Pain Management

Labor and delivery is a different experience for each woman. We are here to make this the best experience you can have- and to help you make safe decisions for yourself and your baby. We will never advocate anything that poses risk to you or your baby without discussing the risks first.

NATURAL LABOR- Many women labor without the use of pain medication. We encourage the use of walking, showering and rocking. The hospital has a squatting bar and "yoga balls" available for you upon request. We require intermittent monitoring of the baby- between walks and showers. Occasionally a baby require continuous monitoring (being hooked up to the monitoring machine all the time). Those women may sit in a rocking chair, stand next to the bedside or use different positions as comfort dictates. We work closely with several local Doula's- please feel free to ask for referrals from your doctor.

IV NARCOTICS- We typically use Stadol as an IV pain medication for labor. It is a medication somewhat like Demerol or Morphine. Your nurse can give you this medicine through your IV based on your doctor's orders.

EPIDURAL- All of our doctors allow patients to have epidurals. They are administered by an Anesthesiologist who is in the hospital 24 hours/day. The anesthesiologist who gives you your epidural is also covering trauma emergencies in the hospital. Our doctors have different policies about the timing of your epidural- please discuss this with your doctor if it is important to you. Should you have a c-section, your epidural can usually be used to provide pain control during and after the c-section.

SPINAL- We usually utilize a "Spinal" for women who have scheduled c-sections. This is slightly different than an epidural- and requires less medication to get adequate pain relief for surgery.