11/12/2025
I've got a bone to pick with the L&D staff who administer Pitocin.
They almost always tell people in labor that they'll be starting it low and slow, which is the typical protocol, but fail to mention that to the patient. The way they say it makes the patient believe that they are being done a favor or being treated with extra care because they aren't administering it high and fast. So, of course, the patient sees this as an act of kindness and agrees to get Pitocin, which the staff uses to create contractions 2-3 minutes apart.
From the jump, the patient is expected to keep up with a pattern that most women don't experience until 7 cm. Patients are never told that they can choose to ease into it by aiming for contractions that are a bit more spaced. They also aren't informed that they can choose to decrease or turn off Pitocin if the contractions become too intense or if they just need a break.
I always encourage my clients to be active participants in the administration of Pitocin. They inform the staff that they might choose to turn it down or off, and will require consent before the dosage goes up. They also know that once they hit 6 cm, they can back it off to see if their own body can create natural contractions.