Anesthesia for c-section

During a cesarean birth, you will be given anesthesia to block pain. You will be watched closely. There are a few types that may be used. They are:

• Spinal or epidural. These block pain from an entire region of the body. A doctor or nurse with special training will give you numbing medicine. It's given near your spinal cord and the nerves around it.
• General. This uses medicines that make you unconscious. It affects your whole body. You won't feel pain during the procedure.

With spinal and epidural anesthesia, you'll get a shot to numb the skin on your back. Then the doctor or nurse will put a needle into the numbed area. For a spinal, you'll probably get a shot of numbing medicine near your spinal cord. For an epidural, usually a thin tube (catheter) is placed through the needle into the space next to the spinal cord. Then the needle is removed. The tube stays in your back to supply the numbing medicine.

General anesthesia may be given through a needle in a vein. Or it may be breathed in. During surgery, a specialist will watch you closely. They will adjust the medicines as needed to keep you safe.