# A danger of PITOCIN. Please read.



## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

I know I just posted a thread but I don't get on MDC very often so during the day on some days, I realize things I should post.

Here is my unfortunate testimony to be used as CAUTION to anyone who recieves pitocin.

I don't have time to type out my entire labor, but basically, pitocin abused my uterus into uterine distress and the midwife and nurses had to frantically stop uncontrollable bleeding. I bled and bled after giving birth and were almost unable to stop it. I even got to the "dizzy" point from loosing so much blood and I couldn't even see anyone for awhile. I then became anemic and am still dead tired, all because I was put on this awful stuff that I have vowed to never use again, no matter what the circumstance.

So there is my testimony. Thoughts are welcome. Please be cautioned of using pitocin. It's NOT natural.







:


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## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

OMG! I am sorry about it!!
I am very surprised about it - I thought pitocin was meant to help stop bleeding.

Having bled heavily a couple of times myself I just wanted to suggest that you REST and eat VERY WELL! The first time I gave birth, I had lost so much blood that I could not talk or breath well for a couple of days!

Last time around I was surprised when my MIL told DH to cook me some huge bloody stakes saying that it would help, but amazingly it did! DH was amazed to see the color come back to cheeks as I ate, so you may want to try that.


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## ~Heyokha~ (Nov 21, 2006)

wow, hugs mama
















I had a nasty experience with pit too. Thats what turned me into the homebirth lover that I am.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *polihaupt* 
OMG! I am sorry about it!!
I am very surprised about it - I thought pitocin was meant to help stop bleeding.

Having bled heavily a couple of times myself I just wanted to suggest that you REST and eat VERY WELL! The first time I gave birth, I had lost so much blood that I could not talk or breath well for a couple of days!

Last time around I was surprised when my MIL told DH to cook me some huge bloody stakes saying that it would help, but amazingly it did! DH was amazed to see the color come back to cheeks as I ate, so you may want to try that.

Yeah! I had no idea pit. could do that either but sure enough, it even has a name: uterine atony. It was my midwife who came into my hospital room after the birth to tell me about it.

And thanks for the advice! You're so sweet.


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## savvybabygrace (Feb 15, 2007)

I've had my own problems with pitocin, and I agree with you; it is NOT natural!!! I hope you are resting and feeling better soon!


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *savvybabygrace* 
I've had my own problems with pitocin, and I agree with you; it is NOT natural!!! I hope you are resting and feeling better soon!

Yeah, it's NOT NATURAL despite what anyone says. I hate that the midwives kept telling me that pictocin was the same hormone as "oxytocin" just presented differently. NO IT IS NOT. NO IT IS NOT! I realize I have nothing to compare my birth to because I've only done it once but I am here to say that I know for a fact those back to back to back stabbing contractions could not have been anywhere near natural. Oxytocin is supposed to release feel good hormones like with exercise. Pitocin does not do this even in the slightest.


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## bryannastreasure (Nov 28, 2006)

my easy labor went downhill after pit. ending with an emergency emergent C-section after Carlin's monitor made that horrible tone. beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. My girlfriend attended me into surgery and she says they had trouble grabbing hold of carlin, and then my monitor made that tone too. but the short dr notes don't address any of that.

he perked up within his 1 minute and 5 minute apgars.

kiss the babies~

love and light,
Bryanna


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## wobit (May 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mommyofwills* 
Yeah, it's NOT NATURAL despite what anyone says. I hate that the midwives kept telling me that pictocin was the same hormone as "oxytocin" just presented differently. NO IT IS NOT. NO IT IS NOT! I realize I have nothing to compare my birth to because I've only done it once but I am here to say that I know for a fact those back to back to back stabbing contractions could not have been anywhere near natural. Oxytocin is supposed to release feel good hormones like with exercise. Pitocin does not do this even in the slightest.

This is why they say that, and how to explain why you are both right.

Pitocin is chemically exactly like oxytocin, but it affects you totally differently for two reasons.
First, oxytocin is made in your brain, in the neurohypophysis. It can leave the brain to get to your body through specialized circulation but it cannot get back in due to the blood-brain barrier. So unless your oxytocin starts in the brain, you don't get the brain effects - the feel-good part. Pitocin is given in the vein and doesn't get into your brain.
Second, the natural waves of oxytocin released in response to orgasm, nipple stimulation, or cervical stretching are very gentle and fade in and out. Even the lowest dose of pitocin, given in a bolus or a steady drip, affects the uterus in a different way, creating a different contraction. Pitocin's pattern of release is too harsh and allows poor rest between contractions.

