Hi Ryn

First of all good luck with your pregnancy!!

My husband was alot like yours with my first pregnancy. Didnt want doula etc. I ended up getting induced, losing control, had lotsa drugs and having a c section. This pregnancy we are getting a doula, and I will not be using pain relief. It can be done. You need to fill your mind with thoughts about the contractions. Some that I have down on my list are: each contraction brings me closer to my baby, each contraction massages my baby, and most of all, you only have to deal with 1 contraction at a time, you will get a break, be it 10 seconds or a few minutes. Somewhere I read that in 12 hours of labour, there is only about 3 and a half hours of pain. thats just over 25% of your time.

I also remember something that my birth class teacher told me, which is sticking in my mind at the moment. She told us that contractions dont hurt, its just that the uterus stretching and your cervix dialating that makes your mind think that its painful and sends out the pain messages. (mind you, it still bloody hurts lol) so I guess thats something to have in your mind.