I think the best I could describe mine were "discomfort pressure". It was very tiring, and between each contraction DH put a wet washer on my neck or my forehead.

We also used acupressure - just a PDF we found on the Internerd. It was a good distraction and I'm sure it helped me focus on something other then the discomfort of the contractions.

Crowning stung, but she came out quickly and all at once like a big waterside.

We did Calmbirth. I recommend it to anyone!