Thank you everyone - your responses are much appreciated and quite reassuring. I've always thought I had quite a high pain threshold so the miscarriage threw me a bit. But I was on my own, it lasted most of the day and all in all, it's a bit scary not knowing whether you're bleeding normally or haemorrhaging etc. etc. etc.

I may have given the wrong impression re natural birth in my first post - I definitely want to give drug-free a go but I'm just not into the whole "I'm a failure" thing if I can't. Afterall, it's only one day and my son/daughter won't judge me by whether or not I had an epidural - it's the next 18 years that really matter! But I am keen to be as mentally prepared as possible.

Thanks again everyone.