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Definitely not. I had an amazing epidural with no issues and it helped make my labor experience something that I can look back fondly on. I don't feel like I have anything to prove by trying to go med free.

I have epidurals with both.
I probably could have gone without with DS, but eh. I was happy to have relief both times.

I had great experiences thankfully.

I tried to go med free the first time, but I needed a foley induction, and I wasn't interested in doing that and pitocin med free. But I hated my epidural, when it even worked. I'll go without next time if I can avoid the pit.

I the epidural, I went for hours without it but it help me relax and progress when I received it.

If I wasn't having a planned csection with #2, I would absolutely ask for the epidural again! The relief was amazing!

I want to try med free next time. My epidural failed, anyway, and it sucked for the pain to kick in once it was so intense. In the end, though, I'll just be happy not to have another c-section.

No way! Epidural was my lifesaver!

No. I get that going med-free is important to some, but it just isn't to me. I'll be smiling with a big fat needle in my back for every baby that I have!

I'm interested in hearing from more moms about this... I got an epi with DD at 7 cm but did not react well to it (labor stalled, had to get lots of pitocin, had fever, shaking, etc). So I don't know if it's worth it to tough it out without it or to try to get it a little later now with baby #2...

I had an epi for my first delivery 2 years ago, and went med free for my second delivery 11 days ago. I said, when I was first checked in the hospital, if I am a 4 then i am getting it, if i am 6-7, will hold off and see.

I was 6.5 and the contractions were tolerable, so I waited. An hour later I was dying but i asked to be checked before deciding on the epi. I was a 9 so I thought it will be over soon (and i didnt think i could sit still for the epi)

The pain was so intense, I thought my body was being split apart. And that was before i began pushing. But the pain really does vanish the second your baby is born and the recovery was great (other than incontinence issues about which I just posted).

Like other posters said, how rested you are makes a difference. I had been up about 40 hours with my first labor, and was so exhausted. I delivered 9 hours after receiving the epi, with 2 hours of pushing, so I definitely needed the epi to rest up. This time I was taking mid day naps with my toddler for several days leading up to labor and felt great. The second labor also progressed so much faster. So although I was in unbelievable pain, it was over pretty quickly.

I should add that I credit the epi with ending up only with a first degree tear after my first delivery (3 stitches), because when the baby was crowning the OB had me STOP pushing (she said to breath like I am blowing out candles) so she could slowly stretch me over the baby's head and minimize tearing. There was so much pressure and it was hard not to push, but there was no real burning pain so I was able to stop pushing.

This time i think the lack of an epi caused me to tear (again only first degree) because when they told me to stop pushing or to give small pushes, I could not stop through the awful ring of fire and just gave a big push.

i did.