And - to explain why a previous poster had heard pit can stop bleeding - if the uterus isn't exhausted pit can contract it, which can often help stop bleeding after birth. But if the uterus is exhausted as in uterine atony, which can result after a pitocin-induced labor, it can't contract - which is why it bleeds.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wobit* 
This is why they say that, and how to explain why you are both right.

Pitocin is chemically exactly like oxytocin, but it affects you totally differently for two reasons.
First, oxytocin is made in your brain, in the neurohypophysis. It can leave the brain to get to your body through specialized circulation but it cannot get back in due to the blood-brain barrier. So unless your oxytocin starts in the brain, you don't get the brain effects - the feel-good part. Pitocin is given in the vein and doesn't get into your brain.
Second, the natural waves of oxytocin released in response to orgasm, nipple stimulation, or cervical stretching are very gentle and fade in and out. Even the lowest dose of pitocin, given in a bolus or a steady drip, affects the uterus in a different way, creating a different contraction. Pitocin's pattern of release is too harsh and allows poor rest between contractions.

And - to explain why a previous poster had heard pit can stop bleeding - if the uterus isn't exhausted pit can contract it, which can often help stop bleeding after birth. But if the uterus is exhausted as in uterine atony, which can result after a pitocin-induced labor, it can't contract - which is why it bleeds.

Very interesting explanation. Thank you for that. I do appreciate it







I also want to add on to what you said in regards to "Pitocin's pattern of release is too harsh and allows poor rest between contractions". I was having (no I'm not exaggerating) contractions 30 seconds apart at only 4 cms. I just KNEW it couldn't be natural! When they backed it off a little, it was 2 minutes apart until I got the epidural out of hysteria (I know, I'm upset at myself too. I freaked out.) Anyway, I'm glad I'm learning so much about pictocin. The more I learn, the more I am resolved to stay away from that crap. If my contractions "don't start" right away after my water breaks (if that happens again) I'm going to say, "Well let's just see what my body decides to do here".

I'm going on pitocin strike!


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## mikayla's mama (May 22, 2005)

I've had one labor with and one without and I totally agree with you. Avoid that horrible stuff at all costs.


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## amitymama (Nov 17, 2006)

Why don't they just use oxytocin then? That's what they use here in the UK, I've never heard of anyone being given Pitocin. I wonder why US hospitals use that instead, anybody know?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *amitymama* 
Why don't they just use oxytocin then? That's what they use here in the UK, I've never heard of anyone being given Pitocin. I wonder why US hospitals use that instead, anybody know?

I don't think there's a way to make or get oxytocin. I bet they use pitocin there too, just call it oxytocin.

-Angela


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## AlexisT (May 6, 2007)

yeah, they also call it syntocinon. it's the means of giving it that causes the problems anyway, not chemical structure.


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## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I don't think there's a way to make or get oxytocin. I bet they use pitocin there too, just call it oxytocin.

-Angela

I think that's right


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *polihaupt* 
I think that's right

Yeah I am inclined to believe it's just called different things in different places.


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## amitymama (Nov 17, 2006)

Ah, okay. I feel so lied to now! They MWs here all call it oxytocin and I was led to believe that it was somehow more 'natural' then pitocin used in the US.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Pitocin is the brand name, my doc refers to it as oxytocin.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

I just know for a fact that I'll never use the stuff AGAIN. IT'S A CURSE ON MANKIND.

After I gave birth, I wanted to strangle the next person that used the word "pitocin". Next birth, no pitocin. Not at all. And for all my births after it. I'm still so shocked that it abused my uterus into distress like that. The body is NOT supposed to have twice the amount of contractions it was meant to handle.







: They were seriously bam bam bam. Seemed like no breaks at all.

And the contractions were not "leading up to a high point"...It was like giant stabs in my back, one after the other. No leading up, just shooting, shoot me now kind of pain. I knew for a fact it did not feel like something God would have designed my body to do.

I WAS aware that childbirth is painful, I realize that so don't get me wrong. But not those kind of contractions. Everything I read about childbirth before I did it said that oxytocin from our brains releases feel good hormones in between contractions. Not with pitocin...That stuff will give your uterus far more than it was designed for.


