I was told you forget - but you don't unless maybe it was that traumatic that your mind blanks it...
I was lucky - 8 days early, I had noticable Braxtons all day - except I don't know if they count as Braxtons or more - they didn't hurt.
Lost my plug that night, and had a 'bad tum', and my 'Braxtons' were every 5 to 10 mins, but didn't hurt.
Labour ward time my labour from 10pm when I rang them and queried it and came in to be checked (3cm and dilating).
I had mild period pain on and off til midnight, when the contractions started feeling slightly more like contractions - but I was still happy and walking about, rang my mum etc.
I then had 8 hours of the band - around - your - belly contractions which started feeling uncomfortable around 1am or so, and as I was very tired and was shocked at some stuff from before and was frankly frightened, I started panicking a great deal which I think made it worse for coping with the pain.
I was moaning and crying and got gas and air so was puking... Pretty, eh!
They just hurt a lot and made me double over, I spent most of that 8 hours laying on the bed, clinging to the bedframe for dear life. I look back on it now and giggle SO much.
At 8am I knew I had to push, and because I wentfor it and damn any 'other' consequences
, it took 20 mins - and only because I chose to take a few contractions worth of a break to ready myself for the BIG push, too - and the ladies are right, it feels sort of like burning but its not a OMG I'm on fire kind, it's alright.
For me, compared to the labour, the pushing/crowning was nothing. It didn't hurt me, it just burned. And because I pushed real damned well, it didn't go on and on.
Reckon it also helped that she wasn't big. I grazed a little but didn't tear. Grazing is where your skin stretches a bit but doesn't actually tear.
So, I was DAMNED sore after, but was blooming glad the contractions were over! I'm looking forward to pushing mine out