Syntocin injection to deliver placenta - is it worth it?

[impatientfirsttimer]

I've got a factor 10 deficiency which means from time to time my blood fails to clot properly - cue heavy periods etc. But I haven't really suffered from it badly for years. Yet my consultant has strongly recommended I have the syntocin injection to deliver the placenta because I'm planning to deliver at a lovely little midwife unit and they would have to transfer me if I bled too much.

My personal feelings are: I'm planning to breastfeed immediately, I don't like needles, I wanted to donate the cord blood (for research) and I won't be able to if they have to clamp the cord immediately and I think they are just being a bit arsey because I've refused to go to a 'proper hospital' to deliver.

To be fair to the consultant she may be right but having been told that 'since this is an important baby you want to make sure you are in the right place' which seems to translate into 'come to our big scarey hospital and be poked a lot' I'm suitably dubious.

So I was wondering what the experience of mums out there was.

Should I tell the consultant that actually having considered her advice I'd like to stick to my original plan (entenox/water/no doctors and as little intervention as possible), or should I agree to the injection?

Also how long after delivery can you wait before having the injection because if you can wait fifteen minutes then maybe it'd come on its own anyway?

Rachel
40+3

I had endometriosis too btw

I had it the first time but not the second, as I had terrible palpitations the first time and the placenta was quicker the second time around. Personally, the second time I thought what's the point in having an injection for something my body will do anyway and obviously more efficiently. The World Health Organisation has some intersting facts about what constitues heavy bleeding after deivery and the use of the injection which was what helped me make ny mind up. Also, in some hospitals it's poicy not to give the injection unless there's a problem. Asfor being too tired my placentas both practically fell out, no effort required

i had it the first time and was sick and shaky etc. didn't have it the 2nd time and felt much better physically. placenta delivered quite quickly and wasn't painful at all.

Hello, personally I wouldn't worry about not liking needles and the breast-feeding stuff. With the needle I agree with evilannie that you probably won't even notice after what you've been through! and with the breast-feeding, I have never heard that having syntocin interferes with that...?

FWIW, I wasn't planning to have the injection and my first midwife was fine with that, but then they changed shifts and for some reason the second midwife just nagged and nagged and nagged at me to have it. I kept saying no thanks (or rather gasping it between contractions!) but after the birth she asked again and I was so knackered I just couldn't be bothered to argue and said "fine just do it". Afterwards I wondered why I had been so anti it, I didn't feel the injection, and it meant that the whole thing was over and the medical staff buggered off and left me and my partner to have some special time with the baby. Next time round I wouldn't really care either way.

Basically if the refusal to have the injection is likely to jeopardise your place at the midwife unit I wouldn't hesitate for a moment - just have it, it's not that big a deal IMO.

I wanted a physiological third stage, but wish I hadn't, because my placenta was retained. I had to be transferred to the big scary hospital, had a spinal block after no drugs in labour and the recovery was horrid. I breast fed immediately and had two injections when it didn't deliver and nothing worked. If there is a question mark over your placenta I really wouldn't take the chance. Can't they give you teh injection at the midwife run unit? That's where I had mine.

I try for as natural as possible any day...hjad to wonderful natural Births, and a rubbish high intervention one which started as my desired Homebirth and ended in rather undesired Emergency C-section....sigh....!
Anyway, usually, if you have no drugs like pethadine or and Epidural it actually is better if you don't have syntocin, unless you obviously showing problems at the time.
Had a right hoohaa with my es when I refused the injection, in the end m/w told me, well, I am going to get that now, as all her coaxing and telling me to push did no good....well, just as she left the room, big contraction came and woops there it was one healthy placenta, lol...I think sometimes they do forget that things will happen naturally in their own good time without any problems, because they are sooo bound to stupid Hospital protocols, grrr, and so used to drugged deliveries...

I've always had it. There have been no probs. i prfer to get the third stage over and done with quickly so that I can get cleaned up and get on with being with the baby.

This is a really good article on the pros and cons of physiological and active third stages.

Really don't want to freak you out cos as you know (and can tell from reading MN) all labours end up being unique. I wanted natural labour, but ended up needing intervention; rapid contractions, no dilation.THis meant that I was put on an oxytocin drip, and an IV for fluid and eventually a diamorphine injection for the pain. After ds was born 22 hours later, (by which time I was attached to so much machinery: monitor on belly, monitor on baby's skull, tens machine, gas and air, the 2 IV drips)I had seen so many needles that I no longer cared how they got the placenta out. It was just a relief to hold and feed ds, have the hundreds of wires removed and move on from the whole thing. I REALLY hope that your labour is as you wish and certainly don't let yourself be PUSHED into anything that makes you uncomfortable, but it may be worth having an open mind about the syntocin- really, all I remember feeling was a profound desire to finish the whole thing and get on with my main objective of being a mum.

Hi Impatient, why don't you ask for bloods to be taken now to check your "clotting status", it's a simple one off blood test, you will probably be used to the having had factor 10 in the past, if clotting levels are normal you are then fully informed for making your choice about a physiological third stage.

I had Misoprostol tablet for third stage with my first two, but wanted to try physiological with my third. In the end I opted for the Syntometrin injection after about 20m because I found the afterpains more distressing than the labour pains. (Not more painful, but somehow more distressing.) In any case, with all my labours I had insisted that no drugs be given me for thrid stage until after the cord had been cut.

I winced at the injection, but really only felt the prick, nothing else, and the constant waves of afterpains turned into distinct but painless contractions, far more bearable and not upsetting at all.

So you could really have your cake and eat it in this case: try out a physiological third stage, and go for the injection if you want to at any time you want.

In your position I would try to minimise bloodloss because you're tired enough after giving birth and your body can go into shock (mine does), so you really don't want to have to deal with an extra stress.

I had syntocinon after both of my deliveries and didn't notice it being given either time - they give it as the shoulder is delivered and really, you aren't going to notice the needle prick just then!
Placenta delivered easily and quickly both times. I BF immediately too, but would still have the syntocinon. Massive PPH still kills people (albeit rarely) and if you're at risk of bleeding why take that risk? You'd be able to have the injection at the MW led unit and it would reduce your risk of needing to be transferred.

For my first I was really anti having syntocin because I wanted to wait til the cord stopped pulsating and my baby had had all the cord blood available before it was cut. I put all this in my birth plan, and the mws stuck to my plan to the letter. It was only about 6 months later that I realized that, because dd was born with the cord wrapped firmly round her neck (she was a fetching shade of blue) the cord had to be cut as she was being born! So I could have had the jab and got on with meeting dd, rather than waiting in a squatting position for nearly 40 minutes for the placenta to arrive! For ds, I had the jab, didn't notice it happening, the placenta followed ds within minutes and we could be cleaned up and out of the delivery room in half an hour tops. I wouldn't jeapordize getting the birth you want over this issue. There are lots of battles worth fighting - I don't think this is one.

We waited with both births until the cord had stopped pulsating, then cut the cord and then had the injection and the placenta then popped out neatly. It was all very straightforward.