Interesting Study on Pitocin

Ever since a not so positive birth experience when Luke was born I have been reading and contemplating and conversing about medical intervention during labor and birth. Although I do see it as positive in very obvious circumstances (ie: when mother recieves a c-section when the baby or mother's health or life is threatened) I do not support the "run of the mill" interventions that are often given to laboring women to help "speed things along". I think one of my new pet peeves has actually become women who induce early simply due to physical discomfort (hey we are ALL uncomfortable when we are pregnant it doesn't last forever!) or because they seem to think the baby is getting "too big" or my favorite that I recently heard (and kills me because it is someone I am related to) "the ultrasound shows the baby is fully developed so the baby must be ready to be born". Baby's know when they are ready! as do our bodies!
But I am already off on a tangent.
Personally in my first birth experience I was very uninformed (but actually a run of the mill woman expecting her first child - I think we are all in a different place "then" before we know what we know now if you know what I mean). I was in some la-ta-de-da world thinking that because I had given my OB/midwife team a list of requests (such as I wanted to avoid an episiotomy if at all possible and did not want any pain meds but would consider an epidural when the time came - and you know my midwife was actually the one talking me into the epidural praising it like it was free gold) that all my expectations would be met. HA was I wrong. I was given Pitocin at some point right around my water breaking and I only know this because my husband recalls this, not me. I was also given an episiotomy and I only know this because of all the damage that they were repairing from the extra tearing after the baby was deliverd, because nobody told me I was getting one and at this point I was very alert and remember the entire pushing and actual birth of Luke. Unfortunately I cannot go back and change what is done but I am glad I have educated myself and am preparing for what I think will be a positive birth experience next time around simply for the fact that although I may not be in control of the labor and birth itself (specifically how long I will labor, where I may end up actually giving birth, etc etc) I am in control of the experience because I have armed myself with knowledge, positive support, and people I trust to guide my through it.
Here is an interesting article about the long term negative effects of Pitocin from a blog I enjoy reading I hope you enjoy it...
Long Term Effects of Pitocin.