Towards the end of pregnancy, many women feel less than comfortable with their situation. Although there's undoubtedly some excitement over the impending introduction to their brand-new child, for which they've waited so long, there's also sometimes a feeling of wanting things to be over. There are many women who wish to be induced and many who want to avoid it if at all possible. And for the former group, there are some who are all about that Pitocin and those who don't want it to come anywhere near them. If you fall into the latter camp, you should know the alternative drugs to Pitocin just in case you end up needing to be induced.

In an interview with Fit Pregnancy, labor and delivery nurse Jeanne Faulkner explained that Pitocin is the synthetic version of oxytocin, the naturally occurring hormone that makes your uterus contract during labor. So why might some women want to steer clear? Well, in 2013, researchers at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City published a study that found that pitocin may cause "adverse effects" including a spike in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admissions. Although doctors aren't quite willing to discourage its use, it's clear that more analysis is needed to better understand how Pitocin can affect the baby, not just the mother. If you're strongly anti-Pitocin, talk to your physician and see if these alternative drugs are an option for you.