I had a natural birth with Olivia, no drugs, & the worst bit for me was the contractions when I was about 9cm dilated.....I was labouring in the hospital room, and a midwife kept trying to get me to lie down on the bed, but lying down was so uncomfortable and the pressure whilst being horizontal in conjunction with very close together contractions & the backache were bad.

I remember the crowning stinging, but it was a short sharp pain with an end, so not as bad as the continual contractions, IYKWIM?