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mommyofwills* 
I just know for a fact that I'll never use the stuff AGAIN. IT'S A CURSE ON MANKIND.









: Pitocin is horrific.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 







: Pitocin is horrific.

I'm glad you agree







I truly believe that our bodies are not supposed to have pitocin and I hope that women can learn from my testimony of what happened. It IS horrific. That's a good word to use. It puts the body in more pain than it needs to be in, and it can cause uncontrollable bleeding. What more reasons does one need to NOT have it?


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## Birth&Bunnies (Jan 3, 2007)

Ecstatic Birth: The Hormonal Blueprint of Labor Mothering Magazine - Issue 111, March/April 2002
By Sarah J. Buckley

Giving birth in ecstasy: this is our birthright and our body's intent. Mother Nature, in her wisdom, prescribes birthing hormones that
take us outside (ec) our usual state (stasis) so that we can be transformed on every level as we enter motherhood. This exquisite
hormonal orchestration unfolds optimally when birth is undisturbed, enhancing safety for both mother and baby. Science is also
increasingly discovering what we realize as mothers- that our way of birth affects us life-long, mother and child, and that an ecstatic
birth, a birth that takes us beyond our Self, is the gift of a lifetime.
Four major hormonal systems are active during labor and birth. These involve oxytocin, the hormone of love; endorphins, hormones
of pleasure and transcendence; epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones of excitement; and prolactin, the mothering hormone.
These systems are common to all mammals and originate in our mammalian or middle brain, also known as the limbic system. For
birth to proceed optimally, this part of the brain must take precedence over the neocortex, or rational brain. This shift can be helped
by an atmosphere of quiet and privacy, with, for example, dim lighting and little conversation, and no expectation of rationality from the
laboring woman. Under such conditions a woman intuitively will choose the movements, sounds, breathing, and positions that will birth
her baby most easily. This is her genetic and hormonal blueprint.
All of these systems are adversely affected by current birth practices. Hospital environments and routines are not conducive to the
shift in consciousness that giving birth naturally requires. A woman's hormonal physiology is further disturbed by practices such as
induction, the use of painkillers and epidurals, caesarean surgery, and separation of mother and baby after birth.

Hormones in Birth
Oxytocin
Perhaps the best-known birth hormone is oxytocin, the hormone of love, which is secreted during sexual activity, male and female
orgasm, birth, and breastfeeding. Oxytocin engenders feelings of love and altruism; as Michel Odent says, "Whatever the facet of Love
we consider, oxytocin is involved."
Oxytocin is made in the hypothalamus, the "master gland" deep in our brains, and stored in the posterior pituitary, from where it is
released in pulses. It is a crucial hormone in reproduction and mediates what have been called the ejection reflexes: the sperm
ejection reflex with male orgasm (and the corresponding sperm introjection reflex with female orgasm); the fetal ejection reflex at birth
(a phrase coined by Odent for the powerful contractions at the end of an undisturbed labor, which birth the baby quickly and easily);
and, postpartum, the placental ejection reflex and the milk ejection, or let-down reflex, in breastfeeding.
As well as reaching peak levels in each of these situations, oxytocin is secreted in large amounts in pregnancy, when it acts to enhance
nutrient absorption, reduce stress, and conserve energy by making us more sleepy. Oxytocin also causes the rhythmic uterine
contractions of labor, and levels peak at birth through stimulation of stretch receptors in a woman's lower vagina as the baby
descends. The high levels continue after bir th, culminating with the birth of the placenta, and then gradually subside.
The baby also produces oxytocin during labor, perhaps even initiating labor; so, in the minutes after birth, both mother and baby are
bathed in an ecstatic cocktail of hormones. At this time ongoing oxytocin production is enhanced by skin-to-skin and eye-to-eye contact
and by the baby's first suckling. Good levels of oxytocin also protect against postpartum hemorrhage by ensuring good uterine
contractions. In breastfeeding, oxytocin mediates the let-down reflex and is released in pulses as the baby suckles. During the months
and years of lactation, oxytocin continues to keep the mother relaxed and well nourished. One researcher calls it "a very efficient
antistress situation which prevents a lot of disease later on." In her study, mothers who breastfed for more than seven weeks were
calmer than mothers who did not. Outside its role in reproduction, oxytocin is secreted in other situations of love and altruism, for
example, sharing a meal. Researchers have implicated malfunctions of the oxytocin system in conditions such as schizophrenia,
autism, cardiovascular disease, and drug dependency, and have suggested that oxytocin may mediate the antidepressant effect of
drugs such as Prozac.

