Pitocin

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I am a second year nursing student working in L&D at Northside Hospital. I have noticed that is seems to be pretty routine for the women to receive Pitocin. I did a article project on Pitocin and its ill effects for the woman and baby. The articles point was that nature would take care of the timing and pitocin is not needed. I was just wondering what any other more experienced nurse thinks about the use of Pitocin. Also I was wondering if this was the protocal at Northside or if it is usual practice.

Thanks!

Originally posted by APinkston

Pitocin is also given after delivery to help the uterus continue to contract in order to help prevent excessive blood lose. I think that in this case, administration of pitocin is good because it helps the condition of the postpartal mother

You've never had afterpains, have you? ;)

I'm sorry, I have to disagree. If there is no reason to intervene, we shouldn't intervene. Saying that we should give pit to all postpartum women "just in case" is just as bad as giving it during labor "just in case" labor doesn't progress. If there is a good reason (like pp hemmorhage), by all means intervene, but not as a preventative measure.

And I can tell you from experience, having pit administered after labor "just in case I might have hemmorhaged," made the afterpains nearly intolerable, almost worse than labor. That isn't "good," especially when there is no good reason.

Krista

I should also mention that a better way to get the uterus to clamp down after childbirth is to encourage mom to breastfeed. :) No drugs needed.

Krista

I had to be induced with my son and that was some of the most awful pain I have ever felt in my life. I tried to be strong and have a natural birth, but I finally broke down and took a pain shot. When I had my daughter I had no pic or anything else like that. I had tested psotive for strep B though and had to have IV antibiotics before giving birth, but she was impatient and we had to stay in the hospital for five days so she could get 2 doses of antibiotics per day since I didn't get all she needed,lol. I think that the doctors don't want women to be in labor very long anymore. That is the main reason for it. It's easier on them....any other thoughts?

Originally posted by Robin61970

I think that the doctors don't want women to be in labor very long anymore. That is the main reason for it. It's easier on them....any other thoughts?

Yep. With my first, the doctor was *so* incredibly freaking impatient, it makes me mad even thinking about it. At one point he told me, "Look, I've been here since nine this morning and five women have already had their babies today. I really want to get home and get some sleep." My daughter was born, thanks to the pitocin, of course, at 11:24 p.m., about four hours after that $#%hole wanted to get home. :p I feel just terrible for inconveniencing him like that. :rolleyes:

I had a much different experience with the CNMs with my second birth. They were trained to wait it out, listen to the woman and let her listen to her body. It was really great. And my homebirth was even better. :)

Krista

Me and my coworkers get so fed up with b.s. inductions and impatient MD's that we threaten all the time that we're going to open our own freestanding birth center....no epidurals, no pit, no admittance until you're FIVE CMS!! Had a patient who was ADMITTED the other night at ONE CM because she whined and moaned that she 'didn't want to miss her epidural.' We tried to explain to her that she wasn't IN LABOR and had LOADS of time, but the doctor caved. It totally pissed us off. She got an epidural 2 hours later, still 1 cm dilated and contracting only q12-15 minutes.....CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT CRAP???!!??

Needless to say, she got a c-section 26 hours later for 'failure to progress.' Well, DUH...I suppose one WOULDN'T progress if one wasn't even in LABOR when they got a freakin' epidural and their water broken. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Anyway, the moral of this story is that yes, a big part of the problem is that docs are impatient. But the OTHER part is that the general public thinks that A)having one contraction every 15 minutes = labor, B)epidurals are passed out like candy at the front door of labor and delivery, C)it doesn't hurt to have a baby(I hate it when a patient with an epidural whines, 'but I still FEEL something!!' DUH...it's an epidural, NOT a spinal, and you HAVE to feel SOMETHING to push your baby out of your lady parts), and D)it's perfectly okay to be induced if you're just 'sick of being pregnant' when both you and the baby are fine and there's no MEDICAL reason to induce. That *#@!! show "A Baby Story," where freakin' everyone gets pit and an epidural and pops their baby out like toast (after 3 hours of pushing, forceps, vacuum...that they DON'T tell you about) is a horrible disservice to those of us who work OB. The general public thinks childbirth is fast, easy, painless, and that we'll induce you on a whim and give out epidurals the minute the pt. says 'boo.' Unfortunately, it's the doctors dealing with these patients that aren't standing up to them that's causing such trouble.

SO YES...I hate pit, I hate most epidurals, most inductions nowadays are total CRAP, and I wouldn't go to an obstetrician unless forced. I see a CNM thank you very much, and am THRILLED with her care for just my regular GYN visits.

Stepping down off the soapbox....geez, you guys have such a way of getting me rattled.. :).

Catch ya on the flipside!!

