Postpartum depression (PPD) is a well-known complication of childbirth, affecting up to 13% of new mothers.
Postpartum anxiety (PPA), though not always mentioned as frequently as PPD, affects as many as 1 in 5 new mothers.
Both PPD and PPA can turn the already challenging transition to parenthood into a crisis and can even lead to hospitalisation.
Pitocin Linked To Postpartum Depression And Anxiety
Due to the impact PPA and PPD can have and the number of women that suffer from these mood disorders, many healthcare professionals are working to find causes, treatments and ways to prevent them.
New research shows an increased risk of PPA and PPD when women are exposed to the induction drug, Pitocin (known as Syntocinon in Australia and the UK), during labour.
What Is Postpartum Depression And Anxiety?
Postpartum depression, also known as postnatal depression, and postpartum anxiety are mood disorders which begin within 12 months of giving birth. Women experiencing PPD might confuse the symptoms for the common ‘baby blues’ but PPD lasts beyond the initial 2-week postpartum adjustment.
Women with PPD or PPA often experience:
- Insomnia (being unable to sleep even when baby is sleeping)
- Drastic appetite changes
- A feeling of being completely overwhelmed with motherhood, not simply finding the adjustment challenging
- Sadness for no known reason
- Anger and irritability
- Worry for no known reason
- Shame and blame about not enjoying motherhood or finding it challenging
- Feelings of hopelessness about adjusting to the new baby, not just finding it challenging.
Having the occasional anxious thought can be a common part of the postpartum adjustment and happens to most new parents at some stage. However, if the anxious thoughts are impacting your wellbeing and ability to go about your day, it could be PPA.
You can learn more about anxious thoughts by checking out Scary Thoughts? Why New Mothers Have Anxious Thoughts.
What Did Research Find About Pitocin And PPD/PPA?
Oxytocin is a natural hormone our bodies produce when we feel good, when we’re in labour, while we’re breastfeeding and when we experience close contact with a loved one. It’s frequently called the ‘love hormone.’
Oxytocin is also responsible for causing uterine contractions and thus plays a huge role in labour. At the actual moment of birth, women experience one of the highest surges of oxytocin in their lives, priming them for bonding with their baby.
Pitocin/Syntocinon is a synthetic version of this hormone, which is used to induce or speed up labour. It’s also used to prevent or treat postpartum haemorrhage.
Perinatal psychiatrist, Dr. Kristina Deligiannidis at Feinstein Institute in Manhasset found Pitocin could impact postpartum mood.
Dr. Delgiannidis’s original thought was Pitocin might be linked to lower rates of postpartum mood disorders. After all, oxytocin is a feel-good hormone.
Her research found the exact opposite. Women with a history of pre-pregnancy depression or anxiety had a 36% increased risk of PPD or PPA if they received Pitocin during the period just before or just after birth.
Women without a history of pre-pregnancy depression or anxiety had a 32% increased risk of PPD or PPA. This was compared to women who did not receive any Pitocin just before or after birth.
Does Pitocin Cause Postpartum Depression?
The study found a connection between Pitocin and postpartum depression and anxiety. It’s a correlation, but not necessarily a clear cause. The research simply found that women who received Pitocin had an increased risk of PPD and PPA.
The exact reason the two are related wasn’t found in this study.
How Could Pitocin Increase The Risk Of PPD/PPA?
While oxytocin is a naturally occurring feel-good hormone, Pitocin is synthetic. Pitocin does trigger uterine contractions, but it doesn’t have the same impact as natural oxytocin when it comes to feelings of euphoria, bonding, etc.
Birth is a complex hormonal process and it makes sense that any interference comes with risks (in addition to benefits when medically necessary). When we add synthetic hormones to the body, we could be interfering with the body’s naturally occurring hormones.
Pitocin also has side effects which could impact the birth experience and baby’s initial adjustment after birth. A difficult birth or mother baby separation could easily impact postpartum mood.
Is Using Pitocin Worth The Risks?
Birth is a natural physiological process that often progresses quite well without assistance. Occasionally, birth doesn’t unfold well and medical intervention is necessary for mother and/or baby. In these situations, the benefit to mother and/or baby outweigh the potential risks.
When a pregnancy or birth are happening without complication, medical interventions don’t always have a benefit which outweigh the risks. This is especially true of Pitocin as we know it carries risk for both mother and baby.
You can read more about Pitocin risks in BellyBelly articles Induction of Labour – The Risks of Inducing Labour and Does An Induction Of Labour Affect A Baby? 5 Things To Know.
If your pregnancy or birth require Pitocin, it’s important to understand that the known benefits (e.g. imminent birth to end preeclampsia, stop postpartum hemorrhage, etc.) outweigh potential risks. An increased risk isn’t a guarantee you will experience a negative side effect.
However, knowing the risk, even when it’s medically necessary to have Pitocin, can help you be prepared if you experience a side effect.
In this case, knowing there’s an increased risk of PPD and PPA can help you and your partner look for signs and seek immediate treatment. While postpartum mood disorders can be challenging, they are treatable.
