I'm pregnant with my first & have devoured every word on this post.... I am hoping I can have a totally natural birth but admit that I am also very scared.

My family (mother & sisters) have all achieved this goal multiple times & I hope this trend of short & trouble free labour will extend to me.

I would like to offer something little to think about though.... my cousin just recently gave birth for the first time & hers is a very interesting experience. She is only 20 & has lead a really sad & troubled life, the victim of horrid abuse, dropping out of school young, drugs & trouble with the law. When she found out she was pregnant something inside her clicked & she suddenly did absolutely everything right but still I was worried about her ability to really cope with being a mother. She was so emotionally fragile & young herself.

No word of a lie she had the WORST labour on record & everything that could go wrong did, baby got stuck, too late for a c-section, bumbling nurses, bad decisions by numerous staff & the hours ticked by.... no pain relief.

That poor girl had nothing left after 5 hours & her labour was in full swing for 24 hours before she gave birth by forceps. When I spoke to her a few days later I asked her about it & her reply was "Just when I thought I had nothing left, I found a little something to go on".

I hope you don't think me niave but her experience has inspired me that the sky will not fall & I can do this. When I need to 'find it' I know I will & to worry about it too much is just pointless.