Pain Management/Intrathecals

You've spent the last nine months taking good care of yourself and your baby. Now that your due date is approaching, you might be wondering about the birth itself.

At OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group, we want to make childbirth as comfortable as possible for you. That's why we offer the option of having an intrathecal to help ease labor pain.

An intrathecal is a one-time injection of pain medication into your spinal fluid so it reaches your nerves more directly. It is different from an epidural, which is a continuous "drip" near the area containing spinal fluid. Intrathecals often use smaller doses than epidurals and also work faster.

At OSF St. Francis, we have found women who have an intrathecal experience less pain and tend to deliver more quickly than women who don't. When the pain of childbirth is managed, delivering mothers are better able to relax and focus on having a smoother delivery.

In most instances, an intrathecal provides all the pain relief you will need for your delivery and because it is placed in your spinal fluid, your baby will not receive any of the medicine.

Intrathecals are very safe and are used at hospitals and medical centers across the country. They can be administered quickly and easily with just a phone call to our anesthesia department.

Like epidurals, intrathecals are not appropriate for all women. Talk with your doctor about whether an intrathecal is right for you.