What is the best local anestesic of choice when pregnant lidocaine (category b) or mepivacaine (cat c)?

Doctor preference: I would leave this decision up to the surgeon or anesthesiologist. Both medications are used frequently and safely. As a patient you want the people with the scalpel to feel comfortable and to be working in their normal environment and routine.

No Right Answer: The local anesthetics lidocaine, Mepivacaine and bupivicaine have similar chemical profiles (they are called amino amides) and work well in epidural anesthesia. Although bupivicaine has become quite popular among obstetrical anesthesiologists and obstetricians, there is no "best choice" except for that drug used most often and with which the OB team has had the most experience. Consult with them!

See below: Depends. For an IV insertion Lidocaine is best. Fast onset and fast removal. For a spinal i would use bupivicaine for a spinal, and Lidocaine for an epidural. Talk to your anesthesiologist for their opinion. If you are talking about dental procedures the amount used is so small that it should not affect the fetus.