What labor pain is actually like
Most American women choose an epidural, and that number is rising.
In 2024, 75.4% of American women having a vaginal birth used epidural or spinal anesthesia. This matters for a cesarean because an epidural already in place is usually topped up rather than replaced, and that route carries a far higher rate of pain during the operation.
Where this comes from:
194. Valenzuela CP, Osterman MJK. Epidural or spinal anesthesia use for singleton vaginal deliveries: United States, 2016-2024. NCHS Data Brief no 553. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2026.
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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.