Additional Pain Management During Delivery
Many women do not need any additional pain management methods or treatment during delivery, but additional options are available to your physician for the following needs:
Episiotomy
When you are ready to deliver, your physician or midwife may decide to perform an episiotomy to enlarge the birth opening. For this procedure, a local anesthetic is used.
Cesarean section
If you require a cesarean section, a spinal anesthetic will most likely be used, unless an epidural catheter is already in place. In this procedure, local anesthetic is injected into the spinal fluid, relieving all pain and sensation in the lower portion of the body, from the nipples to the toes. you will be awake during the delivery; however, you may receive a sedative after you have had a chance to hold your baby.
A cesarean section performed in an emergency situation may require general anesthesia. This form of anesthesia involves going to sleep with intravenous medication and breathing anesthetic vapors with a special breathing device during surgery.