So this will be my fourth and (hopefully) last baby. The first three I had all natural births, no pain medication whatsoever and I loved it. I never tore, all my labors were under 3 and a half hours from when my water broke (first two) or when i was induced with my third, and I had a fast recovery. This time I am debating on whether to get the epidural or not. With my first I wanted a natural birth mostly because I was 16 years old and nobody thought I could handle or was ready for the pain of childbirth. So I mostly did it out of stubbornness to prove everyone wrong. Then with my next two I figured I did it before I can do it again.

But this time I kind of want to have the epidural just to get both experiences of labor. Also my baby is due 11 months after I gave birth to my youngest so the pain of labor is still pretty fresh in my mind, and part of me isn’t ready to go through it again😅.

Is it a waste though? I know epidural means longer recovery and you’re confined to your bed once you get it. Also women still seem to be in pain even with the epidural so maybe it’s not worth it. So what are your experiences with the epidural? Did you still feel pain? Was it complete relief? Do you regret having it? And for the moms that have done both: naturally and with an epidural, which do you prefer? Please comment with your stories 😇