I rather agree with you.

However, don’t imply that being drug free is the only way to go to be fully present at birth.

An epidural, if well dosed, should let you feel everything, only with a little less intensity so it’s not really painful anymore. Ending the suffering enables many women to rest (especially when labour was long) and to be actually present and able to focus on the process and on their baby instead of being stressed and collapsing of exhaustion once baby is out.

Although I could manage the pain, as my second labour lasted over 24 hours, I was getting crazy for lack of sleep and I bless the epidural that gave 1/2 hour rest before pushing and enabled me to be there for my boy in the first hour of his life (before we both had a well deserved nap!)