Ways to make labor easier?

I have a 10 month old son and I am 22 weeks pregnant with my next baby. After I gave birth to my son I immediately decided that I would not be having another baby. My labor was long and terrible, I started to feel my contractions at about 5 pm the evening before I delivered, and got an epidural about 3 hours later when I was 4 centimeters dilated. I felt better after the epidural and it was getting late so I wanted to get some rest while I waited for things to progress, but every time I would turn over to try to get comfortable in the bed a nurse would come in and tell me I had to lay flat on my back so they could keep the baby's vital signs recorded. I was so uncomfortable that I didn't end up getting any rest, just laid on my back wide awake ALL night. Well about 10 hours after getting the epidural I started to feel my contractions again very intensely, they gave me more medication but it was helping. It was a very intense pressure in my lower back, like I needed to push, but no one would listen to me, they just kept telling me that I needed to wait for the doctor to get there so he could break my water. They also told me that my baby was turned around and he face was pressed against my spine, they called it back labor. 3 hours later the doctor finally showed up and broke my water, there was meconium in the water (doesn't that mean the baby was in distress?) and I pushed for about an hour and a half before delivering my son after 17 hours of labor. I had no pitocen only and epidural, and I was 39 weeks and 6 days along when I went to the hospital with contractions, so I really don't understand why my labor was so long. Maybe I'm just being dramatic, but it seemed to me like things could have gone a lot smoother and less stressfully. Well they say after awhile you forget how bad labor was but for me it has only been 10months, I was not planning on having another baby and was on birth control, but I ended up getting pregnant anyways, so this is my dilemma. I am terrified to have a similar experience this time around. Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to make labor easier? I am fairly certain that I want to have an epidural again, but want to try and hold out for a little bit longer this time. I've read that not being attached to monitors and being able to move and walk around makes things move along a lot faster. But the hospital I will be delivered at seemed to want me on my back in the bed even before I got the epidural. Again any suggestions would really be appreciated.