I was expecting to squeeze DH's hand and break his fingers/ swear like a trooper and say "you did this to me, don't touch me!" but I was somehow pleasant and kept appologising to the midwife!
lol I was the same! I thought I would get really angry but it didn't happen.

And on the 'how the hell could it be less painful' thing, I can't say how, it just was. That's not playing it down, or being unrealistic, that's just my own feelings. It's not saying it wasn't painful, and afterwards it did take a lot to get over the intensity of the contractions and what had just happened but it was better then I expected. I didn't have any pain relief, and laboured at home for most of it. Being at home was the key for me.