Beta-endorphin
As a naturally occurring opiate, beta-endorphin has properties similar to meperidine (pethidine, Demerol), morphine, and heroin, and
has been shown to work on the same receptors of the brain. Like oxytocin, beta-endorphin is secreted from the pituitary gland, and
high levels are present during sex, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. Beta-endorphin is also a stress hormone, released under
conditions of duress and pain, when it acts as an analgesic and, like other stress hormones, suppresses the immune system. This
effect may be important in preventing a pregnant mother's immune system from acting against her baby, whose genetic material is
foreign to hers.
Like the addictive opiates, beta-endorphin induces feelings of pleasure, euphoria, and dependency or, with a partner, mutual dependency.
Beta-endorphin levels are high in pregnancy and increase throughout labor, when levels of beta-endorphin and corticotrophin
(another stress hormone) reach those found in male endurance athletes during maximal exercise on a treadmill. Such high levels help
the laboring woman to transmute pain and enter the altered state of consciousness that characterizes an undisturbed birth.
Beta-endorphin has complex and incompletely understood relationships with other hormonal systems. In labor, high levels will inhibit
oxytocin release. It makes sense that when pain or stress levels are very high, contractions will slow, thus "rationing labour according
to both physiological and psychological stress." Beta-endorphin also facilitates the release of prolactin during labor, which prepares
the mother's breasts for lactation and also aids in the final stages of lung maturation for the baby. Beta-endorphin is also important in
breastfeeding. Levels peak in the mother at 20 minutes, and beta-endorphin is present as well in breastmilk, inducing pleasure and
mutual dependency for both mother and baby in their ongoing relationship.

Fight-or-Flight Hormones
The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline and noradrenaline) are also known as the fight-or-flight hormones or,
collectively, as catecholamines (CAs). They are secreted from the adrenal gland, above the kidney, in response to stresses such as
fright, anxiety, hunger, or cold, as well as excitement, when they activate the sympathetic nervous system for fight or flight.
In the first stage of labor, high CA levels inhibit oxytocin production, therefore slowing or inhibiting labor. CAs also act to reduce blood
flow to the uterus and placenta, and therefore to the baby. This makes sense for mammals birthing in the wild, where the presence of
danger would activate this sympathetic response, inhibiting labor and diverting blood to the major muscle groups so that the mother
can flee to safety.
In humans, high levels of CAs have been associated with longer labor and adverse fetal heart rate patterns. After an undisturbed
labor, however, when the moment of birth is imminent, these hormones act in a different way. There is a sudden increase in CA levels,
especially noradrenaline, which activates the fetal ejection reflex. The mother experiences a sudden rush of energy; she will be upright
and alert, with a dry mouth and shallow breathing and perhaps the urge to grasp something. She may express fear, anger, or excitement,
and the CA rush will cause several very strong contractions, which will birth the baby quickly and easily.
Some birth attendants have made good use of this reflex when a woman is having difficulties in the second stage of labor. For
example, an anthropologist working with an indigenous Canadian tribe recorded that when a woman was having difficulty in birth, the
young people of the village would gather together to help. They would suddenly and unexpectedly shout out close to her, with the shock
triggering her fetal ejection reflex and a quick birth.
After the birth, CA levels drop steeply. The new mother may feel shaky or cold as a consequence. A warm atmosphere is important, as
ongoing high CA levels will inhibit oxytocin and therefore increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Noradrenaline, as part of the ecstatic cocktail, is also implicated in instinctive mothering behavior. Mice bred to be deficient in noradrenaline
will not care for their young after birth unless noradrenaline is injected back into their system.
For the baby also, birth is an exciting and stressful event, reflected in high CA levels. These assist the baby during birth by protecting
against the effects of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and subsequent acidosis. High CA levels at birth ensure that the baby is wide-eyed and
alert at first contact with the mother. The baby's CA levels also drop rapidly after an undisturbed birth, being soothed by contact with
the mother.

