I laboured mostly in the birthing pool with the intention of giving birth there. As it turned out things didn't quite happen as planned. But whilst I was in the pool I wasn't allowed any pain relief at all, no gas or peth and an epidural wasn't available to me as I was at a birth centre, but I would imagine that you wouldn't be able to have that either.

I will say that the pain relief the water offered me was fab though and it wasn't until I was taken out of the water that I felt like I REALLY needed any pain relief, the pain was so much more managable in the water. I highly recommend it, my only regret is that I wasn't able to give birth in the pool, but I ended up having to have a caesar.