With my 2 sons - I can tell you that the epidural is like the best thing ever made! With my oldest, I had 8 hours of labor and I had to be induced because I was 5 days over due. When they put the epidural in me, they hooked the catherer to my lower back (where the epidural injection was located at) to the machine to control the dosage. I felt NOTHING at all and it was a great feeling. It was funny because the fetal monitor was showing that my contraction level was way off and the nurse was asking me if I had felt anything at all? I said nope and I only could imagine how I could felt if there was no epidural.
Whereas with my 2nd son, Oh god, It was a huge difference. I had arrived at the hospital after having the pain in my lower back. Again, my 2nd one was 5 days overdue as well. When the doctor did the inspection and said I was 5 cm dilated due to arrival. I was like WHAT?! 5 cm already?! He was like, Yep you're gonna have the baby today. I was bitching all through the labor because the doctor had put the epidural in me and it did not even work at all! I remember that I kept thinking "Oh god, It hurts like hell" And I asked for the epidural again. So they put it in me for the 2nd time. Again, it did not even work at all. So, They end up giving me demerol and I didn't like the demerol because I was in and out for the rest of the labor but the pain was still so unbearable and the contractions was getting stronger by every minute. So yeah, You could say that I FELT everything and so natural. All I know is that, I was screaming so loud and squeezing my ex husband's hand so hard that he was actually cringing.
I don't think I would want to go through a natural birth ever again. I'd stick to the epidural all over again.