just to share, actually epidural may not be such a bad thing in some cases. I know someone who gave birth and took very long to dilate, so her gynae said she may be too tense, and asked her if she wants an epi. She took the epi, and manage to dilate sufficiently within 2 hours to give birth. My gynae said can adjust the epi so as to give us some sensation when pushing, but understand that this does not work for all cases.
I thik the epi also helps in cases when the cord happens to be around the baby's neck. When you attend the antenatal class, after the head pops out, they will ask you to stop, and you must stop pushing so they can check if the cord is wrapped around the neck. I thik it is easier to stop if on epi, cos if not on epi, maybe harder to control the pushing cos the urge is there, which may be dangerous for the baby.
