I agree, I think the more you are informed about your options, the more in control you feel. I was a lot more prepared for Nic's birth and wrote a birth plan and spoke to my Ob in great detail about the type of birth I wanted to achieve (of course being flexible in case intervention was needed). I felt completely in control during the birth and gave birth the way I wanted to and it was beautiful. I think it is also important to have an open mind though, in case things don't go the way you hope, but knowing what your options are and being prepared for what might happen (epidural, c/s etc) will help you to feel good about your decisions.