Practical tips to cope with contractions for a natural birth please!

[Shellster52]

I had my son not having done any preparation. Didn't want to know about the pain of labor and thought I would just trust in the hands of the experts at the time. Was hooked up to IV, told I had to lie on my back for monitoring purposes, legs in stirrups with midwife pushing near my rectum telling me where to push. Didn't enjoy the experience at all. So when DS did not come out like this, they used blunt scissors and pulled and tugged to tear me apart for an episiotomy which as a result still gives pain 4 1/2 years later.

So this time, wanting the opposite. Hoping to have a natural birth but in fear of not being able to cope with the pain! Any practical tips anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. Hoping to have several methods in the bag, so that I can keep trying different things when one thing isn't working, rather than screaming for an epidural.

Always in praise of Juju Sundin's birth skills here- practical tips based on your body's ability to cancel out (or at least mute) one type of sensory perception for another.
Breathing definitely not enough for me, and couldn't concentrate on other skills using hands, but her technique of vocalising i.e. bellowing to "be louder than the pain" was just incredible.
Very fast labour, very intense, little relief between contractions, but coped with just this and TENS.
Having partner involved by timing contractions for me, so I knew when next one was coming and how long it would be lasting was invaluable, had no perception of time myself.
Plus, she has chapters in crowning, and on ways to still help yourself and feel in control if things don't go to plan and you end up needing interventions/drugs.