Anyone have Pitocin with a previous birth?

[Ilovelife]

And then need something to augment a later birth as well? When I had dd, we were in the hospital, and when labor slowed at 7 cm & didn't pick back up again soon enough for them, they gave me Pitocin. Now I'm planning a homebirth for my second. My SIL said she had Pit in the hospital with her 2nd & when she home-birthed her 3rd, she needed to take some black cohosh tea to help her body along. Her midwife predicted that would happen, because her body was now "used" to getting a boost from Pitocin. Wondering if anyone else has any experience with this? I'm going to ask my midwife as well, of course, but am not seeing her again until next week.

[Seie]

My first birth was a hospital birth. I had planned a natural birth but my dilation stalled at 8 cms. I had been at home with contractions for 36 hours. I started to dilate after 31 hours and then dilated 5 cms in the next 5 hours. ANd then I arrived at hospital -and I dilated slower and slower until at 8 cms I completely stalled even though I was in agony and extremely exhausted. After 44 hours in labor - 4 of them in extremely painful transition labor - I finally broke and accepted an epidural as well as pitocin - after the pitocin was administered I dilated the last 2 cms in less than an hour but had to wait for an urge to push so I rested for several hours and had my baby after 50 hour labor.

I was nervous about my second birth because I really wanted a natural birth but was worried I would stall again and would be transferred (we were planning a homebirth the second time).
But guess what - I had my baby after a 90 minute labor! My little girl just came shooting out of there and I didn't even push once.. my uterus did all the work all by itself.

Looking back now I know why my first labor stalled - even though I was feeling quite good and not particulaly stressed. When I arrived at hospital I was really excited and silly me - accepted a medical student to attend the birth.. It was a man and he spend all afternoon looking at me - naked - in the tub or running around the room - also naked. NO wonder I stalled. During that birth I felt like my body had let me down since it didn't want to get my baby out even though I had been keeping happy and mobile - and unmedicated for the first 44 hours. Now looking back I think my body was probably trying to protect my baby from that awful hospital environment..

Point to this being that most of the time you stall for psycological reasons and not for fysical reasons. So if you make sure that you feel safe and protected and only allow people that you know and people with a purpose in the room then most likely you will not need pitocin.
Good luck..
Inca

[Ilovelife]

Thank you for that response. My hospital experience was similar to yours in that I got "stalled". I think I was just exhausted and once stalled felt REALLY under pressure to "get things going" again so as to avoid cesarian or other interventions. Hopefully being at home, relaxed, and supported will make the difference this time. I was just surprised by my SIL saying that she needed to take the black cohosh even during her homebirth because her body was "expecting" it. Hmmm.

[maybebaby]

My first TWO were induced with pit. My mw's and I talked about it and they mentioned the same thing, that my body might not "know" to go into labor on it's own.

But I went into labor with no outside assistance a day before my due date.

So having pit in the past doesn't automatically mean you'll need some help in the future!!

Good luck!

[Ilovelife]

Thanks! That is what I was hoping to hear, I'll just keep thinking positively like I was before SIL got me second-guessing myself.

[an_evans]

After two inductions, my midwives did think I might have trouble gettting labor started with out the pit. It wasn't a bit of a problem. 3 days before my due date I went in for anappointment and was 6 cm dialated.

[rmzbm]

Yep. Had pit. with my first two. Nasty. Never went that route with number three because I scheduled the section, a worse idea but OT. I am now giving thought to a homebirth though have not made a final decision yet. I am not all that worried about natural labor as I will be HOME, things will roll the way I want them to. The hospital setting is what slows down alot of womans labors. Just my 2 cents.

[PancakeGoddess]

I'm no birth expert but I'm very skeptical about the bit where your body is "expecting" a boost during labor. That just doesn't make sense to me.

I had pit with my first, and a very long labor the 2nd time. I am very sure if I'd not been at home they would have wanted to give me pit. The 3rd time was much more reasonable 7ish hours.

Visualize your ideal labor!

[Aka mommy]

My first labor was 36 hours and after 30 hours they insisted on pit. Because while i was in labor i was not getting past 2 cm ( i think maybe i wasnt truely in labor but the doc told me i was so i wouldnt have to be giving birth on the weekend). So 4 hours later still no progress and they forced an epi and said i may need a c section. DD was born 2 hours later.

My 2nd dd is 6 weeks old after a 12 hour labor at home without any interference. I went into labor on my own on my due date. And the only reason labor was so long was due to persistent posterior positioning. So dont worry. My biggest fear was stalling out this time around. I 2nd visualizing your labor. Thats what helped me the most i think. Mind over matter!!!! Good luck

[Autumn Breeze]

Nope, infact I had a 1 hr labor. will post link...here

[cathicog]

two things:
1) the hospital environment will usually stop most labor in its tracks, and that doesn't usually occur at home.
2) it is NORMAL for there to be a lull between 7-8 cm and full transition, sometimes there is enough time for the mom to take a half hour nap. I mean really sleep! Which is exactly what she probably needs and when she wakes up, she is pushing!! So, most hospitals have a rule that says the woman has to dilate 1 cm per hour... I say BS and leave the woman alone!! Let her get comfortable and she knows what to do!! More problems are caused by these stupid prototcols than anything else I can think of!
Please read Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Both are by Ina May Gaskin and are very well written and true! Your body works, it needs to be given time, which is the very thing it does not get in the hospital...

