ok just having a baby a couple of weeks ago I am going to say again Epidurals are the most wonderful thing! I can't understand why women would want to go all natural. You are still experiencing everything just without all of the horrific pain. I couldn't imagine doing it without and I am terrified of needles but you hardly feel anything.
My mom had me natural. With my brothers and sister she was given an epidural. My mom had very long labors with all of us except the youngest. Really it's just up to the mother. I've never known it to harm the child, so it's not like you're endangering the child if you have it done. Unless I'm unaware of something.
I had all my kids the natural route but that's because I was more afraid of needles than pain. (I also had very short labors..) After going through months of IV antibiotics to treat an infection I no longer fear needles and would say, "bring on the epidural!
Since I was forced to have a 'natural' childbirth with my first child, due to complications, I requested an epidural with my second child two weeks before I went into labor! :)
Give me the Epidural! Yes God made us to where we can have babies naturally but why put yourself through even more pain when they have SO much now to help through labor?