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<div class="HwContainer HwElement" id="HwContainer"><a class="HwMainSkipNavigation" href="#HwContentTitle"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Skip Navigation</span></a><div class="HwBlock" id="HwMain" role="main"><div class="HwRow"><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar1"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomSidebar"> </div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnContent"><div id="HwContentTop"> </div><div class="HwTypeFocus HwContentWrapper HwElement" role="article" id="HwContentWrapper"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentTop"> </div><div class="HwContentHeader"><p><a name="top" id="Hwtop"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Top of the page</span></a> </p></div><div class="HwContentTitle"><h1 id="HwContentTitle" tabindex="-1">Local Anesthesia for Childbirth</h1></div><div class="HwContentTopNavigation"> </div><div class="HwContent"><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tn7464-sec"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="b4cb0a40" fingerprint-exact="e7c3d1bb">Overview</h2> <figure class="HwMedicalImage HwMedicalImageWrapper hw-medical-figure HwMedicalImageOptional" data-hw-width="300"><img data-hw-resource-path="media/medical/hw/bld190347_kb.jpg" alt data-hw-height="200" data-hw-width="300" src="https://ixbapi.healthwise.net/Resource/13.6/en-us/media/medical/hw/bld190347_kb.jpg" hw:resource-path="media/medical/hw/bld190347_kb.jpg" hw:release-quarter="13.6"></figure> <p fingerprint="39ff7649" fingerprint-exact="561836a5">Local anesthesia for childbirth is most commonly given as a shot that numbs the area around the vagina just before an episiotomy is done. An episiotomy is a cut made in the tissue between the vagina and anus just before the baby's head starts to emerge. (The tissue is called the perineum.) The cut makes the vaginal opening bigger. It may be done to help deliver the baby more quickly or more easily.</p> <p fingerprint="690a15b3" fingerprint-exact="c20d6e8d">Local anesthesia does not harm the baby when given before an episiotomy. It does not relieve pain from contractions.</p> </div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionRelatedInformation" id="sec-tn7464-RelInfo"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="d5f858e0" fingerprint-exact="c0ffe04b">Related Information</h2><ul fingerprint="a5e853dc" fingerprint-exact="b625c115"><li><a data-hw-type="Special" data-hw-document-href="tn9759" data-hw-section="tn9760" hw:document-type="Special" hw:document-href="tn9759" data-hwid="tn9759" hw:section-href="tn9760" href="?id=tn9759#tn9760">Labor and Delivery</a></li><li><a data-hw-type="Special" data-hw-document-href="hw200557" data-hw-section="hw200560" hw:document-type="Special" hw:document-href="hw200557" data-hwid="hw200557" hw:section-href="hw200560" href="?id=hw200557#hw200560">Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)</a></li></ul></div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwCreditsSection HwCreditsWithoutNavstack HwSectionCredits" id="sec-tn7464-Credits"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle">Credits</h2> <div class="HwContentInformation"> <div class="HwLastUpdated"> <p> <span class="HwInfoLabel">Current as of: </span> November 9, 2022 </p> </div> <div class="HwCredits"> <p> <span class="HwInfoLabel">Author: </span>Healthwise Staff<br><span class="HwInfoLabel">Medical Review: </span><br><span class="HwInfoName">Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine</span><br><span class="HwInfoName">Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine</span><br><span class="HwInfoName">John M. Freedman MD - Anesthesiology</span></p> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentBottom"> </div><div class="HwContentNavigation"><div class="HwSectionNavItem" style="display:block" id="secNav-tn7464-sec"><ul><li class="HwContentNavigationNone"> </li><li class="HwContentNavigationTop"><a href="#top">Top of the page</a></li><li class="HwContentNavigationNext"><p>Next Section: </p><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-RelInfo" id="nextLink-tn7464-RelInfo" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-RelInfo" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-RelInfo">Related Information</a></li><li class="HwClear"> </li></ul></div><div class="HwSectionNavItem" style="display:none" id="secNav-tn7464-RelInfo"><ul><li class="HwContentNavigationPrev"><p>Previous Section: </p><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-sec" id="prevLink-tn7464-sec" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-sec" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-sec">Overview</a></li><li class="HwContentNavigationTop"><a href="#top">Top of the page</a></li><li class="HwContentNavigationNext"><p>Next Section: </p><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-Credits" id="nextLink-tn7464-Credits" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-Credits" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-Credits">Credits</a></li><li class="HwClear"> </li></ul></div><div