Childbirth and anesthesia
An Anesthesiologist is available 24 hours a day at Sacred Heart Medical Center to provide anesthesia services, if needed, for the delivery of your baby.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists has prepared a brochure which explains:
- Types of pain medications for labor and delivery
- How they are given
- How pain relief methods work
Brochure
Pain Relief During Labor and Delivery (PDF - 331 kb)
Excerpt from the brochure:
Each woman's labor is unique.
The amount of pain a woman feels during labor may differ from that felt by another woman. Pain depends on many factors, such as the size and position of the baby and the strength of contractions.
Some women take classes to learn breathing and relaxation techniques to help cope with pain during childbirth. Others may find it helpful to use these techniques along with pain medications.