Pitocin

Andrea Ford

Pitocin

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

Pitocin is a drug form of oxytocin, ‘the love hormone.’ It is used in birth to regulate labour. It is given via an intravenous line and is only used in hospitals. Pitocin versus ‘natural’ oxytocin has become a key point of tension in debates over the ‘right’ way to manage birthing bodies. Oxytocin works in myriad rhythms and ways and affects people’s feelings and perceptions, while Pitocin doesn’t reach the brain so it only affects the muscles, causing uterine contractions that can be problematically strong. Pitocin can be a helpful tool but there is concern about its over-use. Ideas about ‘hormone cascades’ shape ways of understanding what birth is and how and where it should happen.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Hormonal Theory
Subtitle of host publication	A Rebellious Glossary
Editors	Andrea Ford, Roslyn Malcolm, Sonja Erikainen, Lisa Raeder, Celia Roberts
Publisher	Bloomsbury
Pages	179-189
Number of pages	11
Publication status	Published - 7 Mar 2024

Publication series

Name	Theory in the New Humanities
Publisher	Bloomsbury Academic

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

birth
reproduction
oxytocin
hormones
hormonal drugs
synthetic hormones
emotions
pain
hormone cascades
hospital care
self-cultvation
environmental influence

Access to Document

17_PitocinAccepted author manuscript, 933 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

Cite this

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title = "Pitocin",

abstract = "Pitocin is a drug form of oxytocin, {\textquoteleft}the love hormone.{\textquoteright} It is used in birth to regulate labour. It is given via an intravenous line and is only used in hospitals. Pitocin versus {\textquoteleft}natural{\textquoteright} oxytocin has become a key point of tension in debates over the {\textquoteleft}right{\textquoteright} way to manage birthing bodies. Oxytocin works in myriad rhythms and ways and affects people{\textquoteright}s feelings and perceptions, while Pitocin doesn{\textquoteright}t reach the brain so it only affects the muscles, causing uterine contractions that can be problematically strong. Pitocin can be a helpful tool but there is concern about its over-use. Ideas about {\textquoteleft}hormone cascades{\textquoteright} shape ways of understanding what birth is and how and where it should happen. ",

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language = "English",

series = "Theory in the New Humanities",

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AB - Pitocin is a drug form of oxytocin, ‘the love hormone.’ It is used in birth to regulate labour. It is given via an intravenous line and is only used in hospitals. Pitocin versus ‘natural’ oxytocin has become a key point of tension in debates over the ‘right’ way to manage birthing bodies. Oxytocin works in myriad rhythms and ways and affects people’s feelings and perceptions, while Pitocin doesn’t reach the brain so it only affects the muscles, causing uterine contractions that can be problematically strong. Pitocin can be a helpful tool but there is concern about its over-use. Ideas about ‘hormone cascades’ shape ways of understanding what birth is and how and where it should happen.

KW - birth

KW - reproduction

KW - oxytocin

KW - hormones

KW - hormonal drugs

KW - synthetic hormones

KW - emotions

KW - pain

KW - hormone cascades

KW - hospital care

KW - self-cultvation

KW - environmental influence

UR - https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hormonal-theory-9781350322981/

M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

T3 - Theory in the New Humanities

SP - 179

EP - 189

BT - Hormonal Theory

A2 - Ford, Andrea

A2 - Malcolm, Roslyn

A2 - Erikainen, Sonja

A2 - Raeder, Lisa

A2 - Roberts, Celia

PB - Bloomsbury

ER -

Pitocin

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Hormonal Cascades: An Introduction

Hormonal Theory: A Rebellious Glossary

Cite this