Feeling forced to get an epidural…

I just want to kind of rant and see if anyone else has been in a similar situation. Sorry it’s all over the place.

I saw a new midwife recently and I’ve said all along I don’t want an epidural- well I want to at least try without an epidural (no judgement to anyone who gets one. Just my own personal challenge)

Anyway because I’m epileptic she basically lectured me for an hour about how I will need an epidural or the pain will make me have a seizure.

As far as I know, pain isn’t a trigger for me. I know the stress and lack of sleep might be but I have had my medication adjusted.

I saw her again yesterday and told her my consultant said that isn’t necessary and she said ‘well I don’t know what midwife would take an epileptic person under their care if they refused an epidural, because I certainly won’t’

She then later said consultants can say what they want all they do is sit in an office and leave the care to us 😅. I’m sure that is true at times but my consultant delivers babies all the time. 🤷‍♀️

Now im feeling anxious to go to the hospital because I don’t want the epidural forced on me. Before I was told all this, my birth plan was to go to the hospital earlier than most purely to monitor me for seizures and make sure all is under control. But if they’re saying I have to have the epidural I don’t want to go to the hospital for as long as possible…

Anyone else been in a similar position?