We’re Going Unmedicated, Baby: Why More Women Are Saying No to the Epidural (and How to Actually Pull It Off)

Let’s cut to the chase—more and more women are ditching the epidural and taking charge of their birth experience. And I’m here for it. If you're here too, hi friend. I’m Taylor Minaberry, the birth prep coach behind this blog, and I help women confidently prepare for their unmedicated hospital birth.

Whether you’re already committed to going drug-free or you're just curious why anyone would ever say no to the epidural, I’m glad you're here. Because this post? It’s the start of your transformation from unsure and overwhelmed to confident and in control.

Let’s dive in.

Why I Changed Everything

I’ve been teaching birth prep for years—helping all kinds of mamas prepare for all kinds of births. But last year, everything changed.

I felt a deep tug (Holy Spirit-style) to get very specific with the women I serve. I realized nearly every woman coming to me had the same dream: an unmedicated hospital birth.

And that dream is not easy to achieve without serious support, education, and strategy. So I rebuilt everything—my course, my emails, my content, and yes, even this blog—to support one specific mama: the one chasing an unmedicated birth in the middle of a medicalized system.

I’ve never had an unmedicated hospital birth myself. Full transparency. But I’ve had three medicalized hospital births—and then two physiological, unmedicated births at home. So I know what both worlds feel like, and I know what it takes to go from fearful and passive… to Head Girlie in Charge.

And I’m here to help you do exactly that.

Why Go Unmedicated?

Let’s get this out of the way: choosing to skip the epidural is not about trying to prove anything. It’s not about being a hero. It’s about one thing:

✨ Birthing on your terms.

That’s what unmedicated birth is really about—having control over your body, your experience, and your story.

Here are a few reasons mamas tell me they want to go unmedicated:

1. They trust their bodies.

Your body grew a human—fingernails, eyelashes, tiny bones and all. It also knows how to birth that baby. You were madefor this. Not broken. Not incapable. Made for it.

2. They want fewer interventions.

Epidurals often kick off the “cascade of interventions”—one thing leads to another, and suddenly you’re being told your labor isn’t progressing fast enough, baby is in distress, and surgery is on the table. Not every epidural leads to this, but the risk skyrockets when interventions start stacking.

3. They want a faster recovery.

Unmedicated births often come with fewer side effects, quicker recoveries, and less postpartum drama. Win-win-win.

4. They want to remember every moment.

When you go unmedicated, you stay connected—fully present, fully aware, fully in it. That’s powerful.

The Day It All Changed for Me

With my third baby, I wanted to push on my hands and knees. I’d labored like that for hours and my body was begging me to stay in that position. But my care team said no. They physically turned me over.

That was the moment everything changed.

I realized I wasn’t in charge of my own birth. The people I was paying to support me were making the decisions. I was a background character in my own story.

That day, holding my baby in that hospital bed, I made a vow: Never again.

I wasn’t going to be a good little patient anymore. I was going to be the one calling the shots. And now? That’s what I help other women do, too.

Quick Reality Check: Unmedicated ≠ “No Epidural”

Let me say this loud and clear: just skipping the epidural doesn’t automatically make it an unmedicated birth.

With one of my births, I avoided the epidural—but still had all the other interventions: IV fluids, monitoring, cervical checks, coached pushing, restriction of movement, the works. I left that birth feeling traumatized, disappointed, and unsure how I’d ever have more kids.

It wasn’t until I fully prepared—mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally—that I finally had the peaceful, empowering, unmedicated birth I’d always hoped for.

But… Can You Actually Do It?

Short answer? Yes, you freaking can.

But here’s the truth: birth isn’t something you wing.

You don’t just show up and hope for the best. That’s how you end up with a very different experience than you planned. And I know—because I’ve done it both ways.

You need to prepare. You need to educate yourself. You need to train your mind and your body. You need a team that supports you. And you need to know how to navigate the hospital hustle.

Let’s talk about what that prep work actually looks like.

How to Prepare for an Unmedicated Hospital Birth

Here’s a peek at what it takes to actually pull this off:

1. Pick the Perfect-for-You Provider

Stop settling for providers who give you 10 minutes of rushed appointments and vague answers. You are interviewing them, not the other way around. You need someone who supports your goals—and if that’s not your current provider, it’s time to go shopping.

2. Assemble Your Birth Team

Your birth team needs to be ride or die for your birth plan. If anyone in your space is going to be doubtful, discouraging, or disruptive—they're out. This includes partners, moms, friends, nurses, doulas—everyone.

3. Learn the Hospital Hustle

Hospitals have protocols that might not align with your goals. You need to understand what’s routine, what’s negotiable, and what you have the legal right to decline. If you're going unmedicated in a system built around interventions, you need to show up differently.

Want to go deeper? Watch The Business of Being Born. It’ll open your eyes to what you’re really walking into. (And then come DM me about it—because you’ll have thoughts.)

4. Understand Birth Physiology

Spoiler: most OBs don’t actually know how unmedicated birth works. You need to learn how your body functions, what your hormones do, and how to support the process—not fight it.

5. Master Natural Pain Management

Labor is intense. But pain doesn’t have to mean suffering. We’ll dive into techniques that help you cope, manage, and actually enjoy your birth experience.

6. Prep Your Mindset

Fear makes birth harder. Literally. The fear-tension-pain cycle is real, and it can derail your whole birth experience. But with the right mindset work? You can shift from panic to peace.

My Personal “Plot Twist”: A Pain-Free Birth

After months of mental, emotional, and spiritual prep—and 10 days past my due date (which are a scam, by the way)—I had a birth that was completely pain-free.

Not because I aimed for that. That wasn’t my goal. That was the byproduct of doing the deep work ahead of time.

Was it wild? Yes. Was it beautiful? Absolutely. Do people believe me? Not always. 😅

But it happened. And even if pain-free birth isn’t your goal (and honestly, it shouldn't be), I want you to know that the more work you put in before the big day, the easier it will be when it counts.

Ready to Prep Like an HGIC?

If you're serious about making this dream happen, the first step is doing the work. And the best way to do that?

👉 Grab your free Unmedicated Birth Map
This free resource walks you through everything it takes to go from overwhelmed to confident.

👉 Join The Birth Prep Lounge on Facebook
It’s my free community where I go live weekly, answer your questions, and support you alongside other mamas doing the same work.

👉 Check out The Birth Prep Course
This is the exact roadmap I created to walk you through the mindset, the methods, and the mechanics of pulling off an unmedicated hospital birth. No fluff. Just the strategy that works.

Let’s Do This

I know it might feel scary. I know it might feel impossible. But if you’re here, reading this, you’re already different. You’re already choosing something better. Something more aligned. Something worth it.

And I’m here to help you every step of the way!

This blog will be packed with practical tools, empowering mindset shifts, and the education no one else is giving you. So stick around, do the work, and get ready to become the Head Girlie in Charge of your birth. 💖

You’ve totally got this.

XO - Taylor