I hope by the time you read this, you've already given birth to a healthy new baby!! Congratulations on having #2. So this is probably a moot point, but I figured I'd respond anyway :)
My first was...interesting. My goal was to labor as long as I could while still maintaining my presence of mind for the birth. I lasted 10 minutes after my water was broken (I walked into the hospital at 5cm and my water bag was "bulging"). Got the epidural. All was well until my baby's heartrate started dropping with each contraction. And dropping. And dropping. I finally was ready to start pushing, but having never done it before, I had no idea what a "correct" push was supposed to feel like! After almost an hour and a half of pushing, the baby's heartrate dropped to zero, but he was so close to crowning that they stuck the vacuum on his head and sucked him out. I had the episiotomy, but since he was yanked out so quickly, my body didn't have a chance to stretch the way it's supposed to and I ended up with 3rd degree tearing up the vaginal wall. But I'd rather have that and a healthy baby than the converse! Yes, some of the nurses were bitchy at the beginning. Unfortunately, there are some of those out there.
My second, I also went in hoping to go natural but not opposed to the use of drugs. Like I said, I know how I handle pain and I want to be mentally be present at the birth. I wanted to be an active participant and when I'm in too much pain, that's not possible. However, I do fully believe in hospitals and modern medicine because complications happen. It's a fact of life (and birth). This time around, I had been on bedrest all week for major prelabor (contractions every 10 minutes or less for 2 weeks, but no pain, no advancing dilation) and at my weekly checkup my Dr said "ummm, you're 5 cm and I can't let you go home." (big, fat THANK YOU to sitting on an exercise ball all week to help dilation!) Unfortunately the one doctor in the practice that I HATED was the only one available for the birth since my Dr couldn't get out of a scheduled C-section at another hospital. Got to the hospital, got my water broken, got the pitocin started, very quickly ordered the epidural since pitocin stinks! The epi wore off about 15 minutes before I started pushing and that was the most miserable 15 minutes of my life because the epi machine that's supposed to administer more to me BROKE and the anesthesiologist was busy elsewhere. But right before I started pushing, he came back, gave me another shot and that at least took the edge off for pushing--only to leave me numb for 2 hrs after the birth! Little girl was out in less than 15 minutes! By the way, seeing as how she came shooting out fairly quickly, her collarbone was cracked and I had 3rd degree tearing...again...even though my Dr assured me that since I'd had one baby, the second usually don't tear (though she told me after my first that my body isn't made for babies bigger than my 1st...he was only 6lbs! And my 2nd was over a pound bigger!!). Once again, couldn't walk very well for 6 weeks. But again, I'd rather have it this way with a healthy baby!
So, yes, the 2nd time around was different and had its own challenges, but I think the difference is that I was better prepared having gone through it all before. I didn't need alternative medicines, but I am glad that those things exist for those people who prefer them.