class="HwSectionNavItem" style="display:none" id="secNav-tn7464-Credits"><ul><li class="HwContentNavigationPrev"><p>Previous Section: </p><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-RelInfo" id="prevLink-tn7464-RelInfo" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-RelInfo" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-RelInfo">Related Information</a></li><li class="HwContentNavigationTop"><a href="#top">Top of the page</a></li><li class="HwContentNavigationNone"> </li><li class="HwClear"> </li></ul></div></div><div class="HwContentInformation" role="complementary"><div class="HwLastUpdated"><p><span class="HwInfoLabel">Current as of: </span>November 9, 2022</p></div><div class="HwCredits"><p><span class="HwInfoLabel">Author: </span><a class="HwLinkDisclaimer" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en">Healthwise Staff</a></p><p><a class="HwLinkDisclaimer" href="https://www.healthwise.org/mdreviewboard.aspx?lang=en-us"><span class="HwInfoLabel">Medical Review:</span></a><span class="HwInfoName">Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine</span> & <span class="HwInfoName">Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine</span> & <span class="HwInfoName">John M. Freedman MD - Anesthesiology</span></p></div></div></div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar2"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomNavigationTop"> </div><div class="HwElement" id="HwNavigationWrapper"><div class="HwNavigation" id="HwNavigation" role="navigation"><h3 class="HwNavStackHeader" id="HwNavStackHeader">Topic Contents</h3><ul aria-labelledby="HwNavStackHeader"><li id="nav-tn7464-sec"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-sec" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-sec" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-sec">Overview</a></li><li id="nav-tn7464-RelInfo"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-RelInfo" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-RelInfo" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-RelInfo">Related Information</a></li><li id="nav-tn7464-Credits"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tn7464" data-hw-section="tn7464-Credits" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tn7464" data-hwid="tn7464" hw:section-href="tn7464-Credits" href="?id=tn7464#tn7464-Credits">Credits</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="HwNavigationWrapper HwNavigationEmpty"> </div><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomNavigationBottom"> </div><div class="HwElement" id="HwMediaItemsWrapper"><div id="HwMediaItems"><ol class="HwMediaItemList"><li class="HwMediaItem HwMediaItemTopicImage" id="HwMediaItem-acn6386"><a class="HwMediaItemLink" data-hw-type="MultiMedia" data-hw-document-href="acn6386" rel="MultiMedia video 00:02:57" hw:document-type="MultiMedia" hw:document-href="acn6386" data-hwid="acn6386" hw:name-href="Learning About Anesthesia for Adults" href="?id=acn6386#"><img class="HwMediaImage" data-hw-resource-path="media/thumbnails/acn6386.jpg" hw:resource-path="media/thumbnails/acn6386.jpg" src="https://ixbapi.healthwise.net/Resource/13.6/en-us/media/thumbnails/acn6386.jpg" width="190" height="107" alt hw:release-quarter="13.6"><span class="HwMediaTitle">Learning About Anesthesia for Adults</span></a></li><li class="HwMediaItem HwMediaItemTopicImage" id="HwMediaItem-abp6243"><a class="HwMediaItemLink" data-hw-type="MultiMedia" data-hw-document-href="abp6243" rel="MultiMedia video 00:03:44" hw:document-type="MultiMedia" hw:document-href="abp6243" data-hwid="abp6243" hw:name-href="Learning About Spinal and Epidural Regional Anesthesia" href="?id=abp6243#"><img class="HwMediaImage" data-hw-resource-path="media/thumbnails/abp6243.jpg" hw:resource-path="media/thumbnails/abp6243.jpg" src="https://ixbapi.healthwise.net/Resource/13.6/en-us/media/thumbnails/abp6243.jpg" width="190" height="107" alt hw:release-quarter="13.6"><span class="HwMediaTitle">Learning About Spinal and Epidural Regional Anesthesia</span></a></li></ol></div> </div></div></div></div><div class="HwBlock" id="HwFooter"><div class="HwRow"><div class="HwCustom HwColumn" id="HwCustomFooterLeft"> </div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwFooterLegal"><div class="HwLegal HwElement" role="contentinfo"><div class="HwLogo"><a class="HwLinkExternal" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en"><img class="HwNoHcMode" data-hw-resource-path="media/interface/hwlogo.png" alt="Click here to learn about Healthwise" src="https://ixbapi.healthwise.net/Resource/13.6/en-us/media/interface/hwlogo.png" hw:resource-path="media/interface/hwlogo.png" hw:release-quarter="13.6"><img class="HwHcMode" data-hw-resource-path="media/interface/hwlogo_hc.png" alt="Click here to learn about Healthwise" src="https://ixbapi.healthwise.net/Resource/13.6/en-us/media/interface/hwlogo_hc.png" hw:resource-path="media/interface/hwlogo_hc.png" hw:release-quarter="13.6"></a></div><div class="HwDisclaimer"><p>This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. 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