With one of my friends, I was one of those people "waiting outside", it wasn't really intentional, just that we were actually the ones to take my friend to hospital, we were in the birthing suite but they kicked us out for being "disruptive" pffft it was the mum-to-be who opened up the 2nd bottle of champagne for us (she didn't have any!), but we're talking about the mum who had us wheeling her outside the ward within 6 hours of bub's being born so she could have a smoke & a beer (she'd not drunk or smoked thought the whole pregnancy).

I remember with my SIL, being one of the first of the family to hold 3 of their 4 bubs (1st was born in Brisbane while we were living in Sydney), but then again I was 10, 12 & 14 yo when the 3 were born (8 for the first).

I don't honestly know what my feelings will be when/if it comes to the birth of my child/ren - it will depend on whether we are having 1 or 2 & how bad the birth was. I know that I don't want "all and sundry" traipsing through, but good friends who have been there for me throughout the hardest parts of my life, so by-rights they should be there for the best parts of my life.