Ask now what happens if you feel pain during the operation
The conversation belongs here, not on the operating table.
Most women are told they will feel pressure and pulling. Far fewer are told that a meaningful number of women feel actual pain, or what the team will do about it. The anesthesia society's own statement says that acknowledging the possibility of pain before the operation matters, because it signals to the whole team that your experience counts and it builds the trust needed for you to speak up later.
The expectation gap is measurable. In a study that asked 110 women directly, 24 to 72 hours after their cesarean, 36% reported pain during the operation. Twelve percent said the pain was more, or much more, than they had expected. Nobody had prepared them.
Four questions to ask at a prenatal visit
- "How often do your patients feel pain during a cesarean, not pressure but pain?"
- "If I say I am in pain, what exactly will happen next, and how fast?"
- "Who decides whether to give me more medicine or put me to sleep?"
- "Can we agree now on the word I will use so there is no confusion?"
Where this comes from:
358. American Society of Anesthesiologists, Committee on Obstetric Anesthesia. Statement on pain during cesarean delivery. Approved October 18, 2023.
360. Litman J, Bates R, Lindheim SR, Sharpe EE, Ehrig JC, Hofkamp MP. Patient and clinical characteristics associated with pain during cesarean delivery: a prospective single-center patient-reported outcome study. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2025;61:104324.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.