I am not delusional

I have been avidly watching maternity programs on Discovery Health, and one of my favourites is Deliver Me. Another one I watch often is A Baby Story which shows a variety of deliveries from C-sections to water births. Very informative and shows the spectrum of experiences (good and bad) and options available. Of course these two shows are US based and is quite different to Australian practices but still, I'm sure an epidural is still administered the same way. Leave me out of that if possible!!

BUT. But I am not discounting the possibility of needing (or wanting) to have one. I watched one particular episode of Deliver Me where the mum-to-be was adamant about no drugs and no intervention. Well, they sure didn't hold back on the screams she was emitting from the pain she was experiencing! She had been labouring at home for 17 hours before she came to the hospital. And then after 24 she had still not progressed and she conceded that she needed an epidural. And when they told her it would take an hour for it to be administered she screamed Noooo!!!! 36 hours later she gave birth to a large baby vaginally. She also haemorrhaged quite severely and nearly had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Quite scary and a reality check. Had she stayed at home to birth, she may not have survived.

I mean, I want to do it all naturally. But I have not a clue as to how much it will hurt. This woman said "it was like a lightening bolt shooting through your body and it's just wrong!". Now how can I imagine that?! I don't know what her pain threshold is so I can't knock that she tried to go without but conceded. I am open to whatever is available to me, and I will never say never, until I am in that situation. Only then will I be able to say whether I can go without. I won't be afraid to get off my high horse!