I gave birth 5 weeks ago to dc2, and last night I was watching an episode of House where he operates on his own leg (gorey!) and I said to dh, you know, I'm 100% DEFINITE labour didn't hurt as much as that. In fact, I can think of a lot of pain I've experienced that was worse than labour. I broke a toe when I was ten and had to walk around on it all day, for example. A lumbar puncture headache - MUCH worse.
Transition was what I was most afraid of, because in my first labour, I was induced and got the epidural at 4cms. Knowing this and hearing all about transition, I was petrified.. I knew that the pain was tough to cope with at 4cms on the drip, how would I manage this intense pain of transition when I couldn't manage beyond 4cms on my first? As it turned out, transition on my second didn't feel any more painful than 4cms on my first.
What transition actually felt like was being totally emotionally overwhelmed, as though I had a moment of clarity that I was alone in the world and that no one could do this for me coupled with immense doubt that I could pull it off. The physical pain was completely incomparable to that strange feeling of desperate isolation... YET when I look back, I think transition was sort of awesome. It was such a powerful, crazy feeling that I sort of knew was transition but didn't at the same time. I was swept away by the strength of it but when it passed I felt this amazing sense of calm and readiness - and a few short contractions later, I was ready to push. Pushing was so purposeful.. also a bit scary in places as there were moments I was afraid it wouldn't happen for me (my last birth was assisted) but again, painwise, it really was no big deal. Got gas and air for the first time when starting to push and it was quite pleasant and in what seemed like no time at all, I got to meet my beautiful little screaming baby boy and see with amazement how he looked just like his big brother. I would do it all again tomorrow, I really would. The pain was fine. I felt really lucky to have been able to do it as I did and feel it all.
Having said that, couldn't have done it without Juju Sundin's Birth Skills book. Sniffing on a facecloth doused with clary sage and banging the bejaysus out of a maracas belonging to my toddler eased so many of my stronger contractions (she tells you to do something active to "match the pain" to distract you and get you through). Also had a birthing ball, an Ipod shuffle blaring out through one of these and two boxes of Nutrigrain (ate SEVEN in my 18 hour labour!).
Good luck!