newbie, I think that your question is a sound one, and I wish I'd had the guts to raise it in my ante-natal classes.
I went to active birth classes when pregnant with DS1, where we were told that all we had to do was breathe properly, practise yogic poses and connect with the earth's gravity and we'd be able to cope with the pain (which was a positive thing in itself) and have a natural, intervention-free delivery. All I could think was how I was going to manage in labour when I couldn't even master the poses and breathing exercises at 25 weeks pregnant. I didn't dare admit it, though.
In my case, how I gave birth was taken out of my hands because I developed pre-eclampsia and DS1 had to be born nearly five weeks early by emergency CS. Both he and I would have been dead if it weren't for the CS, and I didn't care one jot that I'd missed out on the joy and pain of a VB. I just felt relief that we were both fine.
DS2 was born by emergency CS after failure to progress after 12 hours of labour - his head wasn't engaged and I was only 1cm dilated. The first CS meant that I couldn't be given any drugs to speed up contractions and the news that I needed a CS to get him out felt like a blessed relief - I'd had enough pain before the epidural went in to know that I couldn't take much more.
I've been lucky to have deliveries I could cope with. I recovered quickly from both CS and was up and about on the second day and doing everything I needed to do within three days. I have friends who took weeks to recover from traumatic VBs and I know what I would rather have.
My point is that every woman should be allowed to go for the kind of delivery she chooses, but remain aware that until the baby is on its way, you can't know for certain how things are going to turn out. Fixating on giving birth "properly" by having a VB, no pain relief, etc. just sets you up for a sense of failure if it doesn't go to plan. All that matters is that the baby arrives safe and well to a mother who is safe and well.
We should be grateful to live in a time and country where maternal mortality rates are low (although not as low as they should be) because of medical intervention during labour. There is a reason why so many women and babies around the world still die in childbirth for want of a midwife or a doctor - it might be what our bodies are designed for, but it's dangerous to believe that a bit of deep breathing will get you and your baby out of trouble if things start to go wrong.
Do whatever you think is best for you and your baby, newbie. That's all that counts.