To Get an Epidural or Not? And Do I Really Need a Doula if I Get an Epidural?????

Alisa

All right ladies, we're nearing the finish line and I'm completely on the fence. Half my friends delivered drug free and the other half had epidurals and/or csections. For a while I thought I'd try and labor without the epidural and if the pain got too much I'd get it. But I'm realizing that the pain will be extreme and unless I'm 100% committed to a drug free birth, I will likely get the epidural and with that in mind I realize if I'm likely to get it in the end, WHY NOT GET IT FROM THE START???? And with that in mind, if I do know that I will be getting an epidural, DO I STILL NEED A DOULA?