What is general anesthesia?

Having general anesthesia means that you go completely to sleep. General anesthesia is rarely used for cesarean birth.

If the baby shows signs of distress and an emergency cesarean delivery is required, general anesthesia may be the fastest method for delivering your baby, unless an epidural catheter was placed earlier in labor.

Before you go to sleep, you will receive oxygen to breathe from a face mask for a few minutes. Then you’ll receive medication though your vein (usually "Pentothal") to make you lose consciousness, and additional anesthesia will be given as needed during the operation. After the baby is delivered, you will be given pain medication so that you will have less discomfort when you wake up after the operation.