It's Your Birth Right!!

This has certainly been a hot topic over the past few days and I wanted to quickly add my 6 cents to the conversation.   As a labor nurse and a midwife it is distressing to me to know that this continues to go on in many areas of the country. I have been fortunate in that the facilities where I have worked over the past few years do not subscribe to this philosophy.  Please know that there ARE providers, there ARE nurses, and there ARE hospitals that do NOT believe in this philosophy or tolerate it for their patients. Having said this however, I know that it does exist and it is unfortunate and can create bad outcomes for everyone.  Pitocin can be used safely but when abused it is definitely a dangerous drug. 

I initially saw a post re: Pit to distress yesterday over at Enjoy Birth where she talked about helping her clients avoid this scenario.  I made a comment on her post that I copied here …

“ It is so important for women to really understand that it is their birth, their induction, their body, their labor room etc… It is sooooo reasonable to ask your nurse to take it slow on the Pitocin. It is not a race. Her shift ends in 8 or 12 hours whether you have your baby or not. Take control of your birth and make it what you want it to be. I would also add that “a good pattern” is so relative. Let her know directly you are not interested in having contractions every 1-2 minutes. This is NOT necessary and this is when mothers and babies get into trouble. In fact having greater than 5 contractions in 10 minutes is considered “Tachysystole” and a reason to turn the Pitocin DOWN!! Yes…. down. And this is my final point, just as easily as a nurse can INcrease  pitocin, she can DEcrease it. Ask her to. Its your birth. Own it!!”

This is the most important thing for women to understand.  It is YOUR birth and YOUR experience. The thing is, when you are in labor the last thing you want to be worried about is if your provider is giving orders for your nurse to “Pit to Distress.”  This is why it is so important for you to do as much research even BEFORE you are pregnant to choose the right provider, and while pregnant to choose the right Birth Team. These things are CRUCIAL to your experience.  It is important to stay informed and to be your OWN advocate. 

Pregnancy, labor, delivery, induction and the like, especially when you make the decision to have a hospital birth becomes a fine balancing act. It’s almost like doing a dance where the choreography is completely spontaneous.  Nurses have to spin around policies and procedures,  leap over doctor’s orders, plie’ to patients wishes and occasionally do an arabesque just to keep her sanity.   There are many nurses who have learned to do the dance and these nurses are able create a waltz, a jitterbug, or a fine ballet, whatever is necessary to help their patients achieve the birth they desire.  Many others however, either don’t care or don’t have the skill set and never catch the rhythm to make that happen.

Back to Pitocin …. As always, Melissa over at Nursing Birth has written two FANTASTIC posts, Pit to Distress Part I and Part II about this topic.   She gives examples, and in her “Tell it like it is style” she tells you about the attitudes of providers who really do want to “pit to distress.”  In Part II she gives a great account of the “Top 7 ways to protect yourself from unncessary and harmful interventions”  These are a must read if you are considering an induction or a hospital birth.  Understanding that induction and pitocin can be like a fine ballet, she also discusses the dance of Pitocin, if you will…

“It is also important to remember that that running pitocin is much more of an art than a science.  Therefore you might think she is being “mean” if she is increasing your pitocin since you are only contracting every 6 minutes but remember, running the pitocin lower than is needed to cause cervical change isn’t going to help you either.  No nurse wants her patient to end up in the OR for “failure to progress” because she didn’t turn the pitocin up enough.  There is a happy medium somewhere that most nurses are trying to find.  So please, know that sometimes, even if you really feel like those “every 6 minute” contractions are strong enough already, it is important for the nurse to titrate the medication to achieve an effective labor pattern that promotes a vaginal delivery with a healthy baby. “

She then goes on to say what can never be said enough… you have GOT to speak up and ask questions.

“If your nurse is NOT doing these things then it is your right to ask questions!!!  However, please remember for your own sake that when asking questions, one attracts more flies with honey than vinegar.  Don’t start yelling at her or demanding a new nurse.  Give her a chance and ask questions first!  She might just be so busy that day that she is in the zone.  Most nurses are happy to teach when asked!”

And if your provider and or your nurse make you feel like you should not be asking questions, ask them ANYWAY!!!   If you can’t do it make sure someone on your birth team can… your birth experience, your baby, and even your life depends on it!!! 

Read more about Pit to Distress in these other fine blogs {Unnecesarean  and Keyboard Revoluntionary)

In Birth and Love
Nicole