In our circle of friends, we were the first to have children - so I didn’t really have anyone to talk to about giving birth.

It’s a bit pointless to get fixed ideas on the type of birth you are going to have – there are two people involved in the birth, you and your baby and you are not the only one to have a say.

I never considered having a caesarean section, it just wasn’t in the realms of possibility for me – all of the mothers in my family had had all of their babies naturally so I would too.

I attended some ante-natal clinics through my hospital and one lesson was devoted to emergency caesarean section births.  We were told “if the umbilical cord is found to be wrapped around the baby’s neck, an emergency caesarean section will be conducted” – we were told that this could happen to anyone.

Suddenly I realized that this could be me and that I needed to prepare myself mentally to cope if this situation arrived, out of my control.

I have some friends that were terribly disappointed to have had a caesarean section, feeling that they should have given birth naturally.

I wonder if we place too much pressure on ourselves as new mothers trying to be perfect in every way – sometimes we have to let nature take its course.

I did have two natural births as it turned out but I think if I had been told that something different needed to occur by the medical staff – I would have been better prepared.