One more reference on Cytotec & Pit

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Here are two points I can't document, but you might ask a medical librarian (or run a medline) to find out about. At the l997 DONA conference, Marshall Klaus MD spoke about the difference in the mother's experience when she is producing a lot of her own oxytocin, vs. when she's receiving oxytocin from outside her body. Endogenous oxytocin is produced in the pituitary gland in the brain, and although much of it goes out into the bloodstream and makes contractions, some of it stays in the brain and raises the woman's pain threshold. Pretty convenient system, as her body makes more contractions and they get more painful, her pain threshold rises. Aritificial oxytocin - Pitocin - goes in thru a vein and can't cross the blood brain barrier, so the mom gets more pain without raising her pain threshold. Ow. About cytotec, a nurse-midwife friend told me she won't use cytotec on a mom who'se working toward a VBAC. Cytotec is thought to soften collagen. It's used to soften the cervix for inductions, but the mom's circulation to her cervix is so close to her circulation to her cesarean scar, my friend would rather not chance the cytotec softening her scar too.

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Amy
Provisional Birthworks Childbirth Educator
Provisional Birthworks Doula

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