Hi there
I'd love to say it doesn't hurt at all but it did for me! That's not to say it will for you though...
In my experience when labour first starts it's like mild period pain which gets more severe as time goes on. However, I used a TENS machine last time around (I hadn't with my previous two labours) and found it really helped me cope throughout the early stages and whilst in hospital. The relief that comes from the gas and air is enormous... it sort of makes you high but not so high that you don't feel in control. I felt sort of tipsy (like good drunk!) and was chatting away to everyone happily between contractions. The trick is to take a great big suck, inhaling deeply at the start of each contraction and stopping as the contraction stops. I also had pethidine each time although I can't say for sure how helpful it was although I did feel quite out of it after it was injected!
A lot of mothers avoid pethidine because they hear all these horror stories about it but I found it fine and I wasn't sick at all. I really realised the benefit of gas and air though especially when I left the labour suite to use the toilet and could barely walk during the contractions.
The only part of labour I really hated was the head crowning. It was quite an unpleasant sensation and I panicked a bit each time although it helped when the midwife got me to feel the top of the baby's head and gave me the much needed strength to push!! That part doesn't last too long thankfully and is over pretty quickly.
At the end of the day I remember feeling amazed at the whole experience and happily went through it three times in total, almost forgetting the pain as soon as each baby was handed to me. It is so amazing the rush of love you feel looking at the tiny little person you've made. I breastfed each of mine more or less straight away and that was another experience I'm in awe of. It's simply the most fascinating thing in the world to see how a newborn instinctively knows what to do to survive
If I was you I'd concentrate on having a good
birth plan and I'd tell other people to help you keep to your plans as this helps you stay in control. I'd also keep in mind that labour is very different not only for every woman but for every labour you go through. My second baby's birth was amazing because I stayed calm and did as I was told! My last one was the worst as I was exhausted and frightened!
You'll get through it and be fine... Good luck