Yes or No to Pitocin? 8 Things You Need to Know Before Your Birth | Episode 68

Pitocin is one of those topics that comes up in almost every birth conversation, and it can feel so spicy - like you have to pick a side before you even understand what it is. So in this episode, I'm pulling the spice out of it and just giving you the practical, foundational stuff: what Pitocin actually is (hint: it's synthetic oxytocin, not the real thing, even though the bag says otherwise), how it's different from the oxytocin your body naturally makes, and why the fact that it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier actually matters for how your labor might feel. I'm walking you through eight things I think every person giving birth should know - from how it's dosed and titrated, to what your nurse is actually watching for on that monitor, to the difference between Pitocin during labor versus that standard dose you get afterward to help prevent hemorrhage.

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My goal here was never to tell you whether to say yes or no to Pitocin - that's not my job, and it never will be. What I want is for you to walk away understanding it well enough that when it comes up in your own labor, you feel educated instead of overwhelmed, and you know exactly what questions to ask. Because at the end of the day, you don't have to be pro-Pitocin or anti-Pitocin. You just deserve to understand what it is so you can be part of that conversation when the time comes.

Mentioned in this episode:

Listen to episode 60: Induction Part 2: Induction Methods - Foley Bulbs, Pitocin, AROM, & More

Listen to episode 59: Induction Part 1: What You Need to Know Before We Talk About How it's Done

Listen to episode 20: Active Management or Hands Off? Your Third Stage of Labor Options with Miri Halliday, BS, CPM, LM

Helpful Timestamps:

• 00:00 Pitocin
• 04:05 What Pitocin Is
• 06:15 Risks And Tradeoffs
• 09:08 Pitocin Vs Oxytocin
• 11:24 Blood Brain Barrier
• 13:18 Dosing And Bishop Score
• 18:25 Nurse Monitoring And Titration
• 22:12 Contraction Goals And IUPC
• 23:49 Third Stage Pitocin Choice

About your host:

Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.

For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.

For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen!

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Disclaimer

Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.

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Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

Mentioned in this episode:

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