Crazy? I might be

So I'm having a huge internal debate about getting an epidural when Hayden makes his entrance. If I were in the states, the question would be less difficult, and I would just make the judgment call when I needed to. But here it's different.

Most of my friends who have delivered in Germany and have had an epidural say that the pain was only slightly dulled, and that basically it was turned off at "crunch time". I know that the epidural basically slows down labor, and the Germans are nothing if not efficient. My friends who have had babies stateside speak lovingly of their epidurals, that allowed them to only feel a slight pressure when the baby was delivered.

By now you probably also know I have a fear and hatred of needles. I was never a huge fan of the idea of a giant needle being pushed into my spine. Now I'm starting to think that it's a risky procedure that just may not be worth it if when I need it most, it's turned off. I think it will turn out to be a decision I make in the moment, but for right now I think I'm going to try it without the epidural, and see how it goes. Then again, the best laid plans of mice and men...