"Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon-Rosegg (E.P.
Dutton 1984) is an excellent book on natural birthing.  The Bradley
method as outlined in the book encourages moms/parents to take charge of
their birthing and know what is going on with their bodies.  It focuses
more on working with your body/contractions than using distractions or
drugs to "escape".  I used Lamaze with my first child and consequently
used Bradley with the next two and intend to use it again in January!  As
with any method, you choose what is most comfortable for you in your
situation, discuss your goals with your caregiver, and then you need to
be flexible enough to deal with whatever the reality may become.

It has been my experience that sometimes hospital staff prefer to have
patients that are willing to "do as they're told" and follow the
"routine".  By having a close female friend serve as my doula, my nurses
seemed more accepting of letting me labor as I wished while still
observing my progress.  A lot depends on the personalities involved.