Rachael - Congradulations! Thank you for sharing your story. When I found out I was pregnant with my son, many people started pressuring me to have a natural birth. In theory I think this method is great. However, I do not do well with pain, and I do even worse around hospitals and doctors. Most of my pregnancy I was in agony over the looming birth. I felt like if I caved and had an epidural or drugs I'd fail at my first feat as a mother. I also felt like I'd let my husband and mother down. (They were the ones who were pressuring me the most.) Then I had a talk with my OB/GYN. She basically told me that if I was stressed during labor, things would be much harder on me and the baby. She said I should think about what would make me most comfortable, and plan to do that. She also warned me that things might not go as planned, so I'd have to be flexible for my son's health and my own. After that talk, I felt like a huge weight had been removed from my shoulders. Having an epidural wasn't a "poor" decision if it meant I would be less stressed. It might actually reduce my chances of having a c-section. So, I told my husband my decision, and he supported me on it. My son's birth couldn't have been easier. I did get an epidural when I was 3cm, and it was the best decision I could have made. My body still told me when to push. I remained calm through 23 hours of labor, and at the end we had a handsome, healthy, happy, 7lb 2oz baby boy. A little part of me wonders if I could have made it through without the epidural, but I know that I made the right decision for my son and for me. Rachael, I know you aren't pressuring anyone to choose a natural birth, and I commend you on that. I also want to say congrats on toughing it out without the epidural! But I did want to share my story to let any mom-to-be out there who might be dealing with the stress I was know that it is okay to have and epidural. Whatever decision you make, it will be the right one for your baby. Even if your mom/husband/sister/mid-wife/doctor disagrees!