Hi - I'm 32 weeks with my second pregnancy, and the first time, I hired a TENS, on the grounds that it would probably be helpful and safe, non-medicalised pain relief. They seem to be so ubiquitous and a standard, first port of call when in labour.

However, I didn't find it helpful at all really - just vaguely annoying & am wondering if it is a good idea to go through hooking myself up to electrical currents again. The thought of that is starting to bother me. But then again, if I don't hire one, will I end up regretting it ...? Argghh, such decisions!

Has anyone thought similar, and won't be using one for labour, or for a first labour has decided it's definitely not for you? I'd love to know what you think.

I meant to get one, but dd was a week early. I seemed to cope okay without...

I was exactly the same and didn't even try one with my 2nd

I used one for my first birth and it was useless. I thought exactly the same as you, it was just annoying to have one more thing to think about, and it didn't relieve my pain at all.

If I was going to have a natural birth again (I won't - had elective cs for second) I wouldn't bother with a TENS.

I had one for my first labour, and just like you found it annoying and distracting. I took it off and swore at it alot iirc! I didn't bother with my subsequent two labours and never regretted it. I think it's one of those things that either works for you or not.

Thanks everyone - I guess I'm one of those for whom it does nothing. (I am now bothered by the electrical currents thing, though and thinking ... why on earth did I do that???)

I have had 3 labours and have never even tried one, i only go to hospital when i feel i have no choice and can cope no longer. As soon as i arrive i go straight onto entinox!

They aren't on offer during labour in France, where I live, so I didn't use one.

I coped fine all 3 times without (or any other pain relief come to that - here it's a full-on epidural or nothing at all!)

I didn't use one for either labour. Because I've previously used a similar electronic back massager and I found it ticklish and annoying, and I suspect a TENS might be similar.

Also because I wanted to use water as pain relief (not that it did relieve the pain)

never used one

Never bothered.
Don't feel I've missed out on anything

i never used one in either labour

i just thought i wasnt a patient enough person to

I never used one. The thought of electrocuting myself (as well as being in labour0 didnt realy interest me.

used one first time round - overrated if you ask me and didn't bother with it second time round.

had 3 labours never used one !

Yes, Belgo - I'd had some electrical-current physiotherapy for my back years and years ago - and remember it made me feel worse!

Yes, Pidge, it is overrated.

I am having none of it.

Thank you!

yes the massager was also during a physio session. I remember it tickled in a painful way. It put me off the idea of a tens.

Used one once, didn't do much except run down the batteries. So I didn't bother second time round.

I don't bother with pain relief. It just seems like a lot of faffing about when all I want to do is wander about and rock my hips. <luddite birther>

Me - no one told me that they existed for either pregnancy so I proceeded in blissful ignorance. I have heard from others that they did not find them all that useful either.

I'd love to know has anyone actually used one and thought - that's great and used it in subsequent labours!

hi,

I used one in labour. One of the pads became detached, and it re-set itself to zero while midwife reattached it. And boy did I know it!!! Never pressed a button on a gadget faster to get those TENS things working!!! So I guess that it was working all along. Didn't find it a faff either, and I am not a person who goes for gadgety things.

Again, I had/have heard mixed results from friends and online. But wanted to add a positive experience to all the ones that don't like it!! HTH

Oh sorry - realised that you weren't asking for positive responses at all. Apologies. Will delete my message - once I find out how and have stopped my toddler from destroying the garden....

I didn't

didn't want to go down the road of thinking I couldn't cope

managed without anything

Never tried it, entonox & a birthing ball worked for me.

I hired one from Boots when I was pg with DS1 but it never even got taken out of my bag. Just managed with entonox. Didnt bother with one for DS2 and DD

never bothered with it for labour

they are using something similar atm on my arse for physio, its well weird but it works

Didn't use one first time; did second time and it definitely took the edge off (I was 9cm by the time I got to hospital, and was astonished to find I'd got that far). Should there be a third time I'd definitely use it again.

But if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you.

Thanks for all comments (including your positive, Leo35!). That's interesting that it took the edge off for you, PortAndLemon - I'm hoping for a quicker labour this time around (26 hours first time) and so I expect the pain will be that much more sudden. But, am reading a Lamaze book atm which advocates the only time in pregnancy when a stiff drink (at the onset of labour) is positively recommended - now that's something I think I might go for! I'll cross my fingers and add a mix of entonox too and hope for the best.

I thought it was great. I was induced and had a very fast and painful labour, and was grateful for any help I could get. Definitely getting one this time round, but know others who found them useless. It was the G&A I didn't like.

It didn't do anything for me, but I have heard it's quite hard to get the pads in exactly the right places (or maybe that's because I was trying to get them on at 2 in the morning, and am not terribly technically minded at the best of times...). I had G&A and that was great

Used for first. I became irritated by the tickly feeling it gave, remember stating I was getting irritated and pondered (aloud) whether it was doing anything anyway. MW said very clearly that judging by how well I was doing, it definitely was doing something. So, in preparation of birth no. 2, was terrified of going into labour without a TENS. However, early arrival of dd meant just that and... it was fine. I gave birth without anything at all - not ideal, I admit, but with the quick (1.5 hours) labour I had, I don't think TENS would have been my relief of choice anyway.

Having said that, what's the harm?

I'm the same. I didn't use a TENS with my first labour. It was about the only pain relief I didn't have as DD1 was back to back and the established labour was 32 hours.

I decided to give TENS a go with DD2 but tbh I think it distracted me too much. DD2 was back to back and the established labour was 16 hours long. I remember very clearly at one point trying to switch on my G&A mouthpiece and inhale my TENS machine . I think if I had ingonred the TENS, I would have used my G&A more effectively. As well as that the pads would not stick on after several hours use - I started to use it early on as advised by my MW.

