Coping with labor ?

I have a low tolerance for pain but wanted to try a natural labor. To be honest, the back labor I experienced with my son was WAY worse than my labor with my daughter. Ultimately, I had to have an epidural for both, for they feared I may have needed a c-section. Labor pain DOES hurt, but depending on your pain tolerance level and your willingness, you can try to go natural. But don't feel bad if you cannot handle it! That is what pain medicine is for. If you don't want an epidural, they can usually administer IV medications. They make you kinda loopy, you still feel the pain but you don't give a crap lol.
Depending on the position of the baby, you can expect back labor, especially if the baby's head is facing "sunny-side up"..toward the ceiling, instead of the normal facing the ground position. If all is normal in positioning, labor pains in the stomach can vary. They can feel like mild, tense cramps or can feel like the WORST period cramps mixed with the WORST digestive upset cramps imaginable. I am not trying to scare you. Just as every pregnancy is different, so is every labor. I have heard some women claim they had little pain at all. Others will swear that it was the worst pain ever, but totally worth it.
Non-medication pain management is also available in some places. These types of pain management include water births, labor and delivery in the position that feels best for YOU, doulas, breathing exercises, meditation, and more.
Best of luck to you and hope you have a healthy, happy delivery and little one!