Prolactin
Known as the mothering hormone, prolactin is the major hormone of breastmilk synthesis and breastfeeding. Traditionally it has been
thought to produce aggressively protective behavior (the "mother tiger" effect) in lactating females. Levels of prolactin increase in
pregnancy, although milk production is inhibited hormonally until the placenta is delivered. Levels further increase in labor and peak at
birth. Prolactin is also a hormone of submission or surrender (in primate troops, the dominant male has the lowest prolactin level)
and produces some degree of anxiety. In the breastfeeding relationship, these effects activate the mother's vigilance and help her to
put her baby's needs first. The baby also produces prolactin while in the womb, and high levels are found in amniotic fluid, possibly of
uterine or placental origin.30 The function of prolactin in the baby is unknown.

Undisturbed Birth
Undisturbed birth is exceedingly rare in our culture, even in birth centers and homebirths. Two factors that disturb bir th in all mammals
are firstly being in an unfamiliar place and secondly the presence of an observer. Feelings of safety and privacy thus seem to be
fundamental. Yet the entire system of Western obstetrics is devoted to observation of pregnant and birthing women, by both people
and machines; when birth isn't going smoothly, obstetricians respond with yet more intense observation. It is indeed amazing that any
woman can give birth under such conditions. Some writers have observed that, for a woman, having a baby has a lot of parallels with
making a baby: same hormones, same parts of the body, same sounds, and the same needs for feelings of safety and privacy. How
would it be to attempt to make love in the conditions under which we expect women to give birth?
For birthing Maia Rose, my fourth baby, I arranged a situation where I felt very safe and very private, and I had my shortest, easiest,
and most ecstatic labor and birth-one and a half hours with an 8-pound, unexpectedly breech baby. I believe this birth proceeded
optimally because I was totally free to follow my instincts, and because I felt safe and private. Each woman must labor where, and with
whom, she feels safest, and my situation would not suit everyone. But it underscores the huge gap between what was ideal for me and
my baby, physiologically and hormonally, and the standard care offered in most hospitals.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Birth&Bunnies* 
Ecstatic Birth: The Hormonal Blueprint of Labor Mothering Magazine - Issue 111, March/April 2002
By Sarah J. Buckley

Giving birth in ecstasy: this is our birthright and our body's intent. Mother Nature, in her wisdom, prescribes birthing hormones that
take us outside (ec) our usual state (stasis) so that we can be transformed on every level as we enter motherhood. This exquisite
hormonal orchestration unfolds optimally when birth is undisturbed, enhancing safety for both mother and baby. Science is also
increasingly discovering what we realize as mothers- that our way of birth affects us life-long, mother and child, and that an ecstatic
birth, a birth that takes us beyond our Self, is the gift of a lifetime.
Four major hormonal systems are active during labor and birth. These involve oxytocin, the hormone of love; endorphins, hormones
of pleasure and transcendence; epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones of excitement; and prolactin, the mothering hormone.
These systems are common to all mammals and originate in our mammalian or middle brain, also known as the limbic system. For
birth to proceed optimally, this part of the brain must take precedence over the neocortex, or rational brain. This shift can be helped
by an atmosphere of quiet and privacy, with, for example, dim lighting and little conversation, and no expectation of rationality from the
laboring woman. Under such conditions a woman intuitively will choose the movements, sounds, breathing, and positions that will birth
her baby most easily. This is her genetic and hormonal blueprint.
All of these systems are adversely affected by current birth practices. Hospital environments and routines are not conducive to the
shift in consciousness that giving birth naturally requires. A woman's hormonal physiology is further disturbed by practices such as
induction, the use of painkillers and epidurals, caesarean surgery, and separation of mother and baby after birth.

