I feel that I should clarify what happened at dd's birth. For the record, I'm a very healthy, physically fit person who gets plenty of exercise etc, so no obvious physical reason why I wouldn't be able to have a straightforward VB. My pregnancy was ok, although I had sciatica and was on crutches towards the end. Luckily this time the sciatica isn't nearly as bad so no need for physio and crutches - I'm just doing the stretches I learnt last time.
Anyway, dd was 9 days overdue. I went into labour late afternoon so was tired when I started. We went to hospital in the early hours. It was very very long and I failed to progress in the second stage of labour. I was asking for an epidural after 15 hours, but they talked me out of it. 8 hours later I was begging for one but it was too late.
I was pushing for an hour and a half and I knew that something was wrong. I couldn't stand to be touched - I even ripped off all my clothes and punched dh (his glasses went tight across the room). I kept telling them that something was wrong but they kept saying that I was fine and needed to stop holding back on the pushing. It was horrific. I actually tried to climb over the headboard to escape from the midwife.
In the end, after me telling them repeatedly that I couldn't do it, dh lost his shit and demanded that they check what was wrong. I remember him saying "she's been telling you and telling you, why the hell aren't you listening to her?! Check her right now ffs!" He's not really a swearer normally. All the while he could see that dd's heart rate was dropping (they'd turned the machine away from me).
I'd only had gas and air by this point and was beyond exhausted.
At this point a senior midwife came straight in, shoved her hand up and said something like "head's stuck, baby's not going anywhere, you poor love, get a doctor.. " etc.
Suddenly the room was full of people, including a junior doctor who made the mistake of describing forceps to me as 'salad servers'. I think I might have been very rude to him.
By now dd's heart rate was way down and I was nearly unconscious and naked surrounded by people. There was no mobile gas and air available so I had zero pain relief on the way to theatre and once I got there. It took 3 people to physically restrain me so they could give me the spinal. Spinals are amazing things though - literally instant pain relief.
I tore badly because the junior doctor didn't do the episiotomy in time - dh heard the supervising doctor tell him off. They did the stitches up too tight so I needed physio afterwards and was in pain for 9 months afterwards.
Dd was fine thank god. She wouldn't have been if they'd let me carry on pushing much longer. I didn't get to hold her straight away and have skin to skin because there weren't any beds available. They sent dh off to recovery with her and then there wasn't a bed for nearly half an hour. I had to wait in theatre and make small talk with a midwife. Dh didn't know what had happened or where I was and they wouldn't let him back through to be with me.
Ultimately dd was fine, although she had a terrible headache we were told, which is partly why early breastfeeding was so hard. I did breastfeed her for 16 months though in the end 
I also lost huge amounts of blood and almost needed a transfusion.
Anyway, I know it's not nearly as bad as some people's experience, but it was still bad. If I can avoid any possibility of it happening again then I want to.
I'm a firm believer in the benefits of modern medicine. I did the nct antenatal course and take my hat off to people who can do it without pain relief, but that isn't me. Not one of my group had the serene birth we expected! I think that if options are there to improve the agony of labour, then I'll have all the drugs thanks very much!
I'll post to let you know how I get on this time - ELCS all the way!