Transthoracic Echocardiography of Ventricular Function of Parturients in Labor

Inclusion Criteria: * All healthy parturients 18 years of age or older with estimated gestation greater than or equal to 37 weeks who are expected to deliver during their hospitalization. * During the echocardiographic exam, the patient must be in active labor with cervical dilation between 6-10 cm and contractions that are spaced less than 5 minutes apart. Exclusion Criteria: * Known functional or structural heart disease * Previously diagnosed pulmonary hypertension. * Comorbid disease other than diet controlled gestational diabetes, uncomplicated obesity, mild asthma and euthyroid patients with a history of hypo or hyperthyroidism. * Parturients endorsing active use of non-prescription mind-altering drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, or ketamine. * Other non-inclusion criteria include inability to tolerate left lateral positioning either symptomatically or by fetal heart rate monitoring, suspected hypo-or hypercoagulable states that was not previously diagnosed, hemodynamic instability requiring \>2 L crystalloid administration within 1 hour time frame after epidural placement or vasopressor administration of \>15 mg ephedrine or \>300 mcg phenylephrine administration within 1 hour after epidural placement.