[alicia9178]

I have the EXACT same fear. I am quickly approaching delivery #5 and all 4 previous deliveries have used Pit. I have NEVER gone into labor on my own. I had 2 planned inductions and the last 2 my water broke and labor never started so I was given Pit. I am terrified that I am just not going to go into labor, and with being diabetic, it will be hard pressed to be able to go past 40 weeks. I try to not focus on the worry, but I AM!!!!
ALicia

[Ilovelife]

Thank you all for the encouraging replies. I agree with those that said the hospital time limits are phooey! That's THE main reason I'm going for a homebirth this time around. I just felt like they rushed things, both with the pit and the horrible episiotomy I was given against my wishes.

cathicog: a nap is exactly what I needed! I even asked the dr/nurse if I could and they just sort of laughed & brushed me off. Oh, I am feeling so good about our decision to stay home this time.

Thank you!

[Ilovelife]

Originally Posted by Aka mommy

My first labor was 36 hours and after 30 hours they insisted on pit. Because while i was in labor i was not getting past 2 cm ( i think maybe i wasnt truely in labor but the doc told me i was so i wouldnt have to be giving birth on the weekend). So 4 hours later still no progress and they forced an epi and said i may need a c section. DD was born 2 hours later.

My 2nd dd is 6 weeks old after a 12 hour labor at home without any interference. I went into labor on my own on my due date. And the only reason labor was so long was due to persistent posterior positioning. So dont worry. My biggest fear was stalling out this time around. I 2nd visualizing your labor. Thats what helped me the most i think. Mind over matter!!!! Good luck

Congrats on your new little one! I will definitely try some visualizing.

I'm sorry about your doc the first time around. A weekend birth would've really been a bummer, huh? : So happy for you that you were able to at least avoid the c section, though. I've heard SO many similar stories that ended up in the operating room.

[rmzbm]

OK- I HAVE to ask a question...
Maybe I will sound foolish but that's a chance I am willing to take.
With baby #2 I was induced WAY past my due date. This ended up being a 4 day labor ending in a section. I was induced, with pit. & got to 3 cm. The contractions were SO unbearably bad I would have gotten on my hands & knees and begged for the section - but I wasn't allowed off the bed. : Anyhow, on the night before my little boy was born they decided to abandon their "efforts" and schedule the surgery for the following AM. They turned off the pit. & the labor STOPPED, I mean nearly instantly, or so I thought. I was so comfortable...I slept ALL night. I the AM, guess what?? I was at 7 cm.!! They said I was not progressing & took me to the OR. What's the deal?? Thoughts?? Could the pit. induced labor have been so bad that I didn't even recognize the normal contractions?? The nurse showed me the strip of paper with all my contractions that I had all night, regular & as she said "some off the chart." Great, so after recognizing how close I was to a normal birth with #1, I NOW see I may have been with #2 as well.

[pixie-n-hertwoboys]

OP I agree w/ the others. My first was hospital everything and induced w/ pit, epi the whole nine yards. 6 hour labor - 2 1/2 hour pushing posterior big headed baby flat on my back. #2 labor at home a little under 4 hours, birth at hospital 12 minutes after arrival. No interference. No drugs nothing.

RB- hey chica. Well, I do believe that doctors undermine the womans ability to give birth therefore the pit and flat on back crap they pull.... pit is the devil and will cause unnatural contracts so of course when your body does it on its own its no where near the intensity IMO. your body was doing wonderful if you dialated to a 7 on your own. I tell you the difference between my first and second birth was so dramatically different. I did it all on my own w/ #2 and KNEW my body could do it yk? I labored at home by myself and kept thinking this is nothing (compared to the pit cx) of course at the end I was cussing but his head was about out and I had to sit for the car ride to the hosp. - had I been a smidge braver I would of birthed at home anywho, there is a big diff. between laboring on your back, being watched as an object not as a women in labor and doing it on your own. just my .02

[rmzbm]

Pixie!! I have been scouring the forums for you...am PMing you!! Don't leave!!

[kangamitroo]

i am so glad i read this thread. i have the same fears. we plan ttc this spring, and i already know i want homebirth. i know i'll discuss my fears with mw, but it is reassuring to read of your positive experiences.

i want a natural birth this time, no pit, and want to be prepared with alternatives. with my first, my water broke before i was dilated at all. i was planning for a birth center, but the mw thought it best that we go into the hospital right away, wanted me to have the baby in <24hrs. we got there maybe 10pm, they gave me cervidel. by morning, still nothing. 7am new mw came on, gave me the pitocin, and by 9am i was dilating. there were points where the mw said "that's the pitocin, it's not giving you a breather. things are a bit accelerated." i want to experience labor without that.

[Seie]

it is NORMAL for there to be a lull between 7-8 cm and full transition, sometimes there is enough time for the mom to take a half hour nap. I mean really sleep! Which is exactly what she probably needs and when she wakes up, she is pushing!!

: : Someone should have told my body to not just stop dilating but to stop contracting too - cause those hours stalled on 8 cms were so excrutiatingly painful I could never have imagined...