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It was absolutely okay. For reals. Here's my birth story for #1: [link removed per Hellobee's self-promotion policy]

and the second was even better.

To sum up: get in a tub, if you can!

i had a hospital natural birth. it turned out better than expected for me... you can read about it here - [link removed per Hellobee's self-promotion policy]

to prepare for it i took bradley classes. good luck!!

I had a great experience with hypnobabies and laboring in a tub. Definitely recommend the Ina May book. You can do it...and it's very worth it/awesome

(My birth story is on my blog-link in profile- if you're interested.)

When did you have the most pain? The transition stage was definitely the most difficult part. I don't remember exactly how long it lasted but a little over an hour.

Was the "ring of fire" as bad as you were expecting? This only lasted a few minutes like I mentioned above.

How did you cope with the pain during labor? The support of my doula, relaxation techniques I learned from my Bradley Classes, meditating on a bible verse, taking a hot shower, having my husband rub my back, and walking the halls.

Any tips/advice about the labor and delivery? I highly recommend a doula, make sure you consciously relax because if you tense up it will make labor that much more difficult, go in with realistic expectations and do your research so you understand what stages of labor your body is going through... it helps so much when you know what to expect!

Transition was the hardest but it is the shortest. When you don't think you can handle it anymore give it 45 min and it will probably be over (and doesn't get worse). The ring of fire is terrible but at the end and very very short so you won't have a drugs option.

We loved our doula. She supported us through it all.

I went natural with pitocin.

@HeatherlovesKenny: I honestly think it's a great way to go, your body is more thsn capable of doing it I pushed for an hour andwould never even think about having medications after my experience. Don't get me wrong,it hurts like hell and at the end I felt like giving up (but of course you can't lol) but before you know it your baby is there and sll your pain is gone

@HeatherlovesKenny: ha, yes I got a little carried away writing my birth story but I wanted to remember every little detail and I'm glad I wrote it out because it's already a blur to me (especially the pain- that is long forgotten!). The scary stuff that happened to me is SO rare, and yes, I was told I would have for sure had a c-section if I'd had an epidural due to not being able to push as effectively. I was also told I would have 100% had a csection if I'd stayed with my original OB practice, so definitely make sure your provider is on board w supporting a natural birth!

Totally awesome, you can do it! One of the things that helped me most it e knowledge that all over the world women aren't afraid of childbirth. We live in a culture that scares women about birth, but we're designed to do this.

http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prettybabys-super-long-birth-story there is my birth story.

I didn't even notice the ring of fire, I kept waiting for them to tell me she was crowning,and then all of a sudden they were talking about her ears! It's all so fast.

The best thing to be prepared for is to be flexible. You don't need to be a hero. Do your best and take the pain meds if you need them. Everyone's levels of pain are different and these babies and our anatomy are all different sizes.

Breathing, telling everyone to shut up, focussing on the clock, and the bath tub with SO spraying me down kept me pain free until... Whammo baby was breech and we went into c section mode. (after 10 hrs)

You can do anything you put your mind to, going natural can definitely be done. Pregnancy trains you for the marathon of childbirth, keep an open mind, and remember as long as you and the baby are healthy that is what matters. Contractions aren't your enemy, they are helping you move the baby, don't fight them.

I'm hoping to go natural when it comes time for my second. Transition got me and I elected for the epidural and pain meds, but no regrets. My labor was less than 8 hours, so fast I got overwhelmed quickly. I asked for a light dose on the epidural, the anesthesiologist was fine with that and told me he would turn it up if I needed it.

Before the epidural, walking was what made me feel so much better, but the baby's heart rate was dipping, so I wanted to stay on the monitor to keep an eye on him. When I lay down to be monitored is when the contractions intensified.

They turned off my epidural 45 minutes into my 3 hours of pushing so I could be more efficient- it wore off by ring of fire, honestly it was short and with the relief of getting him out I hardly noticed it! That relief was the best part, such an amazing feeling.