"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.