What a load of malarkey! I just gave birth without an IV and without any Pitocin. My placenta came out just fine and didn’t have any bleeding problems. Why do doctors and nurses insist on SCARE TACTICS to make women bend to their will?!

Uhm…had 4 without pit, they came out fine. The 5th one I got an IV right after (consented but thought that was weird) then the nurse just put pit in and I didn’t know why. Last time nurse did it, but the OB had pulled the placenta out and then I had a clot or part of the placenta stuck. He retrieved it and the pit had already been given. I don’t know if it did any good or not, I just know that I didn’t need it at all probably 5 times…never had bleeding issues until the doctor pulled on the cord….

Ah yes. I think many L&D nurses believe this is true. I have had a few say it to my clients. I reassure them it isn’t true and if my clients have a birth plan approved by their OB ahead of time then it is easily proven incorrect.

This is actually not complete “malarkey”. After I gave birth, I had a lot of heavy bleeding because part of the placenta was still attached. I refused pitocin during the birth but knew that it was the only way to induce contractions strong enough to expel the rest of the placenta so I would not bleed to death. There is a good reason for this: to save the mother’s life.

Leyla, pitocin is only indicated if mom is already bleeding (as you were), not “just in case.” There is nothing to indicate that the woman who submitted this quote was already bleeding.

I didn’t hemmorhage after my daughter was born, but I was given pitocin as a matter of course–they didn’t ask and I certainly didn’t consent.

Leyla, many of the medical interventions done during birth could potentially save a mother’s (or baby’s) life if used properly and with an actual *need.* The problem is when those potentially life-saving interventions are done routinely and without purpose, thus exposing moms and babies to additional risks without any benefit.

My son was born at home with a CNM but we had to transfer to the hospital after his birth (meconium aspiration, shoulder dystocia). The homebirth was happy and empowering despite the complications. When the OB at the hospital discovered I had not delivered the placenta yet, she PULLED IT OUT, causing me to hemorrhage, and then she fed me the same line about needing to give me Pitocin or I would bleed to death. It was the OB who made me bleed! OBs love to do that: create problems and then act like its the MOTHER who did something wrong! Oh BTW she then came back into my room 3 times over the next day to “make sure I didnt have anymore pieces of placenta inside” (even though it came out in one piece), which involved literally raping me with her hand. I seriously think it requires being a sadist to be an OB.

not my post, but this did happen to me, i almost bled out because only part of the placenta detached and i was hemorrhaging inside, pooling up behind the placenta. i had stopped contracting completely so i needed the pitocin, in fact i was a lil upset at my CNM for waiting soooo long to give me the pit and deliver the placenta. i have pictures of the placental delivery – it literally looks like a water faucet on full blast, of blood just pouring out of me!

so, there could be more to this story.