Birth Guide: Spinal Anaesthesia for Pregnant Women

The safest form of anesthesia for Cesarean section is a spinal anesthetic. A local anaesthetic drug is injected through a needle into the small of your back to numb the nerves from the waist down to the toes for two to three hours. All spinal anesthetics contain a local anesthetic and/or a narcotic. 

Risks involved with a Spinal:

- Bleeding/Infection

- Infection is greatly minimized with disinfectant.

- Spinal headache.

Other feelings you may have:

- Nausea

- Shivering

- Shortness of breath

- Chest/shoulder pain. 

- Some situations will require the use of general anesthetic.

- Family members may not be present during initial administration.

- They will be allowed into the operating room for the delivery of the baby.

- There may be many other people in the operating room during the surgery.

- They are all there to help care for you and your new baby.

- A total of two people of your choosing are allowed in the operating room to be with you during the procedure.

- It usually will take only a few minutes to place the spinal needle.

- As the needle enters the spinal fluid it is common to feel pressure or funny bone sensation down one side.

- It will only take 4-5 minutes from spinal injection to when the medication takes effect and surgery may begin.

- Before surgery begins the OB will test a final time to see if the spinal medication is working properly.

- It is common to experience the feeling of pressure and movement during the procedure.

- If you feel any pain let the anesthesiologist know right away.

- A long acting pain medication will be administered that will assist pain control for 8-12 hours.

- If you have increasing pain let your nurse know and they can administer additional pain medication.

- An anesthesiologist is in the hospital at all times if you have any questions.