https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:01:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1867684 Thu, 18 Sep 2014 09:33:36 +0000 edelweiss 1867684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i'm really sorry for what you have been through and your loss.</p> <p>i labored without pitocin for a few hours, then asked for an epidural and they started me on pitocin. unfortunately my epidural wore off and i labored with pitocin, no pain meds, for several hours (they tried to fix the epi several times but to no avail). it was, as everyone has said and you experienced, very painful because i was getting at most a few seconds between contractions. it was, at least to me, much worse than laboring naturally (although my med-free natural labor was at the early stages). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1867464 Thu, 18 Sep 2014 08:17:24 +0000 artsyfartsy 1867464@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was on pitocin and labored naturally for 12 hours but only made it to 4cm. The contractions were nothing compared to what I had thought they would be. I only ended up taking the epidural so I could sleep a little because I was progressing so so slowly. </p> <p>Granted, I only made it to a 4 before I opted for a c section (I knew after 14 hours that a vaginal birth wasn't happening) so I may have said differently had I progressed farther. But compared to what most have said about pitocin contractions, mine were a breeze. </p> <p>I'm sorry you had a horrible experience. I think about you often. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1867437 Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:57:56 +0000 Mae 1867437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: Also, just fyi (not that I'd necessarily suggest it, but if it was something you decided to do...).. I ended up with a c-section and it was not NEARLY as bad as I expected. And mine was emergency so I'm sure that a scheduled one would be even easier. I did have an annoying post-op complication (my incision opened up) but it wasn't a huge deal health wise, just gross and a hassle. The pain afterwards was a million times better than expected, I never even took anything other than ibuprofen or tylenol. The worst of it was not being able to pick LO up in her carseat for 6 weeks. But that just made me get super comfortable with wearing her in the moby from the start so I wasn't trapped at home and I think that was a blessing in disguise. So if you really can't face labor-- there are other not-that-horrible options! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866837 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:25:01 +0000 sarac 1866837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Absolutely a different experience. Before pit, I was coping with the pain. Afterwards, forget it. I wouldn't try to do pitocin without an epidural. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866741 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:41:08 +0000 Dandelion 1866741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: I had D naturally, and S was a pitocin labor, because labor stalled when she died. S's was way worse!</p> <p>Pitocin is bad, but you and I had the worst of it, because the baby wasn't doing their part. You had to be 100%, when usually the baby is doing their movements. It's SO MUCH HARDER. Even with pitocin, a birth of a live baby is way easier.</p> <p>I totally how how traumatic it can be. It's the biggest reason I chose a c section with M. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866659 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:58:44 +0000 Torchwood 1866659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: @oliviaoblivia: Thank you. And the people there really were wonderful, and did everything they could to make it as easy as they could. I'm grateful to them. It has to suck to be in that situation trying to help people, and knowing there's nothing you can do to make parts of it easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866650 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:55:51 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1866650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: that whole side of what happened to you is horrific. Having to make that decision is awful enough, but then to have such a difficult experience after you've been through so much just seems mean. It's not right that you had to go through all that. I'm so so sorry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866648 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:54:54 +0000 Arden 1866648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: I'm so sorry, what a horrible situation. It's insane that you couldn't have the procedure in a normal, local, hospital with an epidural. I hope this changes soon so that other women don't have to go through so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866646 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:53:22 +0000 Torchwood 1866646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>And thank you to all for the responses. It does make me feel a little better to hear that other people had trouble with the pitocin. (And for the record, they dropped me down to the minimum amount very quickly when they saw how I responded to it. It didn't help, or at least not that I could tell.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866639 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:52:01 +0000 Torchwood 1866639@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oliviaoblivia: It's not their fault that they can't provide good pain relief. They just don't have the staff or facility for it, because of how controversial it all is. General anesthesia makes it more dangerous, and that or an epidural or anything requires an anesthesiologist. It's really infuriating, but until something changes in the attitudes Americans have towards abortions, even medically necessary ones, there's no way around it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866620 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:42:02 +0000 Mae 1866620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a few hours of contractions started just by cervadil (so not natural but not pitocin yet) then a few hours of contractions with pitocin before I got my epidural. The pitocin made it SO MUCH WORSE. