"They were guided to my birthing room, and I hadn't even introduced myself before she brandished a birth plan at me. I skimmed it rapidly; no IVs, check; labour to proceed at its natural pace, check; no pain relief to be offered, check; no extended monitoring, check. This was going to be good."

Some people buy fully into natural birth being "success" and the aim of the game; anything else leaves them a bit bereft, and it can take a long time to heal (given everything else that you're coping with at the time).