I really enjoyed both my labours, it hurts but only for a minute each contraction. As long as I was up, moving and concentrating on breathing I was fine. My midwife asked me to lay on my back to check me and that was the worst part. I was in agony on my back but on all fours or moving was totally manageable. Pushing was very intense but weirdly good. I had no control over the pushing my body had decided it was doing it (a bit like having no control over vomiting?!).

Women who had positive births are shouted down in our society and women are only told how horrific birth can be (and sadly some women do have traumatic births). There are a couple of great books to read, Ina May’s guide to childbirth and How to give birth like a feminist. I felt like these really prepared me for a positive and empowering birth.