Injection to deliever placenta

The injection is a does of syntocin, which is a synthetic oxytocin (the same drug they use to induce labour if required but in much smaller doses). 

I had a managed 3rd stage with my DD and have to have one with this baby too so am unable to give you a comparison I'm afraid but the pro (and the reason my haemotologist and ob told me to have it) is that it's very effective at expelling the placenta and you're less likely to have bits left over in the womb.

The injection doesn't hurt nor do the contractions which it induces - not after what you've just been through anyway.  It is safe for you and baby and safe for breastfeeding.  My only suggestion is to get someone to hold the baby for you once the injection goes in because it works very quickly and you'll soon be delivering the placenta.

Having said that if I didn't need it for medical reasons I mightn't use it.  I never got the choice so didn't even consider it.  It will be interesting to see what others say.

i said to my midwife that if she recommended it at the time, to tell me. With jake i had it. with taine i didn't.

I agree with the others, having the injection meant delivery of the placenta was easy and over quickly with no hassles. My cousin didn't have the injection and she ended up having to have surgery to deliver the placenta several hours after bubs was born (she also had a bad haemorrhage before surgery). This meant she had to stay in hospital much longer than planned and wasn't allowed to see her baby for ages, interfering with establishment of breastfeeding. Hearing of her experience made me say "yes" to the injection .

double post



Edited by anna_bana

Ok, slightly random question... where do they jab you?

I had it and it came out within 2 mins of having it. It was great. I just wanted to get to know Daniel rather than wait for it to happen naturally which could possibly take a while.

It's a jab in the thigh.

I decided against it, it's not really necessary (in a trouble-free birth, that is). The wait between stages is not long nor is the "birth of the placenta" painful....uncomfy perhaps but not every time.

One thing that you should know is that if you decide to have it, you will bleed less at the time of the birth but you'll have more PP bleeding in the days following. When I was at hospital with Kaela, there was a bad batch of syntocin (not trying to scare you, but it is one of the things that can happen) and a number of women haemorraged after the birth and ended up in theatre to help with that bleeding. On the other hand, if you don't have the syntocin you will bleed more during the actual birth but less in the days following. You'll still have PP bleeding for a few weeks though.

With Ollie I had decided to let things happen naturally. As it was I didn't have any contractions after he was born. My mw recommended I have the jab. Even after I had the jab I still didn't have anymore contractions. I was taken to hospital where they found the placenta was very high in my uterus and very stuck! I was given a spinal and the placenta was removed manually.

Because of what happened with Ollie I had to have the jab after Lilia. Her placenta came away pretty soon after.

Both times I was able to hold and feed my babies straight away, it didn't have any effect on that.

If/when we have another bub, I would like to let it happen naturally, however would always be guided by my mw.

As we were collecting and storing DD's cord blood, my midwife recommended it. The injection didn't hurt at all, didn't even notice it, and the placenta came out about 6 minutes later I think. I just had gas for the birth and didn't notice any side effects at all from the injection.

I'd have it again, main reason being the sooner everything is out the sooner you can get up and move around - I was in the shower half an hour later

I didn't have it, but it still only took 6 minutes for my placenta to come out. A gentle push and it slid out no problems. You should be able to keep holding bubs while it's going on.