Is Pitocin given routinely with epidurals?

[GinaRae]

My MW asked me if, with all my inductions, I was able to maintain labor on my own or needed pitocin. I don't remember, but I believe the pit was turned down with the two oldest once my water broke. With my youngest, I was in active labor as soon as my water broke, but I did end up getting that epidural and just wonder if I would have then needed Pit the whole time.

In other words, now I am worried that my labor will stall. I'd never worried about that before. A little worried anyway. I really think the water breaking was the catalyst with every baby.. seems my labor went from zero to sixty as soon as my water broke with each.

[Isaac'sMa]

It seems like it's usually the other way around. The mom gets pit because she's not progressing like they think she should. Then b/c the Pit causes un-naturally strong and intense contractions making it unbearable for the mom. The mom gets the epidural then progress slows FOR REAL so they give more pit. Then the pit (and the overly intense contractions) cause stress for the baby and then they say "well, we had to do a c/s because the baby was in distress etc"

I'm not sure if that scenario answers your question or not, but it seems to me like they go hand-in-hand. If there's any way to avoid intervention, do it!

[Pynki]

In my experience... most mom's get pit. Just about every mom with an epi is given pit. They may turn down the epi for pushing, but I've not heard of them turning it down while pushing.

[Isaac'sMa]

Wait a second, Gina! Aren't you still planning a HB? Haven't you already had two successful VBACs? Oh, I hope your MW trusts birth enough not to freak out if she feels like you give her the "wrong" answer. If you do have a HB and are "allowed" to progress on your body's own schedule, I would not worry about labor stalling. Without intervention birth WILL progress! If it does stall the reason can be as much psychological/emotional as physical, so try to explore those avenues if it stalls. Or if possible, explore that before labor starts!

[Momma Aimee]

Gina my concern would be with Pit and so on -- will you be able to stay home? r would you have to "go in" ??

I think they are usally pretty linked

mom gets Epi due to pain, lays in bed, and labor slowes dwon and she gets Pit

or

Mom gets Pit (like me for stalled labor) and has a monotir -- SOP for Pit in eveyone i know) and thus gets of track due to pit pain and so on and get Epi.

---- however i know several moms IRL who birthed with Pit and no pain medication, however they did NOT ahve constant moontors tieing them downa nd making things even more aquward and unconfortable ------------

my concern -- again -- wopuld be home birthign and ANY discussion of things like Pit or so on -- can you stay home, can a HB MW admister them??

also i would really hope a HB MW would respect your body as long as you are lnot looking at long broken water and a fever or something.....

Aimee

[GinaRae]

Let me clarify 'cause I think I confused everyone!

I am having a homebirth.

The midwives didn't say they want to use Pit on me at all, they were just wondering if my other labors had progressed on their own or if I always needed to be augmented with Pit since I'd always been induced.

So that got me wondering and anxious (again) over whether I can do this homebirth because I honestly think now that I may have had pit with every birth.

Yes, two successful VBACS (YESSS!!) but each was an induction (one by Pit, one by membrane stripping) and with the last one I had an epidural (what can I say, I guess I wanted to see what the hoopla was about and I was EXHAUSTED! It was a BAD DECISION and I would never ever do it again!)

Soooooooooo... still planning a HB. Not planning any Pit. Just anxious. I got bit by the anxiety bug again when she asked if all my labors were augmented.

And yet as I've been working on this in my head today, I think I am peaceful. I DO feel like I can do this homebirth. Once my water breaks it seems like labor goes gangbusters and I will be at home with the pool... everything should be fine.

What would I do without you guys, I swear!!

[Ackray]

You'll progress just fine. You probably needed pit to augment your labors so they would be fast enough for the hospital/doctor. At home you will progress at your own pace without any time restraints.

Oh and where I work, epidural does not equal pit or vice versa. Everyone should come deliver here. I keep reading all of these hospital birth horror stories but I have NEVER experienced or heard of one here. We pretty much let momma do whatever she wants and labor/deliver however she wants.

[GinaRae]

That sounds dreamy, Stephanie!

[Isaac'sMa]

Originally Posted by Ackray

You'll progress just fine. You probably needed pit to augment your labors so they would be fast enough for the hospital/doctor. At home you will progress at your own pace without any time restraints.

