Epidural side effects? Real experience wanted

Hey ladies I’ve been on a kick reading and listening to podcasts about labor and delivery options and I’m so open to all my options.

I feel like I’m leaning in the direction of preparing myself for a natural birth because I’ve read so much about long term back pain due to epidurals and I already struggle with sciatica. My thought is it’s better to push the pain for a few hours to avoid potentially having a lifetime of back pain. I also am concerned about being confined to the bed.

I genuinely want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly about your experiences with epidurals or why you chose not to have one. 🙂