the old-fashioned way

As you may or may not know, because I never actually published Jacob's birth story, I was fortunate to give birth naturally last time. I say fortunate only because it's what I really wanted. With the help of acupuncture from a naturopathic doctor, I was able to go into labour on my own at 10 days overdue, and was relieved to avoid the induction process (which friends have said is really horrible).

And by naturally, I must preface that I had a dose of morphine around the six-cm mark, and went to town on some laughing gas while I pushed. Worth noting: everyone I know who has asked for the gas agrees, there's nothing worth laughing about. In childbirth, the stuff serves no purpose, unless it's to encourage you to inhale like a maniac.

This time, I'm planning and hoping to do it the same way, but hopefully with less yelling. I'm not even joking. I know there are lots of mamas out there who call me crazy. What about an epidural, you ask? Frankly, I am absolutely terrified of the thought of that needle, which far outweighs the pain of the alternative. That's just me.

This time, I want to learn more relaxation and focusing techniques to help manage the contractions and make for a smooth, stress-free experience. I know that birthing babies is an extremely unpredictable process, and while I thoughtfully wrote my birth plan last time, I wasn't married to it. I know that unforeseen circumstances arise all the time that warrant sudden changes. That's partially why I'm more comfortable birthing in a hospital setting. No matter what the outcome, I'd like to do a bit of advanced preparation to help guide the process as much as I'm able.

But all of this blabber brings me to my main question, what are the best resources for this sort of thing? And by thing, I mean natural ways to manage pain and promote/facilitate easier child birth. I just got "The Official Lamaze Guide" from the library as a start. I haven't started reading it yet, but the table of contents looks promising. Have you or someone you know taken a Lamaze class? All I know is that they seem expensive ($300 for a two-day session)? What about the Bradley Method? Any others?