Cedar City Moms Can Choose Their Own Childbirth Experience

Jenny Call, Nurse Manager of the Women and Newborns Department at Intermountain Health Cedar City Hospital, recently discussed childbirth options during an interview on the Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB radio. With 21 years of experience in Cedar City and 25 years as a nurse, Call emphasized the importance of patient choice during labor.

“We're lucky in this day and age that you can choose the kind of birth that you want,” Call said in the interview. “You can be assisted with medication or an epidural or nitrous oxide. We're here to support you or unmedicated, however you'd like to choose to deliver.”

15% Of Birthing Mothers Chose No Pain Relief Medication

Call noted that about 88% of mothers at Cedar City Hospital opt for some form of pain relief, while approximately 15% choose unmedicated births. One newer option, nitrous oxide—also known as laughing gas—is gaining popularity. “It is often called laughing gas, and we've begun using nitrous oxide here… to help with anxiety and pain relief during childbirth,” she explained. “What's great about nitrous oxide is it's 100% controlled by the patient.”

Read More: Cedar City Cancer Center Observes Cancer Awareness Month

Other options include epidurals, IV medications, and the lesser-used pudendal block. “We also have low-intervention birthing suites at the hospital,” Call added. “There’s really something for everyone depending on what their birth plan looks like.”

The goal, she said, is giving patients autonomy. “We are really there to assist patients to have the experience that they truly want when they're having their child.”

Call also shared that birth doesn’t always wait for a delivery room. “We've delivered in the parking lot, in the concourse on the way to the room, even in the ambulance. We’re here to help at any time.”

Get our free mobile app

Listen to our entire conversation with Jenny Call in the podcast below.