What right does anyone have to tell a woman she should not use pain relief during childbirth?

I read an article today that I found to be extremely exasperating (I'm holding back here). Associate professor in midwifery at Nottingham University, Dr Denis Walsh (yes, a man), expressed his view that the pain and agony suffered during a 'natural' labour are a "purposeful, useful thing" and called the use of epidurals in hospitals an "epidemic"; he believes a "working with pain" approach should be adopted instead. Well, I hope he just remembers that next time he's having a tooth pulled.

Quoted from the good doctor himself: "A large number of women want to avoid pain, but more should be prepared to withstand it. Pain in labour ...has a number of benefits, such as preparing a mother for the responsibility of nurturing a newborn baby." Poppycock. Suffering the agonies of a 30 hour labour are not what makes a good mother. What about all the women who have ever yearned for a child of their own to no avail, and adopted instead. Are they less equipped to respond to the needs of that child because they didn't scream in pain for a day and a half first? Is it to be assumed that a woman with serious complications in her pregnancy with no choice but to undergo a caesarean section is simply not going to make the grade as a good mother because she failed to walk the corridors suffering from excruciating contractions before getting to hold her new baby? Not to forget the women who have abandoned their children, treated them badly or stood aside knowingly allowing their children to be abused by others. I don't have statistics, but I'm pretty sure a good many of them went through that 'purposeful, useful' thing called natural childbirth. Fat lot of good it did them.

Medical risks associated with epidurals include the baby's head more likely to be in the wrong place, and first and second stages of labour being prolonged. This is a fair argument. But there are risks with all medication, and all types of surgery. We would still prefer to be given an anaesthetic while undergoing an operation or having a limb removed. We have come a long way from having to rely on slugging back whisky and biting hard on something as a way of coping with the pain of being operated on. There are side effects associated with any of the drugs, antibiotics and inhalers  we take on a daily basis to deal with all sorts of ailments and on-going health problems like asthma, eczema, angina ...the list goes on and on. No medical product is foolproof but for the most part, the benefits outweigh the risks. When in pain, we use painkillers. So why should it be any different when experiencing the most painful thing of all - pushing a child in to the world?  

Peoples' opinions differ on this and there is nothing wrong with that. Anyone who prefers to experience childbirth in a wholly natural way are entitled to do so, more power to them. But I also do not wish to be judged as selfish or cowardly for choosing a different way of coping with my situation. Most women don't actually want to rely on pain relief when they have their first pregnancy; it's something a lot of us end up begging for before the end, though. Everyone's situation is different and for someone else to criticize our choices at the start of an incredible chapter in our lives is not helpful.