I found the 0-5cm (in my case it was 3-5cm) bit the hardest because it took so damn long. I was 3cm dilated before I was even in labour, but those last two centremetres took 10 hours of established labour and really strong contractions. The 5-10 was only 3and a half hours but intensly painful. I had a back labour and due to bub's position was why it took so long as he wasn't moving down into my pelvis like he should because he was large.

I was 3cm for at least a week before labour.