I really wanted to do the whole thing without drugs last time, having been rather sucked in by things like the video allipalli talks about and lots of reading of Sheila Kitzinger-style natural birth books. This meant that I refused a Meptid injection at a point where it would have been REALLY useful for me to get a couple of hours' sleep and Meptid was the only way I would have got it, and I only agreed to the epidural, reluctantly and feeling guilty, a couple of hours after I really needed it. Once the epidural was in my experience was transformed. Without it I would definitely have ended up completely exhausted, probably more traumatised than empowered, and having a section anyway as I couldn't have done second stage without it (as it was he was a forceps delivery - there was no way he would have got out without some assistance).
I am now MUCH more of the opinion that we are incredibly fortunate to have access to these relatively safe forms of pain relief. It's wonderful if you can give birth without them of course, and being informed about active birth etc helps a lot, but much of the time it's more a matter of luck, size and positioning of baby. I felt for a long time like I had slightly 'failed' in not having the lovely 6 hour water birth that some of my friends have, which is ridiculous. EVERYONE who has had a baby is a hero, however they've done it! And me and ds both thrived after the birth, and he had no trouble finding my breast at all, despite me having had every drug going!
Sorry for rant! I just get a bit at the guilting that is associated in some material (not all by any means, but some) with the use of pain relief. Ultimately we're very lucky to have these choices - so long as they remain OUR choices.