I dunno Cricket....

Where I live here in Ontario, the hospital doesn't offer epidurals either - only if you are going to need a c-section, or high forceps.
That sounds like a pretty amazing step to me! I think it's down to attitude really. I think if you grow up your whole life thinking birth is a normal event that can happen at home most of the time you don't go LOOKING for medical intervention. I know so many women who are genuinely frightened of birth and really think the chance of them dying is very high without a doctor being there. That's a terrible crime we've committed against women, as a society, to make them doubt the perfection of their bodies.

Bec