Are Pitocin Contractions More Painful than “Normal” Ones? | Episode 69

This is part two of our Pitocin deep dive (if you haven't listened to episode 68 yet, hit pause and go do that first - it lays the foundation for everything we talk about here). In this episode we're tackling the question I get asked about more than almost anything else on social media: are Pitocin contractions more painful than spontaneous ones? I walk you through the real differences between Pitocin and oxytocin - how they act on your uterus in similar ways but flow through your body completely differently, why Pitocin tends to be more rhythmic and relentless compared to the natural ebb and flow of spontaneous labor, and why the fact that Pitocin doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier (so you miss out on some of that natural endorphin flood) matters so much for how contractions feel.

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But here's the thing - I'm not going to give you a flat yes or no on this one, and I explain exactly why. I share two totally opposite experiences with Pitocin to show you just how much nuance is actually at play here, and then I walk you through the questions I think you should actually be asking yourself before you're ever in an induction situation - things like your environment, your care team, your relationship with your nurse, and your own mindset going in. My hope is that you leave this episode not with a scary verdict about Pitocin, but with a roadmap: real understanding, real questions to ask, and genuine empowerment for whatever your induction story ends up looking like.

More from this episode:

Listen to episode 68: Yes or No to Pitocin? 8 Things You Need to Know Before Your Birth

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

Helpful Timestamps:

• 00:00 Pitocin Changes Things
• 01:41 The Big Question
• 03:16 Pitocin vs Oxytocin
• 05:41 How Labor Flows
• 10:55 Real Stories and Nuance
• 12:54 Questions to Ask
• 15:24 Hopeful Takeaways

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

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