Breast pump vs. pitocin: a natural way to induce labor?
NCT ID NCT05079841
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study compares using an electric breast pump (or hand stimulation) to standard oxytocin infusion for inducing labor in nearly 1,000 first-time mothers. The goal is to see if nipple stimulation leads to more spontaneous vaginal deliveries and better experiences for moms and babies. Researchers will also measure oxytocin levels in a smaller group to understand how the body responds.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- electric breast pump (nipple stimulation)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free, more natural way to start labor for first-time mothers, potentially reducing the need for medical interventions like Pitocin.
- What could go wrong
- This is a Phase 4 study, but it's still early to know if nipple stimulation is as effective or safe as standard oxytocin. Results may not apply to all women, and there is a risk that labor may not progress as needed.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
933 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2021
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Nulliparous * Gestational age 36 0/7 weeks and greater at enrollment * Singleton gestation * Planned to undergo initiation of exogenous oxytocin infusion by their maternity care provider * Spontaneous rupture of membranes or if membranes intact, modified Bishop score ≥5 and cervix dilated \<6 cm within one hour of enrollment * Ability to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to understand English or Spanish * Prior use of exogenous oxytocin or attempt at nipple stimulation during the current pregnancy * Presence of tachysystole (defined as more than 5 contractions in 10 minutes averaged over 30 minutes), recurrent variable or late fetal decelerations, and bradycardia in the prior 30 minutes before enrollment * Non-vertex presenting fetus at time of enrollment * Planned for cesarean delivery or contraindication to labor by institutional policy (e.g., placenta previa, vasa previa, active genital herpes infection, previous transmural myomectomy) * Multi-fetal gestation (e.g., twins, triplets, and higher-order multiples) * Intrauterine fetal death * Major fetal anomaly suspected prenatally (defined as a fetal anomaly with anticipated neonatal intensive care unit admission) * Suspected alloimmunization (given the increased likelihood for anticipated neonatal intensive care unit admission) * Known severe fetal growth restriction (estimated fetal weight \<3rd percentile) or abnormal umbilical artery Doppler studies (given the increased likelihood for anticipated neonatal intensive care unit admission) * HIV infection (nipple stimulation is not encouraged given the recommendation for these mothers not to breastfeed) * Participation in another interventional study that influences management of labor and delivery or perinatal morbidity or mortality * History of mastectomy or other contraindication to use of electronic breast pump * Known allergic reactions to components of the electronic breast pump or to synthetic oxytocin intravenous solution * Significantly impaired consciousness or executive function (e.g., intubated or sedated)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, 10065, United States
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Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States
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