Without the epidural you feel severe cramping and your hips hurt during contractions and then when baby has moved into your birth canal, you know it and can feel him /her moving down as you push, and you definitely feel then coming out. :-) It's a crazy experience.
With the epidural i just felt a lot of pressure but as soon as it started working the pain completely went away. My cousin had the epidural and it only worked on one side of her so she felt half the pain i guess you can say. My friend got the epidural but it didn't work in time so she felt everything and went numb after the baby was born.