I'm 17 weeks, due June 27th. I plan on having a natural drug free birth. This will be my 4th baby, I had epidural with my 1st 2 and went all natural with my last. Recovery was so much quicker and easier without the epidural (I was up walking around with no pain less than an hour after I delivered). Everyone is different though.
I'm due June 13 and planning to have a vaginal birth with epidural. At my 20 week appointment next Wednesday I plan to ask if they'll be able to give me just enough pain meds so I'm not in much pain, but that I can still feel slight discomfort (like the level of menstrual cramps). I've read epidurals slow the progression of labor since you can't really feel the contractions. I don't know, am I crazy? This is my first, so I really don't know.