For the first couple births, I really recommend a midwife at either a free-standing birth center (no financial incentive to do a bait-and-switch) or at home. W

For the first couple births, I really recommend a midwife at either a free-standing birth center (no financial incentive to do a bait-and-switch) or at home. With the experience of a midwife, you are less likely to panic or do something dumb, and you'll have somebody to tell you if there actually is a serious issue. By being away from pressure for intervention, you will avoid life-altering surgery. If it turns out that you like having kids, you might want more... but this can turn out badly if there are big nasty scars from surgery. To properly consider the hazards of surgery, it is important to consider not merely the present birth, but also all future births.