Really? I got my epidural when I was when I was only 1 cm. I had a scheduled induction. I basically got the pitocin and the epidural at the same time. Let me tell you that Pitocin is a bitch with claws! The epidural didn't slow the labor at all. My daughter was born after 5 hours and 2 hard pushes! Of course, she had been at station +1 for a month before that.