HealthPartners - Preparing for childbirth

GENERAL ANESTHESIA This type of anesthesia is systemic, meaning that it affects your entire body, including your baby. You won’t receive general anesthesia if you are in labor. You may receive it if you need an emergency cesarean birth and time is a factor. General anesthesia may also be used if you need a cesarean but are unable to have an epidural block or spinal block for some reason. An anesthesiologist administers the medication through your IV. Once this is done, you will be unconscious and feel no pain. You will have an endotracheal tube placed down your throat to help you breathe while you’re under anesthesia.

After the baby is born and your incision is closed, the anesthesiologist will gently wake you up. You’ll probably be groggy for a short time and will need pain medication in the recovery room. The breathing tube may also cause you to have a sore throat for a couple of days. Be sure to talk to your health care provider about anesthesia and pain control before your labor begins. Share any concerns you may have about the effects on you and your baby. Keep an open mind and know your options ahead of time so that you can make informed decisions (if you need to) during labor.

MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

Some people will feel pain even when they use pain medication. If you keep practicing the comfort measures that have worked for you, it can help you relax through the pain.

Fetal Monitoring Monitoring a baby’s heart rate during labor is a good way to track how well the baby (fetus) is doing and if there are any problems. There are 2 types of fetal monitoring: external and internal.

During labor, your health care team will check your baby’s heart rate using a hand-held doppler or electronic fetal monitor. If you’re healthy and your pregnancy is considered low risk, ACOG recommends that your baby’s heart rate be checked every 30 minutes while you’re in active labor and every 15 minutes while you’re pushing. If you have risk factors, monitoring may be done more often. Continuous fetal monitoring will be required: • If labor is induced or augmented with Pitocin • If you have an epidural block • If your baby’s heart rate changes • If you or your baby has a health problem

SCAN + PLAY

EXTERNAL FETAL MONITOR An external fetal monitor includes 2 devices called transducers that are placed on your belly when labor begins. One continuously gathers information about the baby’s heart rate. The other records the frequency and duration of your contractions.

NEED TO KNOW

Telemetry is a type of electronic fetal monitoring that uses radio waves instead of wires. Telemetry monitoring gives you more freedom to move around and do comfort measures such as walking, showering, or using a birthing ball.

Chapter 5: Medical Interventions

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