Which is better?

Honestly, natural birth is better, if your health and baby's condition permits you too. Also, without the tear and episiotomy, because without these, you can heal faster than a week or two. C-sect can take months to heal, and you cannot overstress yourself otherwise your stitches will open. For epidural, is by luck. If your doctor is experienced to poke that big needle in your spine, you're lucky. But if doctor poke wrongly, everything can go wrong, so need to cross fingers.