Hormones in Birth
Oxytocin
Perhaps the best-known birth hormone is oxytocin, the hormone of love, which is secreted during sexual activity, male and female
orgasm, birth, and breastfeeding. Oxytocin engenders feelings of love and altruism; as Michel Odent says, "Whatever the facet of Love
we consider, oxytocin is involved."
Oxytocin is made in the hypothalamus, the "master gland" deep in our brains, and stored in the posterior pituitary, from where it is
released in pulses. It is a crucial hormone in reproduction and mediates what have been called the ejection reflexes: the sperm
ejection reflex with male orgasm (and the corresponding sperm introjection reflex with female orgasm); the fetal ejection reflex at birth
(a phrase coined by Odent for the powerful contractions at the end of an undisturbed labor, which birth the baby quickly and easily);
and, postpartum, the placental ejection reflex and the milk ejection, or let-down reflex, in breastfeeding.
As well as reaching peak levels in each of these situations, oxytocin is secreted in large amounts in pregnancy, when it acts to enhance
nutrient absorption, reduce stress, and conserve energy by making us more sleepy. Oxytocin also causes the rhythmic uterine
contractions of labor, and levels peak at birth through stimulation of stretch receptors in a woman's lower vagina as the baby
descends. The high levels continue after bir th, culminating with the birth of the placenta, and then gradually subside.
The baby also produces oxytocin during labor, perhaps even initiating labor; so, in the minutes after birth, both mother and baby are
bathed in an ecstatic cocktail of hormones. At this time ongoing oxytocin production is enhanced by skin-to-skin and eye-to-eye contact
and by the baby's first suckling. Good levels of oxytocin also protect against postpartum hemorrhage by ensuring good uterine
contractions. In breastfeeding, oxytocin mediates the let-down reflex and is released in pulses as the baby suckles. During the months
and years of lactation, oxytocin continues to keep the mother relaxed and well nourished. One researcher calls it "a very efficient
antistress situation which prevents a lot of disease later on." In her study, mothers who breastfed for more than seven weeks were
calmer than mothers who did not. Outside its role in reproduction, oxytocin is secreted in other situations of love and altruism, for
example, sharing a meal. Researchers have implicated malfunctions of the oxytocin system in conditions such as schizophrenia,
autism, cardiovascular disease, and drug dependency, and have suggested that oxytocin may mediate the antidepressant effect of
drugs such as Prozac.

Beta-endorphin
As a naturally occurring opiate, beta-endorphin has properties similar to meperidine (pethidine, Demerol), morphine, and heroin, and
has been shown to work on the same receptors of the brain. Like oxytocin, beta-endorphin is secreted from the pituitary gland, and
high levels are present during sex, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. Beta-endorphin is also a stress hormone, released under
conditions of duress and pain, when it acts as an analgesic and, like other stress hormones, suppresses the immune system. This
effect may be important in preventing a pregnant mother's immune system from acting against her baby, whose genetic material is
foreign to hers.
Like the addictive opiates, beta-endorphin induces feelings of pleasure, euphoria, and dependency or, with a partner, mutual dependency.
Beta-endorphin levels are high in pregnancy and increase throughout labor, when levels of beta-endorphin and corticotrophin
(another stress hormone) reach those found in male endurance athletes during maximal exercise on a treadmill. Such high levels help
the laboring woman to transmute pain and enter the altered state of consciousness that characterizes an undisturbed birth.
Beta-endorphin has complex and incompletely understood relationships with other hormonal systems. In labor, high levels will inhibit
oxytocin release. It makes sense that when pain or stress levels are very high, contractions will slow, thus "rationing labour according
to both physiological and psychological stress." Beta-endorphin also facilitates the release of prolactin during labor, which prepares
the mother's breasts for lactation and also aids in the final stages of lung maturation for the baby. Beta-endorphin is also important in
breastfeeding. Levels peak in the mother at 20 minutes, and beta-endorphin is present as well in breastmilk, inducing pleasure and
mutual dependency for both mother and baby in their ongoing relationship.

Fight-or-Flight Hormones
The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline and noradrenaline) are also known as the fight-or-flight hormones or,
collectively, as catecholamines (CAs). They are secreted from the adrenal gland, above the kidney, in response to stresses such as
fright, anxiety, hunger, or cold, as well as excitement, when they activate the sympathetic nervous system for fight or flight.
In the first stage of labor, high CA levels inhibit oxytocin production, therefore slowing or inhibiting labor. CAs also act to reduce blood
flow to the uterus and placenta, and therefore to the baby. This makes sense for mammals birthing in the wild, where the presence of
danger would activate this sympathetic response, inhibiting labor and diverting blood to the major muscle groups so that the mother
can flee to safety.
In humans, high levels of CAs have been associated with longer labor and adverse fetal heart rate patterns. After an undisturbed
labor, however, when the moment of birth is imminent, these hormones act in a different way. There is a sudden increase in CA levels,
especially noradrenaline, which activates the fetal ejection reflex. The mother experiences a sudden rush of energy; she will be upright
and alert, with a dry mouth and shallow breathing and perhaps the urge to grasp something. She may express fear, anger, or excitement,
and the CA rush will cause several very strong contractions, which will birth the baby quickly and easily.
Some birth attendants have made good use of this reflex when a woman is having difficulties in the second stage of labor. For
example, an anthropologist working with an indigenous Canadian tribe recorded that when a woman was having difficulty in birth, the
young people of the village would gather together to help. They would suddenly and unexpectedly shout out close to her, with the shock
triggering her fetal ejection reflex and a quick birth.
After the birth, CA levels drop steeply. The new mother may feel shaky or cold as a consequence. A warm atmosphere is important, as
ongoing high CA levels will inhibit oxytocin and therefore increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Noradrenaline, as part of the ecstatic cocktail, is also implicated in instinctive mothering behavior. Mice bred to be deficient in noradrenaline
will not care for their young after birth unless noradrenaline is injected back into their system.
For the baby also, birth is an exciting and stressful event, reflected in high CA levels. These assist the baby during birth by protecting
against the effects of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and subsequent acidosis. High CA levels at birth ensure that the baby is wide-eyed and
alert at first contact with the mother. The baby's CA levels also drop rapidly after an undisturbed birth, being soothed by contact with
the mother.

