At one point my wife chose to skip the pain meds not in order to “embrace the pain,” but because she believed that doing without would be better for the baby.
It really helps to be well prepared and to have a doula. And to have a great physician who is comfortable enough to be very flexible and go along, wherever possible, with how you want to do things.
I delivered my three naturally and have no regrets. It’s a mind over matter and not as barbaric as it’s made out to be.
I’m a nurse and a doula. I just coached my daughter through a natural childbirth with her first baby, and she has no regrets either. Nothing worse than watching a mom with an epidural have no ability to feel or push out a baby. No wonder c-sections are 50% of all deliveries now.