At least consider it. A vaginal birth without an epidural is healthy and desirable for both the baby and the mother.
Doctors don't always support the idea of natural childbirth. It is up to you to seek out alternative opinions by reading books, consulting web sites and speaking to birth professionals like midwives and doulas or with a doctor who supports natural childbirth. Remember that birth is a natural process that your body is meant to be able to undergo without much assistance, and then make your decision about the kind of birth you want from this understanding.
If you decide to have natural childbirth, work with a midwife or a doula. This will not undermine the role of your life partner if you have one.
If natural childbirth isn't advisable for some reason, it's still worthwhile to inform yourself about possible different approaches to your birth. A doula can be a wonderful source of support during pregnancy and birth even if you undergo a c-section or need to have another kind of intervention during your birth, for example.
Why should you take my advice? Both my partner and I had fully natural births and we did a lot of research to prepare for our births. We worked with doulas, midwives, and doctors. We considered birthing centers, a home birth, and ultimately both gave birth naturally in hospitals despite some small potential and actual complications (fibroids in one case, low-lying placenta in the other). And yes, it is painful. Very, very painful. But you get through it, and you get over it, especially if you have an experienced professional with you to reassure you the pain is normal, and that everything is OK. My partner, I must add, gave birth naturally with pitocin. It is possible.
A great resource to start with: www.mothering.com
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