Prolactin
Known as the mothering hormone, prolactin is the major hormone of breastmilk synthesis and breastfeeding. Traditionally it has been
thought to produce aggressively protective behavior (the "mother tiger" effect) in lactating females. Levels of prolactin increase in
pregnancy, although milk production is inhibited hormonally until the placenta is delivered. Levels further increase in labor and peak at
birth. Prolactin is also a hormone of submission or surrender (in primate troops, the dominant male has the lowest prolactin level)
and produces some degree of anxiety. In the breastfeeding relationship, these effects activate the mother's vigilance and help her to
put her baby's needs first. The baby also produces prolactin while in the womb, and high levels are found in amniotic fluid, possibly of
uterine or placental origin.30 The function of prolactin in the baby is unknown.

Undisturbed Birth
Undisturbed birth is exceedingly rare in our culture, even in birth centers and homebirths. Two factors that disturb bir th in all mammals
are firstly being in an unfamiliar place and secondly the presence of an observer. Feelings of safety and privacy thus seem to be
fundamental. Yet the entire system of Western obstetrics is devoted to observation of pregnant and birthing women, by both people
and machines; when birth isn't going smoothly, obstetricians respond with yet more intense observation. It is indeed amazing that any
woman can give birth under such conditions. Some writers have observed that, for a woman, having a baby has a lot of parallels with
making a baby: same hormones, same parts of the body, same sounds, and the same needs for feelings of safety and privacy. How
would it be to attempt to make love in the conditions under which we expect women to give birth?
For birthing Maia Rose, my fourth baby, I arranged a situation where I felt very safe and very private, and I had my shortest, easiest,
and most ecstatic labor and birth-one and a half hours with an 8-pound, unexpectedly breech baby. I believe this birth proceeded
optimally because I was totally free to follow my instincts, and because I felt safe and private. Each woman must labor where, and with
whom, she feels safest, and my situation would not suit everyone. But it underscores the huge gap between what was ideal for me and
my baby, physiologically and hormonally, and the standard care offered in most hospitals.

Hey I know you







That's very interesting. Thanks for posting it!


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## AuntG (Apr 2, 2007)

With my first, no-pit labor I felt that profound bonding. With the second, pitocin induced, I only felt unbelievable pain. After getting an epidural, and not being able to feel any of the movement of my baby leaving my body, the bonding experience was not immediately there.

Now here I am due in 12 days and just last night the nightmare of pitocin contractions came to me and for the VERY first time, I felt insanely afraid of this impending birth. I KNOW the natural labor was not as bad, but apparently the pitocin left an indelible imprint in my mind and it's decided to surface at just the wrong time! Cursed pitocin!


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntG* 
With my first, no-pit labor I felt that profound bonding. With the second, pitocin induced, I only felt unbelievable pain. After getting an epidural, and not being able to feel any of the movement of my baby leaving my body, the bonding experience was not immediately there.

Now here I am due in 12 days and just last night the nightmare of pitocin contractions came to me and for the VERY first time, I felt insanely afraid of this impending birth. I KNOW the natural labor was not as bad, but apparently the pitocin left an indelible imprint in my mind and it's decided to surface at just the wrong time! Cursed pitocin!

Ugh! So sorry







PITOCIN IS ICKY. ICKY ICKY ICKY. Oh did I say icky? I meant repulsive. Cursed be pitocin! Cursed to the ground!!


