No epidural

I usually have pretty bad menstrual cramps. I would say that the contractions can be about 20x that intensity, and the tearing sensation when baby’s head is going through the vagina literally feels like your flesh is tearing apart.. sharp and intense. You don’t have to decide right now as to whether you want epidural:) when you start having regular contractions (1 every 5 min), you can still stay home for a while (if your water bag hasn’t burst) and see if you can manage the pain. Even when you get to the hospital, you can try the laughing gas first and see how much that helps:) then if you cannot bear the pain, ask for epidural