TBH in the brief discussions that we've had I've come to realise how much of the stuff that we lay at obs feet is patient driven. An ob can warn a patient all they want about the side-effects of epidurals but if the patient insists that they get one then the ob would be remiss to refuse it.

So true Dach. I know it's not the whole problem, but it's certainly part of it. Maybe it's just who I mix with, but I have more friends who would rather labour with an epidural than not (for instance).