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## AuntG (Apr 2, 2007)

Yes, icky!

I'm sorry about your experience! At least I was oblivious after a while. My uterus could have exploded like the a-bomb and I wouldn't have known it. But, the epi had consequences that were worse than the pit. I just remember the bonding experience being totally different.

Looks like no one here has fond memories of it!

VERY icky stuff!


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntG* 
Yes, icky!

I'm sorry about your experience! At least I was oblivious after a while. My uterus could have exploded like the a-bomb and I wouldn't have known it. But, the epi had consequences that were worse than the pit. I just remember the bonding experience being totally different.

Looks like no one here has fond memories of it!

VERY icky stuff!

I got an epidural too. At 9 cms







: I know I could have done it. And yeah, I can see how the bonding experience is less when pit. is used. (NAK)


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## junamoss (Jun 24, 2004)

I am sorry this happened to you! Pit is awful. Some nurses are just brutal running it. I am not a pit pusher. With the bleeding, it seems if you have been on pit with labor, the pit after does nothing and we have to do yucky stuff like hemabate,methergine or cytotec.

The average amount of pitocin in a woman's body in a completely natural delivery is 6 milliunits. It is suprising that most of my pts (in hospital) end up turned down to nearly this amount unless there are other things going on.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

I really truly feel like my body was abused that day. Not from my hips spreading in labor, not from anything except pitocin. The whole time I was thinking, "God, this doesn't feel right. God, this doesn't feel right". I am thoroughly convinced women should never be put on this stuff and I'm almost to the point of thinking it should be considered a safety hazzard and be banned.

My midwife came to me afterward and said, "To be honest, I didn't know if you would pull through". How scary! How horribly scary to even think that I might have lost too much blood that day and died in childbirth. That is not supposed to happen now-a-days. I just felt so jipped that day. I still have nightmares about it.

I have actually even felt like I've gone through somewhat of a grieving process because I really do feel like I lost something- besides just blood of course. I lost a joyful experience. I lost a natural, unmedicated birth that I had wanted. I lost bonding time with my precious son after he was born and could not even hold him for a half hour after he came out because they had to pound my tummy so the blood wouldn't clot- all this because of one damn thing: pitocin. I hate it so much and I want to spread the word to every mommy-to-be to never use it.


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Quote:

I might have lost too much blood that day and died in childbirth.
If any doctor is honest with you, what has saved women in childbirth IS NOT universal hospitalization, but it has been blood transfusions and antibiotics, both of which do not require a hospital. The routine pitocin given to you caused or enhanced the postpartum hemmorhage you experienced.

Dr. Mendelsohn said many times in lectures I attended:

"Obstetricians are like firemen; they both save lives - only firemen usually do not start the fire."

I am glad you feel better MommyofWills. I hope you are enjoying your little guy more and more everyday.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *applejuice* 
If any doctor is honest with you, what has saved women in childbirth IS NOT universal hospitalization, but it has been blood transfusions and antibiotics, both of which do not require a hospital. The routine pitocin given to you caused or enhanced the postpartum hemmorhage you experienced.

Dr. Mendelsohn said many times in lectures I attended:

"Obstetricians are like firemen; they both save lives - only firemen usually do not start the fire."

I am glad you feel better MommyofWills. I hope you are enjoying your little guy more and more everyday.

Thank you


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## CEG (Apr 28, 2006)

In my hospital we prepare for the possibility of post partum hemorrhage when Pit is used for more than 6 hours. Especially if the patient ends up with a c-section. One of the risk factors for PPH is 6+ hours use of pit. I think the explanation I was given in nursing school was that the oxytocin receptors become oversaturated after a certain amount of time.


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## sarahjewel (Jan 3, 2007)

Geez, I was on it for my birth and I am *SOOOOO* glad I didn't have any problems with it! Now I know, for the next one, not to, just in case (It was a medically necessary induction, but still!).


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

Birth&Bunnies - that was a terrific article, thanks for posting it!


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 







: Pitocin is horrific.

Absolutely!! It does not feel right, it is NOT right!! After my pit induced labor I too vowed never again. I didn't end up with an epidural but I was screaming and I wanted to die, not good and it took me years to come to terms with the trauma of it (I don't know if I'll ever be completely over it though).


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## Birth&Bunnies (Jan 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 
Birth&Bunnies - that was a terrific article, thanks for posting it!

















: ah thanks


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