One option worth considering is a Midwife. They have hospital privileges, and can generally do everything but prescribe medication and perform surgery. Usually they work with an obstetrician, consult with this doctor when questions arise, and notify the doctor when labor is in progress just in case additional help is needed. A midwife will provide professional, yet empathetic care and fight for a woman's rights in avoiding unnecessary intervention. Midwives also may work with a birth center, which is a fully appointed facility outside of the hospital.
Birth centers are usually cozy, attractive, and relaxing places to deliver a child.
If complications arise, a mother can be quickly transported to a hospital. Some midwives will assist home births, and consider a wide range of delivery options including water birth in a bathtub or portable tub. But it's manageable, and knowing what to expect will go a long way toward coping. By reading books and taking classes to learn about the Lamaze or Bradley method, a woman can learn what to expect in each stage of labor, and understanding what her body is doing can take the fear from the process. Fear is the number one enemy during childbirth.