Understanding Anesthesia
Prior to delivery, we feel it is important for all patients to be familiar with possible pain relief options for labor and delivery, and for the physicians of our group to be familiar with your medical information. If you have not had epidural analgesia before, it is required that you review the education information found on this website as well as submit the Health History and Insurance forms.
If you have had an epidural in the past, we do ask that you please fill out new Health History and Insurance forms so we have updated information about you prior to your delivery.
Understand your anesthesia options
Managing the pain of labor is a universal concern for women during childbirth. The most popular option of medical pain management in the United States is epidural analgesia. Other options include IV narcotic pain relievers (ordered by your OB physician) and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). A labor epidural is the most effective pain relief in labor. We’ve provided these resources to help you better understand your options.
Understanding Cesarean Section Anesthesia
Many women are understandably concerned about the prospect of a Cesarean Section (also called C-Section). Our main priorities during the procedure are the safety and comfort of the mother and baby. The choice of anesthesia for Cesarean Section depends greatly on whether the procedure is planned in advance, decided during labor, or is the result of an emergency.
Understanding anesthesia and pain management options used during and after a Cesarean Section is important, even for mothers who are planning a vaginal delivery. Please review the following resources, and let us know if you have questions or concerns.
We’ve provided these resources to help you better understand your options.
We ask any patient with significant medical problems to call the office in order to be referred to one of our anesthesiologists.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please send a secure message through our Contact Form, or call our office at 314-469-6800.
Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to meeting you!