You can’t completely anesthetize the woman, because the breathing and pushing activities needed are voluntary muscles. That’s what happens in a C-section procedure, but not normal delivery. It’s possible to reduce pain significantly, through epidural anesthesia, but that’s only localized to some nerves and not others.
Because childbirth is a long process. They don’t give you anesthesia immediately but rather wait until a certain point in the process. Sometimes they can’t give you anesthesia at all because they missed the window of time when they could. Once you’ve passed that window and it gets close to birth, some anesthesias can’t be given. Or they wear off. Or the mother refuses one type due to dangers and side effects. And it might not completely eliminate pain anyway. And then after the birth you’re all torn up and that can hurt for a long time and they’re not anesthetizing you for that.
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