Oh my word! I was told the very same lie by a L&D nurse with my first! Having birthed several more times without pitocin involved I can say they are NOT the same. I had transition-intense contractions immediately, and all through labor, with no break. That’s what pitocin did for me, and I didn’t like it. If there’s truly “no difference” then why does pitocin induction dramatically increase risk of uterine rupture even in women who haven’t had a previous c-section? SOMETHING is different…

Note: I do realize not all pit labors go like mine did, some women have it and aren’t in extreme “kill-me-now” pain from the beginning. That’s how it affects *me* and based on others’ stories, I am not the only one.

NOT the same!! I had two with and two without. I kept my sense of humor all the way through with the two without – I kept thinking it would get worse like with pitocin and it never did!
Also, my first induction was with an OB – 6 hour labor start to finish (and my first baby, too!), and the second was with a CNM – 17 hour labor. She started me with 1/2 the amount of pitocin than the OB and raised the levels every 30 minutes instead of every 20 like the OB did. It all depends on how much of a rush your practitioner is in…
Naturally, my next two babies were born at home, and I plan to have ‘em all that way. So much more fun!

The doctor that said this must be a man. I work in L&D as a nurse and there is absolutely a difference! Women who are being induced are in way more pain, 99% of the time. Pitocin is evil.

Kat: ‘transition intense contractions’ is a great description. I’ve attended both inductions and an unmedicated birth, now – and there is a big difference. My most recent client, the unmedicated mom, was able to manage her sensations, and reported being most uncomfortable when ‘interrupted’ by hospital staff (we had a little issue with care providers not being able to get good fetal heart tone readings on the EFM, then trying to convince her, right before transition, to have an internal fetal monitor put in), and then in transition. When I talked with her this weekend, I asked her if she felt like she could do it again, and she said, “Sure. But without the silly worrying hospital people, please.”

Definite ditto on the ‘transition intense contractions’. My first was a pitocin induced labor and several hours in those contractions hit and didn’t stop. As soon as one was ending the next was starting. I couldn’t get an epi for an hour and spent that hour curled up on my bed flipping out because I was experiencing one long never ending contraction and let me tell you – not fun.

I just had my second two weeks ago, this time a natural labor, and the only time I felt ready to throw in the towel was when I was in transition (and didn’t realize it). The labor leading up to it was sometimes intense but always bearable. I’ll fight tooth and nail to never have an induction again.

I actually had a reasonable pitocin induction with my first. I think my midwife did a good job of raising the pit at the same sort of rate that oxytocin would flow naturally. Still, the science tells us that endorphins rise in response to both the level of pain AND the level of oxytocin in the brain. My understanding is that pit cannot cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the brain from the general circulation, so in a pit birth, endorphins never rise as high as in a natural oxytocin birth.

My sister started labor naturally, went to the hospital (military), labored for awhile, but they decided to give pitocin. She didn’t get an epidural until they administered pitocin (and her contractions were fairly well established). She ended up with 3 epidurals and still felt the contractions pretty hard. She vows next time it will be different.

I was the one who submitted this quote

My pitocin was dialed up and I did well up to a point. But then it became excruciating. I could not move and all I wanted to do was scream. Unfortunately, every other woman on the floor was medicated with an epi, so it was nice and quite and I felt uncomfortable vocalizing. I begged for the epidural.

For my second birht, I had a hoem birth. It was so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so much easier! I actually asked if I was in active labor (contractions every 1.5 minutes, but only last 20-30 seconds) because it was so EASY!. The midwives laughed. Apparently, that was active labor Two hours later I was holding my baby after a fabulous waterbirth.

No more induction/pitocin for me

Ive heard TWO nurses say this.

Gee, that’s not what all the medical literature says.

It’s not always true that pitocin ctx hurt worse. I’ve had one natural labor and 2 inductions and my pitocin deliveries were MUCH less painful. Oh, and my pitocin deliveries were also successful VBACs after the natural labor resulted in a c/s. Go figure. Since you can’t experience the same birth with and without pitocin, and all births are different, no one can say, can they? Hmmmm…. Nope!