV with pitocin. A few minutes later someone realized my bladder was very, very full (I couldn't feel it at that point) and was preventing my uterus from contracting effectively. It took about 30 sec to empty it with a catheter (which was painless) and sure enough, contractions started up immediately.

With ds, I was at a hospital where it was standard to give pitocin by injection. I didn't particularly mind. I would definitely recommend injection over IV because my legs did swell from the fluid and it felt weird to walk around for a few hours after.

I had no other interventions in either birth.

[rparker]

I might consider it as treatment for a hemorrhage, excessive bleeding, retained placenta, etc.... but routine? No way. I declined the shot last time and the placenta delivered within a few minutes on its own (before I began breastfeeding).

[finnegansmom]

This was on my birth plan (that I didn't want it), and my midwife said she would only administer the shot if I was hemmoraging (which I agreed with!).

I didn't end up needing it all, and my placenta came with no problems, quickly.

[rootzdawta]

Moved from I'm Pregnant to Birth and Beyond.

[HaikuMommy]

"Active management" of the third stage of labor can include 3 things: a drug that helps the uterus to contract (like pitocin), early cord clamping, and controlled cord traction (pulling). I am totally against early cord clamping and cord pulling... but in my birth plan, I did "okay" the shot of pitocin if I start bleeding excessively after the baby is out.

Even though I am generally very against medical interventions, I okayed the shot because I bled quite a bit after both of my previous births (enough to make the medical caregivers attending to me sound a little panicky each time).

Post-partum hemorrhage is the most common reason for maternal morbidity in developed countries like the U.S., and I really felt the effects of the blood loss after my previous births. It left me so tired and depleted. I've heard of other women who also bled a lot and then were so debilitated they had to go back to the hospital and get a blood transfusion a few days later. Then they felt so much better. I want to prevent the need for anything like that, because I was right on that edge last time.

Just my experiences and decisions -- best wishes making your choices!

[bella99]

I didn't have an IV with my daughter and did not get the shot.

But a close friend of mine, birthing in the same birth center, ended up with both, albeit the IV was brief. Her blood pressure dropped very low right after her son was born, and she was passing numerous large clots. They quickly got an IV into her, and gave her the pitocin shot, and she perked up pretty quickly, but scared the crap out of her husband.

She's requesting that the pitcoin shot be given regardless this time around.

[CherryBomb]

Originally Posted by HaikuMommy

Post-partum hemorrhage is the most common reason for maternal morbidity in developed countries like the U.S., and I really felt the effects of the blood loss after my previous births.

Yes, and I think this is why a shot of pit is standard. I'd prefer to get the pit before I start to bleed excessively, personally. I had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured and I had lost a liter of blood by the time I was taken to surgery, it took me weeks to do anything without getting absolutely exhausted. Just getting up off the couch took everything I had! So I'm happy to actively work to avoid that.

[*MamaJen*]

In a homebirth setting, the midwife carries pitocin but only uses it post partum if the mom is bleeding excessively.
If I had a history of pp bleeding I might take the pitocin preventatively, but otherwise I would absolutely decline it.
I'd also insist on no traction on the placenta, and delayed cord clamping.