I’m a Doula and if I gave birth again, I’d choose an epidural

Written by Birth & Postpartum Doula Cheyenne Jungers

 As a doula, people often assume they know what kind of birth I would choose. 

They assume I would choose unmedicated. That I would want to experience every sensation, lean into every contraction, and trust my body without intervention. And for a long time, I believed that too. Not just as a professional, but as a woman and as a mother. 

But if I’m being completely honest, if I were to give birth again, I would choose an epidural. 

And that choice doesn’t come from a lack of strength. It comes from personal experience. 

I’ve given birth four times, one cesarean, one medicated, and two unmedicated. I’ve lived through the intensity of labor in different ways, and each experience has shaped how I understand birth, not just for my clients, but for myself. 

In my last two unmedicated births, I showed up fully. I used the tools, the breath, the movement, the mindset. I did everything I “knew” to do. But there were moments where I crossed from being present into simply surviving. Moments where the intensity pulled me out of connection and into endurance. 

And while there is strength in that, it’s not the only kind of strength that matters. 

As a doula, I support my clients in making informed, empowered choices. I remind them that their birth is theirs. That there is no hierarchy of “better” or “worse,” only what feels right for them. 

And I’ve realized that I deserve to live by that same truth. 

Choosing an epidural, for me, would be about creating space. Space to breathe. Space to rest. Space to stay emotionally present instead of physically overwhelmed. It would allow me to experience birth in a way that feels grounded instead of depleting. 

It wouldn’t take away from my experiences; it would change how I move through them. 

I would still advocate for myself. I would still use positioning, intention, and the knowledge I’ve gained through both my training and my own births. I would still be involved in the process. 

But I would also allow myself to receive support in a way I didn’t before. 

There is a quiet pressure in the birth world, especially for doulas, to align personally with unmedicated birth. To live out what we so often support. But the longer I do this work, the more I understand that true alignment isn’t about choosing a specific kind of birth. 

It’s about honoring your own needs without judgment. 

If anything, choosing an epidural has made me a better doula. It has expanded my perspective, softened any unconscious bias, and strengthened my ability to truly meet families where they are. 

Because I know what it feels like to want something deeply. And I know what it feels like to choose something different. 

So yes, I’m a doula. And I would choose an epidural if I were to give birth again. 

Not because I can’t do it another way. But because I know myself well enough to choose what would support me best. 

And that, to me, is what informed, empowered birth really looks like.