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You are the one in control of your own birth experience. Don't let anyone talk you into anything for any other reason than the safety of yourself and your little one. I have given birth naturally twice. First to a 7lb 15oz boy then to a 9lb 13oz girl. My labors were 6 hours and 8 hours and I pushed for 20 min each time. It was hard work and I did have quite a bit of pain during transition. It took me 2 hours to get from 8-10cm with each of them. Usually this stage is a lot shorter. I would not change a thing. I am actually a high anxiety person and as far as the epi...I think I would freak out if I could not feel my lower body or experienced shortness of breath as some women do. I just go with my body, instead of an outside focus, I focus on the work my body is doing. It worked for me twice and I hope it works again this time. I am 33 weeks. I do not rule anything out going into it, I just trust that this is what my body was meant to do and trust it. Godd luck with your delivery!

I'm with tinkri - this is your experience and you should go with what you want...Keep an open mind - don't feel bad if you then use pain relief...Personally I've had 3 children and have never used pain relief..preg with no4 and hopefully will have another natural birth..Mine were also very quick - compared to some...my longest was my last - took 4/5 hours from start to finish...I 'listened' to my body, breathed through the contractions, had my dh to distract me with his constant gabbing! and didn't push until I felt like it...Yes its sore pushing the head out but hey by that point you know you're at the end...Contractions - for me - were like very bad period pains...Trust yourself and don't be badgered by others...Good luck..

Don't let anyone make you feel stupid for wanting to have a natural childbirth. I didn't with my first one (because I was induced and had a never ending contraction from the medication), but I plan on at least trying to go natural this time around....I am hoping I go into labor naturally and don't have to get induced. But I am also not going to rule out the epidural. As others said, I am going to listen to my body, and if I just can't do it, then I can't. I'm not going to feel any less of a woman because I opted for pain medication. Even when I did have the epidural, they turned it down towards the end so I would be able to feel when I needed to push, so its not like you don't feel anything and then poof, theres a baby :) Thats the way I feel about having a c-section... Something I never want to do!! But my opinion on it is every woman is different. Some woman can handle it and others can't. If you can't, oh well.....then you opt for medication, your body is still doing the work to get the baby out and that is all that matters... I do however feel that every woman should go in with an open mind and at least try natural..... I don't like it when woman opt for the epidural right away without barely even feeling any labor pains....but like I said, everyone is different... How much longer do you have to go? Good luck :)

Don't let ANYONE tell you what you should or shouldn't do, or how you should feel about your own birth experience. Believe me, I did it with my first, and I've regretted it ever since. He's ten years old now. I always wanted natural births because I was scared that having an epi would paralyse me - I'm being honest. I would rather endure the pain instead. I tried gas, didn't work for me, just amde me very dizzy and spacey. Not a good feeling while labouring! My labours have ben very fast anyway, so I really haven't had time to decide. With my first, long story short, he was 5.5 hours long. Got to the hospital at 7 cm dialated. With my second, got to the hospital at 9 cm, too late for pethedine or anything, born 20 minute later (2.5 hours). My DD was born n a mad rush to get to another hopsital but delivered her in the front seat seconds after pulling up (45 minutes). I chose to birth at home this time around (wonder why?!) but midwife didn't make it and DH delivered baby in 25 minutes on our bed. So natural for me in normal, and yes, the pains are incredible, I can FEEL the cervix open, the last labour was a 'violent 'one, it's the only way I can explain it for such a short amount of time. I tried the gas and pethedine with my first but I threw up after the pethedine. I was always open to "I want to do it this way...if it doesn't work out, then I'll go with the flow) kind of thing. You have to because each pregnanacy and pabour is different and you can't categorise what it will be like for you. You've goten wodnerufl feedback already. Some women have a high pain threshold and it's not bad, others have a rough time, it's giving birth hey! But plan what you want to happen, then be open to what NEEDS to happen to make it an even betterexperience for you - above all, try to be in control - that includes when to say yes and no and don't be forced or cajolled into what the nurses think you can or can't handle. You know your body best, just wait and see! Good luck...

I didn't have a natural birth, but wanted to put my two cents in. Good for you for at least being able to say what you want! I ended up having to have a csection due to my pelvis size (we didn't figure that one out until after 4 hours of pushing!) and I only had a shot of morphine for 20 hours of labor. It didn't do much, and honestly the pain was not something that was totally unbearable for me. Maybe it was just me. It hurt, and I had dry heaves for quite awhile, but I breathed through most of it. I did get an epidural when they decided to do a csection, and let me tell you it was odd! Absolutely no feeling whatsoever - and after pushing for that long it was kinda nice to get a break. Ultimately, do what works for you and I hope you have a great birth :)

Thanks for your responses. I am due the 23rd of Dec. I had a check-up yesterday and I think my doc really wants to indue me :( probably just to avoid the holiday, but also Im pretty small and the baby is getting pretty big. So it looks like EVERYTHING I wanted is starting to go out the window. (I really didnt want a IV, but my strep test came back positive, oh well)

Hi aggie! I had epidurals with both my children. The first one was a great experience. The epi worked well and I felt nothing until it was time to push. The second time my epi failed and I had no pain relief and I survived. I'm 8 weeks pregnant with #3 and I'm thinking I'm going to give birth naturally. You do what feels right for you. Good luck!