First time momma & giving birth w/o epidural

So, my insurance doesn’t fully cover my pregnancy. My husband and I have been paying monthly bills to our doctors office & lab.

I understand that the epidural is one of those things that you may want last minute. But for right now I’m not planning to get the epidural because I’ve heard of people getting charged thousands of dollars for it.

For all you mommas who didn’t get the epidural, do you have any tips for first time moms giving birth on staying calm and birthing without the epidural?