You have to be firm in your convictions before going in. And know whether you can truly handle it. I went in knowing an epidural and pain meds were not an option, period. So, it was quite easy for me to refuse pitocin since I knew that would lead to pain meds or an epidural, I also had a focal point I brought, had a mantra (though while there a different one seemed to pop in my head every time), had a birth plan, and a support team (husband and doula) that were on the same page as me. I am probably lucky I guess because I truly felt no pain through labor or delivery the entire time...i was laughing and joking with my team and at one point tried to tell a story and they stopped me telling me to keep pushing, because his head was halfway out...i didn't even realize. I basically just felt a little pressure down there once during delivery and that was it. I felt the contractions but being up and moving through them 1)helped get baby to deliver and 2) made if pain free as I wasn't adding any pressure on my body like if I was laying in a bed. Anyway do your research for sure and if you have any questions I would be happy to try and answer. :)