Debbi,

First, a note from the word-police - oxytocin is a natural substance created
in the brain. Pitocin is a synthetic drug which does not cross the
blood-brain barrier and does not benefit the baby at all. Tpically pitocin
is used, because it is relatively cheap and created in a lab.

Most women today have labors initiated or augmented with pitocin. Since
pitocin can create atypical muscle contractions (really strong contractions
with little rest/relaxation in-between), it can leave the uterus tired/limp
after the delivery, which increases the risk of hemmorhage. The universal
post-partum pitocin shot assumes that all women had pitocin during delivery,
and the risk of hemmorhage is too great without. Similar to the universal
prophalactic antibiotic adminstration in the eyes (assumes all women have
gonnorhea).

Best wishes,
Sam Doak

<<


Wasn't the point of the oxytocin injection that, in the olden days when no
one was bfdg, moms needed it to help the uterus contract and avoid too much
bleeding?
Why are we still giving it to moms whose babies are latched on and bfdg as
Morgan's baby was?  Just a leftover tradition?

Debbi Heffern, who was also the recipient of oxytocin shots and doesn't
understand. But, by golly, once those babies were out, I was so tired that a
little shot was the least of my worries.  Oh, the things we didn't know. . .
St. Louis, MO

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