I think aim not to have one by looking at ways of managing your labour through calmbirthing/hypnobirthing or a book that I read by Juju Sundin.

Have a few things up your sleeve.

And be aware of the risks of having one. It can make pushing the baby out harder because you can't feel as much and restricts your birthing positions making it more likely you will have to try to push baby out flat on your back. That also means that interventions such as forceps or ventouse are more likely.

Having said all that, I found the thought of an epidural immensely comforting. And in the end it was great. I had a very long prelabour/labour meaning I had very little sleep in three days plus DD was a posterior baby. I was exhausted and wanted a break from the pain and the chance to rest which is EXACTLY what the epidural gave me.

I needed help pushing DD out but I think that was more down to her position than the epidural and I did end up with forceps but only two tiny stitches.

So my advice again is to do everything you can to equip yourself for labour with some pain management techniques but to see the epidural as a last and very good, weapon in your arsenal if you need one.

FWIW, my ob reckons it's normally the length of the labour that determines whether you will choose to have an epidural or not and I agree. The problem is that no-one can tell you beforehand how long your labour will be hence it will always be an unknown until the actual day(s).

I would clarify with the hospital whether you need to decide beforehand - that doesn't seem right to me. I certainly didn't.