Pain Relief During Labor: Non-Epidural Options & Natural Birth

Question
I am 18 I am having my first chid. I am 37 weeks. Well I was wondering if there are any kind of drugs the doctor can give while im in labor that does not go in your spine? I am more afraid of an epidural than going in to labor. my mom says I should have a natural birth.  

Answer
Even if you have anesthesia, it is considered a natural birth if you deliver vaginally. The choices for anesthesia are some short acting medication which just take the edge off the pain (Stadol, Demerol), psychoprophylaxis (breathing techniques or self hypnosis) or regional anesthesia (epidural or spinal anesthesia). Spinal anesthesia uses medication that goes into the spinal canal (duta). It is shorter to do than an epidural but it has more risks, such as headache. In an epidural, the medicine does not enter the spinal canal, but merely bathes the outside of the spine (epi-dural) and lasts for around two hours. It takes longer to take effect but is the most popular method because it lets you be numb from your waist down and you can enjoy the birth of the baby. It has virtually no side effects.