Please share your experience on labour without epidural.

I delivered vaginally without epidural and only used laughing gas. It was quite funny actually. I told the nurses that I wanted the epidural when I was 5cm dilated, but they told me that the doctors were busy with a c-section, so they gave me laughing gas to help with the contractions. They told me that epidural could only be given before I was 7cm dilated. However, the next time they checked me, I was already 9cm dilated and there was no time, plus I felt that I could handle the pain without epidural. I would say the experience is very interesting. I relied heavily on laughing gas. The thing is that it takes a few seconds to take effect but the effect only lasts for a few minutes so there is a gap where you really feel the pain. I remember rubbing my foot against the bed repeatedly because it was so painful in between when I was waiting for the gas to take effect again. Laughing gas is a drug which makes you feel "high", but you're still conscious and aware of everything that's going on. For my next pregnancy, I won't use epidural as well. I believe not taking the epidural sped up my recovery time.