Ok so I'm not sure if anyone else is feeling this but I'm going to put it out there. I have been having this struggle with the idea of having a "natural birth" and by that I mean in a hospital but without pain meds, iv etc. I really hate this term. We have a couple friend that are also pregnant and very judgmental about western medicine and things like epidural. Now I don't typically care what people think but I'm having this trouble with feeling like if I don't try to go med free somehow I'll have failed myself or had a lesser birth experience. It's all brought on by this idea that somehow a pain med assisted birth isn't a "natural birth" which seems like bullshit to me. I'll be naturally pushing that baby out of my natural vagina with or without meds. I'm really tired of this judgement surrounding how someone chooses to deliver. Note that I live in a very hipster, all natural band wagon community. I absolutely support anyway you choose to bring your baby into this world. As long as you both are healthy what does it matter to anyone else.