Does the hospital you will be going to have baths at all? The private hospital where I had DS didn't allow water births, but they did have baths you could labour in. For me, that is the best part. (I went public with DD and actually had a water birth, and for me it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. I LOVE labouring in the bath, but next time round I think I'll get out of the bath for the actual birth - if I can!) So anyway, if they have baths you can labour in, that might be a good compromise.