Avoiding Pitocin when it seems inevitable

[musicangel813]

I'm pregnant with baby #3. I was induced with baby #1. Started with the pill in the cervix, then the balloon, then pitocin. I was in the hospital for 30 hours with all this before my daughter was born & was on full strength pitocin for most of it. With baby #2, my water broke on it's own a few days before my due date. My doctor told me to come right to the hospital, but I wasn't having real contractions. I tried a warm bath in the hospital and nipple stimulation for a few hours. Nothing. Thus started the pitocin again. 24 hours later, my son was born after being on full strength pitcoin most of that time (not to mention he was also posterior). I so badly want a birth this time without pitocin! Beside the more painful contractions, there were so many other issues that came about with the pitocin that were just horrible in helping me manage pain and having a smooth delivery.

Seems like my body just doesn't like to go into labor on it's own. I'm still early in pregnancy #3, but would love advice on ways to try and avoid pitocin this next time around. Anything natural to help my body prepare & learn to labor on it's own? Thank you!

[cocoanib]

I think it would be best to wait until your body is ready to go into labor and then labor at home for as long as possible. That way you won't be on the hospitals clock.

How many weeks were you induced at?

[etsdtm99]

reverse the order of your two birth stories and that was my 1st 2 births - #3 came all on her own, 40+2, i just went into labor (water broke 1st, ctx started right away)  your body CAN go into labor, don't just let yourself think you are broken ..   the main thing i did differently my 3rd pregnancy was stay more active (mostly because i already had 2 kids and she was due at the end of summer, i didn't have much of a choice!) oh & i also took EPO orally and internally 3 weeks before my due date..  and RRLT in the last 4 weeks (but the tea wasn't new to that pregnancy)
 

[buko]

I tried a warm bath in the hospital and nipple stimulation for a few hours. Nothing.

I think this may be key-- "for a few hours."  I have known more than a few women whose labor patterns are this: water breaks, nothing for 12-24+ hours, then contractions and a nice, fast (2-5 hour) labor and delivery.  If this is you, and you can find someone who won't insist on pitocin for a good 12-24 hours after rupture of membranes, I would guess your chances would be just fine.  The key is not having any internal exams after your water breaks, which increases the chance of infection the longer it takes you to deliver.  The issue is that so many doctors (and many midwives) think of vaginal exams as necessary, and thus they insist on pit after just a couple of hours with no/few/light contractions.

[JamieCatheryn]

I think increasing your zinc and vitamin c intake is supposed to strengthen the bag of waters so it's less likely to break at the start. The last month up til you have baby, you can try lots of sex, evening primrose oil capsules by mouth or vaginally, red raspberry leaf tea, partridgeberry, things like that to help gently get your body ready. You can try fear clearing and relaxation stuff to get your mind and emotions ready and get them out of the way, maybe Hypnobabies or Birthing from Within? Above all have patience, keeping in mind 41-42 weeks are normal gestation lengths for many of us and a few people need to go a little past that, even.

[phathui5]

One key thing, if you're able, is to use a midwife as your caregiver. Both in and out of hospital, midwives have lower induction rates than OBs do. If you want to avoid Pitocin, choose a provider who uses it sparingly.

[kathymuggle]

I avoided pitocin  with my second birth.  I had an induction due to being 10 days late plus a spike in blood pressure.  I was given prostoglandin gel in the evening, woke up to light contractions, followed by my water breaking.  The plan was to hook me up to pitocin, but I told them I was going to take little walk first to see if I could move things along.  I took off and them and did not return to the LD room until I was in *good* labour.  DD was born 1.5 hours later, and I did not have pitocin.

I have heard that keeping yourself out of bed makes you look less like a "patient".  Use the shower, go for a walk, etc...

Good luck.  I don't think it would hurt to put it in a birth plan (that you discuss ahead of time with your caregivers) that you hope to avoid pitocin.  

[allisonrose]

I am in a similar place: pit with two labors and expecting a third. My first was broken waters and no contractions plus GBS+. My second was a long labor probably due to malpositioning.

I'm hoping to stay more active this pregnancy, pursue chiropractic care, red raspberry infusions regularly, possibly routine yoga and I'm going to talk to my midwives about being proactive in my labor management: such as using herbs to augment sooner rather than later.