Pitocin is usually administered in low concentration in large volumes of IV
fluid.  It has to given by infusion precisely because of its short
half-life - there has to be new pitocin coming into the body all the time
because the old stuff is broken down.

Pitocin also resembles anti-diuretic hormone - it will work to conserve
fluid in the body.  Giving it in IV infusion gives pitocin a perfect
opportunity to cause edema, and if there is an epidural sited as well, the
additional fluid magnifies the edema potential even further.  Even when the
pitocin is gone, the fluid is still there, and the body takes its sweet time
in re-establishing normal fluid balance, as we all know.

If you haven't read about (Kermaline) Jean Cotterman's reverse pressure
softening technique (see the archives, or see www.health-e-learning.com and
look for articles) and you work in a setting with lots of IVs to laboring
women, you are missing out on a nearly magical trick of our trade when
dealing with edematous breasts that make latching difficult.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway
where we only have about 15% epidurals but at least 4 times that many women
are given pitocin to accelerate labor at some point :(

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