Okay I know there are strong opinions as to whether or not to get an epidural, and that's wonderful, but that's not what I'm asking. My question is, for those mommies that are going to try to be pain-med free, how do you decide if/when you've had enough and it's time for an epidural?

My decision has been that I don't want to rule out the possibility of needing an epidural, but I'd like to plan for a natural birth and work on staying calm and letting my body do its job. More or less, though the risks of epidurals are minimal, I feel that they outweigh the risks of natural. At least in the early stages. And I REALLY don't want restrained to a bed. But I also don't want to hate or judge myself if I decide I want it, because I feel that's okay, too. The more I research and read and practice for having a pain-med-free birth, the stronger I feel like it's totally doable (which is kind of the point). But that's messing with my being okay with getting one if I need/want it while actually going through it.

At what point would you in the "pain-med-free" camp consider an epidural? When labor stalls, maybe? Or after x hrs?

Please, be understanding. I'm not looking for someone to tell me (or anyone else) that we should only consider X as the "right" option. Birth is a case-by-case basis, and so are the kids that are being born.