Jan and Ione, Your so right about the epidurals. Soap box time coming on.... Here reservations for epi's are made upon conception. This past week, I saw an engorged mom who said labor was so easy. The anes. kept coming in her room offering the epi throughout labor till at last she was at 7 and decided to say yes. And I was told that the anes. was *so nice* and stayed with her the *entire time*. Wait till they see the bill. Now, in addition to being engorged as the baby doesn't yet have it together, (perhaps baby has a little headache from the vacuum)the mom's back is bruised & sore and her head hurts a bit, but she had her epidural! What's the solution?? Elisa Hirsch, RN, IBCLC mother of 18 y.o. Esther and 16 1/2 y.o. Elliot who were born amazingly enough without epidurals