You're right about not knowing what labour is like, but I don't think just because the pain is unexpectedly excrutiating means that intervention is the best option. ....

So, I think both educating yourself and having fantastic support people around you will help your first birth be empowering, rather than traumatic. (I know I get weird looks when I say that my 24hour, with a 2.5hour pushing stage was empowering! but it could have been so much different!)
lets be realistic

all the education in the world is not going to help some women.

Great if a womans body goes thru labor the way it should, but this isnt the case for everyone...for some women, intervention is the only option.

Its simply a matter of being prepared for what 'may' go wrong rather then expecting everything to go the way the labor lessons tell us they are going to go.