My experience may be way out of date, but FWIW: Giving pitocin after
birth has been standard care at my local hospital for years and years.
After my first baby, I did a lot more studying and realized that the
extra pitocin really wasn't necessary for a standard, no-complications
childbirth, and so I negotiated this with my OB well before delivery. He
agreed, but with each baby made me sign a longer and longer consent
statement that said to the effect: "I understand that in not receiving
pitocin after birth that I risk hemorrhage; and that in risking
hemorrhage, I risk transfusion; and in risking transfusion, I am risking
getting HIV/AIDS, and death."  My physician agreed with me, but he had
to practice defensive medicine, which was kind of sad. I don't know if
it would be harder to convince him to waive the pitocin now as opposed
to my last delivery 15 years ago, but I'd sure be very insistent on this
point if I had another baby.

~Lisa Marasco

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