I was in labour for three days so it wasn't the pain that was the main problem for me, it was not knowing when it was going to end!

I think read about some natural pain relief methods - Juju Sundin's Birth Skills book is highly recommended and takes a common sense approach. This doesn't have to be an either/or situation. You can see how far you get with the pain management techniques she explains, but if you end up wanting drugs you will do so knowing you've done your best.

I ended up having an epidural AND forceps but I couldn't be prouder of the way I handled my birth.

It is my firm belief that all labours have different levels of pain and all people's pain thresholds are different. So there is really very little point in comparing ourselves with each other and passing judgement on whether natural or drugs are the go.

But I also very much agree with Kelly that you are much more likely to have a natural labour if you have good support people and you do your research. There is absolutely no point in going into this saying "oh, I'll just see what happens and do a bit of deep breathing." That's probably not going to cut it.