Yes I believe birth is supposed to hurt. I find it very painful and confronting, but when you're expecting that its less of a shock.

I find the pushing bit the hardest because of the intensity of surface stretching and the clarity of my mind. The labour stuff is just breathe and surrender. Pushing is where I need to work hard because I find my mind is clear and I start thinking and feeling scared. You need so much courage to birth and that's why I really love it.