How much will the birthing process hurt? Is labour really painful, and if so, how much? Will I be able to cope? In my Pregnancy Yoga and Birth Preparation classes, I encourage women to amass a rich collection of coping strategies for birth. I stress that birth – and especially a first birth – can take many hours, and so lots of different tools may prove useful. A warm bath or pool may be great for a few hours, but later chanting, dancing or massage might work better. One of my favourite birth preparation activities is handling ice cubes. This is a safe way playfully to experiment with strong physical sensations