If the woman does need a general anaesthetic (GA) then there are a few things you should be aware of. These include:
Your partner or support person will not be allowed to be with you
You will be put to sleep just before the incision (or cut) is made
The baby may be affected by the anaesthetic
You will need injections of narcotic pain relief after the operation
You may be drowsy or groggy after you wake up and possibly nauseated and vomit
You may not see your baby for up to an hour or more after the birth
Your partner or support person will not be allowed to be with you. When the woman has a General anaesthetic she is made unconscious or asleep. A tube is fed into her throat and windpipe and is attached to a respirator (or a machine that artificially controls the breathing). Having a general anaesthetic means being unaware and unable to communicate. Anaesthetists will usually not allow the partner or support person to be in the operating room with the woman when a general anaesthetic is being used.
In some cases the operating theatre may have a viewing window. It may be that the hospital will allow the partner to look through this window, to see the baby being born, but not view the actual operation. If this option is not possible or desirable, then the partner will usually see the baby soon after the birth, when the midwife takes the baby out of the operating theatre and to the postnatal ward to be weighed, measured and dressed, (or to the intensive care nursery if the baby is unwell).
You may wish to ask if your partner is able to sit in the recovery room with the baby until you are wheeled out of the operating theatre. This means that they will be present when you first wake up from the anaesthetic. You could also ask a staff member if someone in the operating theatre is able to take photos or a video of the birth for you if you were wanting this. (Some hospitals do not allow this).