You make the decsion, not him...excuse me saying this, but grow some balls. If he is that controlling then ask him to speak to a nurse and explain it. You will be able to focusing on pushing more if your lower body is numb.

Fyl, but technically he can't "forbid" you from doing anything. Just talk to him about it and make a compromise, you won't get an epidural unless you absolutely need it and you'll send him articles about epidurals that he has to read as well as going to a parenting/birthing class or two.

Well atleast if you have a c-section you get to have an epidural

I don't know what idiots in this world think that epidurals make the baby addicted to drugs or harm the baby. It's your choice at the end of the day

At least he's got the right idea..

Well, he has the wrong idea about pain relief but I think that OP and her husband should talk sensibly about his concerns and explain to him (with evidence to hand) why he is wrong about the effects on the baby. However, I'm not a fan of epidurals myself - they seem to make labour last longer. I went completely without pain relief with my last birth (there wasn't time) and yes, it's painful, but it's nowhere near as bad as people would have you believe. Terrifying expectant mothers with "I nearly DIED" stories seems to be a rite of passage for some women. It hurts and then it's over, and you have a child.

Tell him to STFU and he can dictate what happens when he squeezes a human trough his penis.

Yeah, he only gets a say when he has to give birth...so tell him to shut up

He can make those decisions when he's having the child!! Otherwise he has no say in the matter.

At least he cares about the welfare of your baby!! Think of the positives.