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866616 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:40:06 +0000 jetsa 1866616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Only one labor here and it was without pain meds and with pitocin the whole time. I was induced due to maternal high blood pressure; while the contractions are crazy intense until I was in transition they weren't never ending. At one point early on they were and the nurses were quick to lower the amount of pitocin because they said I should have a break between them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866593 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:24:16 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1866593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I labored for a day and a half without pitocin and could manage without pain meds (it wasn't a walk in the park) and then pitocin for half an hour before I asked for the epi.<br /> I can't believe they didn't give you anything. Pitocin contractions are no joke. </p> <p>That said I ended up with a csection and it wasn't nearly as awful as I expected it to be.<br /> So many hugs to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866550 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:04:05 +0000 AprilK 1866550@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had pitocin with my son who was born at 34 weeks b.c my water broke. No pitocin with my daughter who was born at 38.5 weeks. The contractions were SO different that I barely realized I was in labor with my daughter - I was 8cm when I got to the hospital and had her like an hour later. I will say that even with an epidural with my son his birth was 100 times worst than my natural non-pitocin labor with my daughter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866473 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:34:19 +0000 Arden 1866473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pitocin makes contractions stronger, longer, and closer together. It is absolutely harder to cope with than drug-free labor. Inductions of any kind are harder on your body than spontaneous labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866469 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:30:26 +0000 ShootingStar 1866469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had both, but I pretty much only remember the pitocin contractions. Would an epidural be an option the next time? I barely felt anything with my epidural. And there's nothing wrong with having a c-section. It may be a much easier experience for you. I hated my induction and will go straight for the c-section next time because it was so much better than the stuff I went through in labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866467 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:29:10 +0000 blackbird 1866467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pitocin is CRAZY. I labored most without it, then got pain relief. I absolutely cannot believe they couldn't give you something :( How awful. I have no experience sans pitocin, though, but I hope you get the help you need :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866452 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:23:39 +0000 rachiecakes 1866452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went into labor as soon as my water broke.<br /> I was induced with Cervidil but my water broke shortly after getting the Cervidil put in. I think because of my baby's position (posterior), I only experienced back labor. I felt my whole belly drop when my water broke. It was like he was resting on a balloon that popped.<br /> There was no gradual build up of contractions. It came on fast and furious, I could barely get words out before I would start to see stars and feel like my spine was electrified with a contraction. </p> <p>I think there are a lot of factors that play into how labor will be. :(<br /> :::big hugs::: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866448 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:22:19 +0000 cmomma17 1866448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am very sorry for your traumatic experience and your loss. :heart: </p> <p>I have only had one baby, but I had un-medicated (pain meds) labor, mostly without pitocin, and then pitocin at the end. Pitocin definitely upped the intensity and the pain and made labor worse.</p> <p>I hope counseling helps you and you're able to have the type of birth experience you want to have in the future. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youve-labored-with-and-without-pitocin#post-1866434 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:15:56 +0000 Torchwood 1866434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does it really make that much of a difference? Please say it does.</p> <p>Most of you are aware I had a late term abortion for medical reasons, and the last bit of that involves basically giving birth (though it's a little different in some ways). Because it's not done in a hospital with an anesthesiologist, there's no option for an epidural or any significant pain relief, and since you can't exactly wait to go into labor naturally, you have to be on pitocin. And it was really, really traumatic. I've always wanted to try for a natural birth, but now I'm terrified of any kind of birth other than a scheduled c-section. If we try again, I'll be looking into counseling for that. There were a lot of factors that contributed that wouldn't apply to a normal birth (I was left alone for most of it, I don't do well on most narcotic painkillers, etc), but I'm wondering how much the pitocin contributed to it. I know it kept things more intense, given that within minutes of starting the IV I was having contractions 90 seconds or less apart, with barely any break. But for those who have had it both ways, with pitocin and without, how different were your experiences? </p>