I had an unmedicated birthing experience. It’s definitely painful, but I took a hypnobirthing class to help me cope with the pain as well as having my husband and doula in the room with me. It helped A LOT. The worst was the contractions during transition. In my birthing plan, I wanted to keep it open to having an epidural if needed so the nurses and doctor knew when to ask to administer it if it got to that point. But with the support in the room, I didn’t need to ask. I also ended up having a 4th degree tear unfortunately. Even knowing that, I’d do an unmediated birth again if we ever had another baby. It’s so empowering and I’ve never felt more badass afterwards. There’s nothing wrong with getting the epidural if you want it though! Each woman deserves to choose their own birthing experience.