This was the point I was trying to make above, but dangit, Gina, you got me all confused and then worried that you weren't having a HB after all. Of course there will be no option for pit or epidural at home so that makes it a lot easier if you'll get it or not!

[fabfivemama]

You will be at home, so you will be fine! At least in my area, pit and epidurals go hand in hand at hospitals. I have heard of both senarios--pit leads to more pain and epi, and epi slows labor and leads to pit. I have very recently learned that it is a routine order at our hospital to have pit if you get an epidural. In my opinon, MD's way overuse pitocin. My OB (whom I think very little of--see my old posts if you want the backstory) was asking me about my postpartum hemmoraging in the past. I was asking her if I would automatically get methergine or pit again due to my history. She informed me that EVERYONE gets pit post delivery. Ugh..the more I learn...anyway, sorry to get off track here, my point in all of this is that Doc's order pit way too much. If you have a trusting midwife, your body will work just fine, and you won't need any "help"

[kathteach]

I think a lot of women are given pitocin without even knowing it. I had no epi or pain meds and while I was pushing I happened to overhear one nurse tell another to put pit in the IV. It wasn't as if I was asked. When I protested she told me my contractions weren't productive.

I tore, third degree. I always wonder if it was because of the pitocin.

[YankeeMomInVA]

From what I've heard from friends and from what I experienced myself, they do tend to go hand in hand.

I had pit. due to my water breaking and having no contractions even 24 hrs. later.....Once the pit. kicked in (and holy COW did it kick in), I had so much trouble coping with the intensity and frequency of the pit. contractions that I had an epidural.... In my case, though, I was SO tense from the pain of the pit. that the epi. actually HELPED...once my body relaxed, my cervix started to open very quickly.

I have a friend who had non-productive labor, got pit, then got the epi.... and for her, the epi slowed her progress so they gave her MORE pit...and the baby had heart decels, so they wanted to do a section... It's like once they start the interventions and the interventions cause trouble, they do MORE interventions :

I am desperate to avoid ALL of that stuff this time around... I want no part in it....

[Momma Aimee]

i was on pit because of a many hour stall in labor 18 hours after my water broke. 18 hours in to labor, 18 hours after water broke .... went on Pit ...... at hour 22 I was dialtated to a 3 -- woohooo !!!! i was copeing ok, so i thought, but the CNM and doula both told Scott i was so tense due to the pain of the Pit that THAT was way i was not dialteing. So I had an Epi ... by 4 hours later we were turning it off to push .... sooooooooo for me the Epi MADE labor progress

But I am an odd duck and my first birth was totally weird

[yogachick79]

I wish I could give you a knowing answer but I can't... I had Pit with DD because she was a standard OB delivery that was deemed "late" so they induced me. Epi followed because of the insane contractions.

With DS, I had pit (again ) but that was because the labor stalled and went on for almost 32 hrs after my water broke.

My gut feeling is that they don't HAVE to go hand in hand, but often do just because the pit will cause contractions to be bad enough where the mom often feels that she needs the pain medication from an epi.

[Momma Aimee]

I do know two moms IRL who have had Pit without any apin medication -- one mom TWICE (hit week 43 and blood presuure was going up -- both times) and my mom back in 72.

so you can birth with Pit without pain medication.

so ther eis hope

if you do -- anyone does -- end up on Pit .... it is really tough, i was there, but there are moms who have managed it without medication

i am jsut saying, if you end up on Pit do not assume you are doomed -- just keep doing your best

AImee

[Undercover Hippie]

Originally Posted by Ackray

You'll progress just fine. You probably needed pit to augment your labors so they would be fast enough for the hospital/doctor. At home you will progress at your own pace without any time restraints.

Yup yup yup, exactly what she said.

Gina, I think after 3 inductions it is totally normal to wonder if your body can start on its own/continue on its own. But it can and it will be awesome! I had the same concerns with DD after going the cytotec/pit route with DS. I had moments where I knew I wasn't rational, but I would think "what if I needed that induction, what if my body doesn't know how to do this on its own?" Turns out it knew exactly what to do, I went from first ctx to birth in under 4 hours and it was way easier on my own too. But we all have to have our questioning moments so we can get prepared for this huge event that is coming!