Hi Ladies,

I'm currently reading Juju's book 'Birth Skills'.
While all the skills make sense and sound great I would really like to hear your own experiences.
Did learning particular skills make labour easier for you?
I really want a natural/drug free labour.
It seems alot of women don't give birth these days without epidurals etc, is labour that unbearable that I won't cope without drugs? Whenever ppl ask and I say I don't want drugs etc they look at me like i'm mad, i've had ppl tell me i'm stupid because if I can have a relatively pain free labour over a very painful one why wouldn't I? And DH sister even told me I should consider an elective c-section, because it is better for me and baby.
I'm scared of having interventions/c - sections or an epidural etc, if I can I want to labour and give birth naturally.
Do you have any advice on what helped you prepare for labour?
What got you through?
Did you ever feel pressured to hurry up? I'm afraid that if I am progressing slowly that I will be told I need a c-section or forceps/vacuum etc.
Are hospitals likely to try and make you hurry up or are they happy for your body to do things in it's own time?
Basically I want to birth my baby naturally, in my body's own time & without drugs unless my baby or I are in distress or danger.
I'm a first time mum & pretty nervous about the unknown, I don't know how painful it will be, if my body is capable and guess i'd like to know how you managed to get into the mindset that you could do it?
And what skills really did work and what didn't?
Thankyou Ladies, sorry for the ramble