What the anesthesia societies already tell your team to do

Two professional documents already say, in writing, exactly what should happen if you report pain during a cesarean. Most women have never been told they exist.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists statement on pain during cesarean delivery says that if a patient becomes uncomfortable during surgery, the team should "first acknowledge the patient's experience and discomfort and assess the nature and quality of the pain." It states that "dismissal or delayed management of pain may increase the risk of psychological sequelae," and that the team should "communicate with the patient that their pain or discomfort will be managed."

The Anaesthesia guideline, written jointly by anesthetists and a patient who experienced this herself, is more direct still: "The woman is the principal source of information regarding the block's efficacy and should be listened to carefully. It is not necessarily the neuraxial block's failure but the inadequate or delayed management that causes the most distress to patients. If a clinician disregards the woman's experience, it may compound her distress, which can contribute to psychological trauma."

It sets out what should be done: acknowledge the complaint, ask the surgeon to stop as soon as it is safe to do so, give fast-acting medicine, and honor a request for general anesthesia if that is possible.