I'm right there with you, kday. :) It will take awhile, but we can change birth one woman at a time. I tell anyone who will listen how great CNMs are and how much better birth experiences I've had with midwives, not to mention how much better their well woman care is. For some women, it takes getting that one *horrid* birth experience under their belt to change their minds. Maybe your c-sec lady will have second thoughts in a few months, start reading, then VBAC next time. Maybe. :)

My goal is to have a freestanding birth center when I'm done with my formal education. I'd also like to get an add-on pediatric NP certification sometime so I can have a women's and children's center. Sometimes I think I'd be better off doing hospital birth, because I'd see a larger percentage of "those" women, the ones that think they can't give birth. There is such an opportunity to teach, if only people would take the time to do it in their early pregnancies (and not those hospital-here's-how-to-ask-for-your-epidural childbirth classes).

I'm rambling now, but this is also one of my issues.

Krista

Okay, what's a CNM? My guess is

Certified Nursing ?

:confused:

CNM = Certified Nurse Midwife. CNMs are usually nurse practitioners, a masters level program.

Krista

Working at one of the largest birthclinics in Austria, I can tell you we hardly ever use pitocin, certainly not as standard and epidural Anesthetics when necessary.

Pitocin pp, when a woman is bleeding, normally we have the mothers breastfeed the babies right away from the start.

C-sectionrate is very low, as is the use for vac. When necessary we use forceps here (only low ones!)

Debbye, how is it possible to be SIX WEEKS late?

We wait 2 to max. 2,5 week, depends on how the baby is doing.

Then we tell the mums to grab their men and try to do what they did as they made their child.

That is still the best way to induce labor!! And the nicest too!

Take care, Renee

Originally posted by semstr

Working at one of the largest birthclinics in Austria, I can tell you we hardly ever use pitocin, certainly not as standard and epidural Anesthetics when necessary.

Pitocin pp, when a woman is bleeding, normally we have the mothers breastfeed the babies right away from the start.

C-sectionrate is very low, as is the use for vac. When necessary we use forceps here (only low ones!)

Debbye, how is it possible to be SIX WEEKS late?

We wait 2 to max. 2,5 week, depends on how the baby is doing.

Then we tell the mums to grab their men and try to do what they did as they made their child.

That is still the best way to induce labor!! And the nicest too!

Take care, Renee

You are extremely fortunate....see, the Europeans have it right. When me and my coworkers are on one of our 'these women need to get a grip' tirades, we always come back to how it's WESTERN, AMERICANIZED women who have this 'epidural, epidural, epidural' mindset. I will FIGHT another nurse to take care of a Latino woman in labor.....they understand that *gasp!* it HURTS to have a baby, but that you can *get through it* and will do just fine.

I tell my patients that we send home that if they want to try to 'induce,' that what got them pregnant in the first place (like Renee said) is the best way...;). That, and some castor oil.

American culture, somehow, has just gotten into its' head that giving birth has to involve all kinds of interventions, epidurals, and that breastfeeding is primitive and dirty (that's another one of my soapboxes....but we won't go there today). AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHH!!!

It's so frustrating...

Krista, while I love the freestanding birth center idea, I must say you hit the nail on the head when you said you can get more access to women who think they can't at hospitals. It's so cool to get a woman through labor using the tub and birthing ball and relaxation and see the look of amazement on her face when she realizes 'WOW!! I really DID it!!'

One birth at a time....

For what it is worth, here's my two cents. If I could, I would destroy the formula for synthetic pitocin. I hate the crap, hate it, hate it, hate it. If you ask a doctor "Why use pit" the answer the majority of the time is to speed up labor. Since when did we start putting time limits on a NATURAL process?

My favorite use for pit is the induction for history of rapid labor. Now, I am a night shift girl and often times I see these patients in the morning when they come in. When I come back on duty, guess who is still there? YEP, you guessed right, the induction for history of rapid labor. Where do doctors come up with these ideas? If a woman made it to the hospital before, often she will make it again (even if it is close!!! Which we love BTW) Heck, these women come in in false labor begging for their wonderful epidural they missed out on the first time. PUHLEEZ, give me break!!!

As for a CNM, had three children with one and loved it. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Imagine, 3 kids, no pit and no darn epidural!!!!

:D KDay, you put things so eloquently!!!!

You guys are singing my tune!

I am in a hospital ldrp getting experience as a new RN, so later I can work where I want...and Krista, call me and I will work at your birthcenter! LOL I also think Pitocin is used more often than needed...I asked a fellow (experienced +10yrs) nurse at work, "does everyone get pit iv postpartum...even if breastfeeding?" She says, "yes, or they would bleed to death"...geez.... These people think I'm nuts I'm sure.

kday, this is what I dream of for my own experience...if I can find a facility!!

It's so cool to get a woman through labor using the tub and birthing ball and relaxation and see the look of amazement on her face when she realizes 'WOW!! I really DID it!!'

love the thread y'all,

Lisa

:D

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