How painful is labour?

[NewMummy5July2011]

Hi
I'm 21 weeks and due in July,(1st pg) and am really anxious already about the labour. My friend just went through 36 hours, ended up in surgery, and hasn't slept in a week!

I know it's early days still, but I'm having moments of sheer panic about not being able to cope, or going crazy when the time times and losing it completely. Is it normal to feel this way? And how bad/painful IS it really?

The natal hypnotherapy CD's were brilliant for me. They make you think of it a positive pain and the most important thing for me was to go with the pain rather than tense up with it, it really makes a difference to it.

I got to 7cm and did 14hrs of a back to back labour at home on just paracetamol purely due to the natal hypnotherapy.

(Then ended up transferring in with an epidural, induction and forceps in theatre but even that wasn't bad as the epidural really blocks everything.)