What's your tip for reducing pain during ...

For me the most helpful was the fact that I wasn't lying on my back. I spent most of stage two in an upright position.

Also during the stronger contractions I counted to 7, and this helped me to prolong the "push" and make it more effective.

Learning to control pain (whether in childbirth or any other situation) is learning to relax and breathe properly. The more tense you are the more intense the pain will be, the more relaxed you are the less pain you'll feel. When encountering severe pain, breathe out until you have pushed all the air from your lungs, this will not allow the body or muscles to tighten, it will force all the muscles in your body to relax instead. Breathe slow and exhale completely with each breath, during the pain, and as your body begins to relax you will feel the pain lessening in degree to a tolerable level.

I've used this method all my life when dealing with pain, and consequently have been able to endure otherwise unbearable pain, for long periods of time, such as in childbirth, without problem. Regardless of the type of pain, proper breathing can mean the difference between being in complete agony or the ability to lessen the degree of pain substantially and bring it to within a tolerable range.

I told myself "I won't get an epidural, I won't ..."  You must know what happened in the end!

Maybe I should have focused on breathing and not if I'd get an epidural.

The best answer for anything is to be as prepared as you can, for any situation. Being prepared simply means practicing as if it were truly happening now... Sure, you don't know how painful it will be, and after having two children of my own, I don't know either. Nature has a way of putting so many natural chemicals into your body during the process, our ability to remember is very fuzzy. With any event our minds can't handle, we tend to have a sort of amnesia about, and it's natural. What has worked for me is simply the ability to remain calm. I participate in Yoga, which is basically posture and breathing, and keeping control of each. If you think about it, so is giving birth. So if you want to practice, I would suggest giving Yoga a try. Personally, I use the Wii Fitness because no one else needs to be in the room, and I'm a bit self-conscious. Give Yoga a try, even through books at the library. It'll be worth the time invested, promise.

For pregnancy related aches and pains in the groin, back, and/or legs, it is recommended that you consult a reputable chiropractor or osteopath who can successfully relieve strained muscles and correct a spine or pelvis that is out of alignment; other helpful professionals include a massage therapist who can do wonders to release tightened painful or aching muscles in spasm, a homeopath who can suggest a safe natural remedy to effectively treat your specific symptoms, and/or an acupuncturist; ask your provider for referrals to practitioners with expertise in this area.