What are the reasons you chose NOT to have an epidural?

[Astrophe]

I have had two labours without,and was chatting to a friend who is considering options for her first labour. She asked why I chose not to have epidurals.

I said - better not to as epidural increases the chances of further intervention, and that I wanted to 'do it myself'...in that perverse proud sort of way My first labour in particular was pretty long and hard, so it wasn't because the pain wasn'
t bad enough!

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince her either way, and not trying to upset people who have epidurals for whatever reason...but what were your reasons not to have one?

I thought the catheter was the best bit of my section meant I could lie in bed and drink lots of lovely cool water without having to worry about the consequences

but then I had had a particularly shitty time pre-induction, with a bad reaction to medication which left me unable to stand upright

the bliss of knowing that I didn't have to stand upright...