I agree that there does seem to be a lot of pressure to have the so called 'perfect birth' which is never going to be the perfect birth for everyone. We're all individuals with very different ideas of what the 'perfect birth' is AND we don't know what is going to happen on the day our little ones choose to make their entrance into the world. There can be complications, the labour can be faster than expected (there may not be time for drugs), bubs may be overdue so an induction may be necessary, your pain threshold may be much higher than you ever expected or much lower. You may not have slept properly for a week therefore go into the labour exhausted from the beginning. There are so many factors that could change any of our plans for the perfect birth and we can only plan for so much.

I've found I'm actually experiencing the opposite sort of pressure though - I want to try to deliver naturally but so many friends think I'm a freak for wanting to do so! I've had several friends question why I would want do to that (hell, why not?!) or worse, they tell me that I won't be able to deal with the pain and deliver drug free. I get a lot of 'ah, it's your first baby so you have no idea what to expect and trust me, you won't be able to handle it'. Why, cause they didn't? Am I a carbon copy of them? I do appreciate their advice and stories but I hate being told that 'I can't do it' before I even had a chance to try.

I have nothing against the drugs at all and hey, I may just need them or other forms of intervention but my inital plan is to have faith in my body and just let it do what it was born to do. Why am I trying to be a 'hero' for feeling that way (yes, the word 'hero' has been used)? I have no doubt it will be painful and I don't know that I will be able to handle the pain and I cannot predict what the birth will be like but I CAN make the call now to just TRY and go natural.

I'm really appreciating the information and support I've received from those mums who have experienced both types of births so I've chosen to really listen to their stories from now on.