Is there any evidence that shows that pitocin to prevent PPH after an unmedicated, natural birth is warranted? Routine doses of pitocin postpartum seem almost unavoidable now in the hospital setting. What are the risks to mom? ~~Wendy Kogler

Henci- I was at the Lamaze conference in Phoenix and just want to thank you for being available like this.  This is great!  I am trying to get lots of things changed at the hospital where I work and it is great to feel like I have access to someone so up to date with the current research.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I am also wondering about "active management" of 3rd stage with starting Pitocin running wide open with delivery of the anterior shoulder.  Some MDs I work with are doing this and I heard one of our homebirth midwives said that when you do this, the cervix can close sooner, thus giving a shorter window for the placenta to deliver.  Is there any research about this topic?

I wrote about active management of third stage recently, so the easiest thing to do is to give both of you the link to that post.

-- Henci