Moving around in labour? Need advice about 2nd birth

[hmmmum]

Just wanted to ask about this - are you supposed to just go with your instincts and move around as you want to, or is there a particular way you're meant to do it that's helpful?
In my first labour, which I found long and awful, I found that I couldn't really move when I arrived in hospital, I felt almost frozen still with pain. Ended up on the bed with gas and air for most of it. They tried to put me on a birthing ball at one stage, but in between contractions I kept passing out and falling off it because by this stage I'd had morphine which made me really sleepy. I can't remember the last stage of my labour much because I kept passing out and then waking screaming when there were contractions. Consultant called in because the labour wasn't progressing well and the baby was delivered by ventouse eventually.
Anyway for my second birth - baby due Sept - I was hoping to get an epidural because I felt like gas and air etc just didn't help, they just made me completely out of it and unable to be aware of what was happening, also made me so tired. But I don't want to go without pain relief because I found it so so painful. My midwife is trying to talk me out of an epidural because I have a low risk pregnancy, she wants me to handle it with maybe a water birth.
However I feel like I "don't get" how to do the whole natural birth thing. I read Birth Skills and practiced religiously before my last birth, and wanted to burn the book by the end of it, found all the techniques faded to nothing when consumed with agony.
Just asking the moving around question because I'm trying to decide on whether to go to hospital ward for epidural, or birth centre where focus will be on water birth, low intervention etc. I feel like I've been there, tried that, and it didn't work, however I'm sure I am missing something?? Then of course I have no idea how this birth will go... It could be similar or totally different from the last one.
Sorry this is so long!! Any thoughts really appreciated.

2nd labours are often faster and easier. Why not try the mlu, try the pool, and see how you go? If you still think it's bloody awful and want an epidural, then that's fine. Epidurals do increase the risk of your labour slowing down, and needing an instrumental delivery, but of course lots of women have them and pop their babies out no problem. Did you have good support during your last labour? Xx

And it's more likely the morphine that made you feel awful and spaced out, rather than the gas alone.

You're first labour sounds very similiar to mine, I'm now 36wks with dc2. I had a long labour on the bed, I wasn't allowed to move around because baby was being monitored. I had ventouse delivery in the end as I was tired, struggling to push and baby in distress.

I'd like to be more mobile this time to see if it will help things progress quicker. I've heard walking and standing helps because gravity will do it's thing and help baby down the birth canal. I'd like to try a water birth too but this might not be allowed due to me needing iv antibiotics in labour.

I'm really reluctant to go down the road of an epidural because I think it will slow things down and lead to likelihood of assisted deliver which I'd rather avoid. But I won't really know how I'll cope until it's happening so prepared to be open minded.

Thanks for your replies! Yeah I think I'm going to try other options first and see how I go,and then request an epidural if things feel very similar to last time. Am going to try and avoid morphine too and stick with Tens /gas and air and maybe water. Just really hope it's all a bit quicker this time.
Yes had good support from my dh in last labour notoasthere, and am giving him some tips on helping me this time too :) like passing me water constantly while on gas and air - I got so thirsty!
Hope all goes well with you too Waggamamma and that you're able to move around a bit more this time.