Helen McDonald, an associate professor of midwifery at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., has been attending births for 40 years. She says it’s normal for women to be afraid of the pain.

“There are a lot of ways of making it more tolerable and less frightening,” she says, and women shouldn’t underestimate the power of drug-free coping techniques.

“These sorts of strategies aren’t just old wives’ tales; they’re also supported by modern scientific understanding and clinical experience.”