How to have a good birth - not give birth to a 4 kilo monster

I'm glad I read this and all the other advice I got and actually I think I could have managed had the baby not been too big. I was coping really well with the contractions and was mentally all set for the pain. The only thing that I wasn't prepared for was the
huge change in plans. I managed to process the need for an epidural, as by then the contractions had become just one long grinding pain... Even the induction was ok as I wanted my baby to remain happy and I still had the chance of a vaginal delivery. The c-section just killed me. I cried for an hour, it was so far from what I wanted. I'm glad I agreed however as my baby was happy to the end. He had no idea there was ever any panic.