To help us continue to improve our service, this web site uses cookies. They cannot be used to identify you. Using this site implies an agreement to continue accepting them. For more details please see managing the cookies we use.  

Patients & Visitors

Anaesthesia

Obstetric Anaesthesia

Pain relief when having a baby

The Obstetric Unit cares for around 4,500 births each year across our birthing centres and the acute delivery suite at the Bath Birthing Centre. Lead by a multidisciplinary team the maternity unit recently (2025) retained its Care Quality Commission's (CQC) outstanding rating.

Our consultant-led obstetric anaesthetic service provides 24-hour cover, 7 days a week, supporting women and birthing people through labour, delivery and recovery with safe, compassionate and individualised anaesthetic care.

Our Obstetric Anaesthetic Service

Obstetric anaesthetists are an integral part of the wider maternity team and are involved in:

  • Advice and support for labour pain relief, including option for Remifentanil Patient Controlled Analgesia where indicated.
  • A 24-hour epidural service
  • Anaesthesia for operative delivery, including caesarean birth
  • Care of women with higher-risk pregnancies or complex medical conditions

There is always a nominated anaesthetist dedicated solely to maternity services, available 24 hours a day. All anaesthetists providing maternity care complete annual national multidisciplinary training in maternity emergencies, ensuring high standards of safety and teamwork.

Antenatal Anaesthetic Clinics

We run:

  • Two dedicated obstetric anaesthetic consultant clinics each month
  • Two multidisciplinary antenatal clinics per month, where a specialist obstetric anaesthetist works alongside obstetricians and other specialists

These clinics help plan safe, personalised care for women with more complex pregnancies, allowing time to discuss pain relief options, anaesthesia for delivery and any additional risks well in advance.

A lead clinician for obstetric anaesthesia regularly reviews the service to ensure care remains safe, evidence-based and of the highest quality.

Helpful Resources

These resources may be helpful alongside discussions with your midwife and anaesthetist.

Labour Pains – information about pain relief options in labour

NHS – Pain relief in labour (NHS.UK)

Royal College of Anaesethtists:

Epidurals

Spinal anaesthesia

Risks associated with regional anaesthesia

Headache after spinal or epidural anaesthesia

Nerve damage after spinal or epidural anaesthesia.
There is also an Infographic available.

Further information

If you have questions about pain relief or anaesthesia in pregnancy or labour, please speak to your midwife, obstetrician or anaesthetist, who will be happy to discuss your options.


back to top