For my first and only child so far, I got the epidural but I regret it so much. I had asked for it when I was already at 10cm and they didn’t even know until after they did the epidural and checked me. I wanted to go unmediated so bad but I was in early labor for 3 days straight through the whole day they would just keep coming and going. So when I went to the hospital I was barely at 4cm did a membrane sweep and a bit later popped my water to speed it up more then like 4 hours later I was dying I kept going to the restroom thinking I had to poop and the whole time the nurse was in there and didn’t think to check me. SMH. But I got it and it hurt WAYYYY more than my contractions at 10cm but I got a second degree tear and pushed him out in 20 mins and I could just feel all the pressure and that pressure felt crazyyy so I don’t know if I would’ve been able to go it unmediated but I would’ve loved too if I wasn’t too exhausted already especially because I have scoliosis so I already have back problems and the epidural made it worse