1. Online birth boards really encourage the whole birthing story thing. And I don't know about other people, but I was one of the first in my friend group to have a baby and everyone wanted every single detail when they visited me. I had like three different versions, depending on what rating you wanted. That being said, I didn't blogcast it and I don't share it unless we're close and you're curious.
2. I came out of my mom so fast she caught me with her foot. I suspect this is a bit of family folklore, but she's pretty adamant that's what happened. I'm inclined to maybe believe it, since the doctor wasn't in the room. I think of this every time someone describes the baby coming out so fast someone had to catch them. No sh*t someone had to catch the baby--that happens literally every f*cking time.

Good for her for realizing she didn't have good reasons for having a pain-med-free birth and having a happy birth, but one does have to wonder if there's a wee bit of confirmation bias going on afterward.

That sounds so bad. I agree that medicine or not, the ideal birth is one where the mother feels safe, empowered in a sense, and truly seen and cared for. Ugh--so sorry for your experience.