DS1 is due any day and I have decided to go without a TENS this time (funds are limited so I'm going to be brave). tbh I don't think I;m going to miss it that much. I'll try to remember to come back and let you know how I got on.

Marjean - your post was very reassuring

Hmnn ... seems quite a few of us didn't miss it 2nd time around.

Marjean, that's my worry: "what's the harm?" - apart from it being an irritation, it's an electrical current at the end of the day ...

BigBadMouse - all good luck with the birth any day now - fingers crossed for you and please let me know how you get on, if you can!

In a thread asking about negative experiences of TENS you are likely to get quite a few... well... negative experiences of TENS .

Even as a bit of a fan, I'd never try to use it at the same time as G&A. When the G&A goes on I turn the TENS off -- as BBM says, would be almost impossible to do both without getting distracted.

i couldn't get one, was in labour for 48 hours, didn't take anything until 29 hours when i took 2 paracetamol, that was brill, - like heroin I imagine, when i finally got to the gas and air that was nirvana, so go without for as long as you can.

I didn't use one either time because it looked like too much of a faff for me.

I didn't have any pain relief either time, and my second was an induction, I just hung off the sink in the delivery room swearing.

I used one for first labour 11 years ago. Blardy useless. Still felt all the pain, but also had an irritating buzz to deal with too. Had an epidural that time as I recall. Marvellously effective.

With 2nd, one year ago, I didn't even remember you could still get em. Had just gas and air. That wasn't much good either, if you ask me. Would have been much better to have a bottle of Chardonnay.

Strangely, I used one with my second labour and loved it - it really helped. I used it again for my third labour and I just found it very irritating.

Get one.

I used mine at home and found the pain totally bearable. Went to hospital thinking I might be sent home for going in too early and was 8cm dilated. I can't believe I got to 8cm with just the TENS

I didn't with DS1, and suffered for it.
With DS2 I found early labour far more comfortable.
I'd get one.

I agree that its a faff, annoying, and I got a few nasty shocks when I accidentally knocked up the settings while flailing about. In fact I eventually ripped it off going "get that f***g thing off me".

BUT, I would still consider it again because while I didn't find it to be effective at pain relief, it did engage my mind and give me something that I could fiddle with throughout a short sharp labour that the midwives dismissed as prostin pains/pre-labour (I was only believed when the membranes were poking out after a looong trip to the toilet )!

It was the thing that got me through my labour!

I thought it was really good, but think it was more to do with concentrating on when to turn it on/off with each contraction that helped! Only took the edge off the pain, but I hated G&A so used it instead. Don't think it's possible to do both at the same time anyhow! I had a shortish labour and by the time the MW had worked out how to apply it second time around, it was too late.( If you're thinking about using birthing pool it has to come off before you get in there- just as an after thought)
Good Luck

I used one during both my labours (last one just two weeks ago!). It was very helpful both times until the pain got so bad that I needed to get in the pool/have gas and air.

I hired one both times, but the machine I hired last time - the Elle TENS I think - was MUCH better than the one I rented from my Lloyds pharmacy the first time around.

I should add my first labour was 8 hrs and my second only 4, and both were ultimately pretty easy.

Can't stand 'em!
Tried one a couple of labours ago and I couldn't tear it off my back quick enough, it was so annoying to me.

Managed better with nothing at all, though birthing ball and g&a last time was brilliant.

I did think about it both times but in the end I couldn't be bothered. Used a bit of G&A each time. This time I definitely won't. I think it would annoy me.

Never used one

Assumed it was going to be eff-all use, faffy and yet another thing to take to hospital, shell-out hard-earned on. Didn't fancy being wired up to anything. Got by okay with nothing followed by G&A until EMCS. Oh well.

Still don't think a TENS would have saved the day.

Am in US and not an option here.

used one first time round and found it annoying and had a bad (ish) labour. Didn;t bother 2nd time and had a fantastic labour... not sure if it was ALL down to the lack of a TENS machine though

Don't bother, follow your instincts and good luck

I did for the first but not for the second. It was a mild distraction and then just annoying.

I had one and found it useful for about 4 hours as a distraction-y sort of thing up until the point I had the Syntocinon drip then I went directly to the injection of hard drugs in the base of the spine, thanks very much.

But if you've had one before and didn't find it helpful, I can't imagine it would be different this time round. I think actually having a really good play list on my mp3 player that I could dance/lurch round the delivery suite to was just as useful :-)

Same as you Takenoprisoners. I found it just plain irritating and went for the harder drugs. Didn't even bother with it with my second.

Hi - didn't use one for first pregnancy, did for second but just couldn't get to grips with it. Tried again with third and it was FAB once I'd got past the initial uncomfortableness of the tingling!! 2nd and 3rd labours/births were both at home with nothing but the TENS (can't take G&A) - 3rd was a lot longer but the TENS really helped at the beginning stages. Would definitely say have another go - I'm so glad I did.

i used one...but was absolutely useless and did not stop me screaming for a c-section which I was subsequently talked out of...
the only upside was that it gave me something to do during the contractions, ie press boost! ended up with an epidural in the end..

It was good to give DH something to do "It's coming, press now!". But it only helped in the beginning. I could still feel the thing the following day.

Please enlighten me - what is the harm of TENS? I thought they were 100% OK - don't cross the placenta etc etc. In fact, knowing that TENS was an option made me more confident in planning home births for both dc1 and 2.

'Planning' for both births, I had my options lined up, ranging from breathing, meditation, yoga, water, pethidine, TENS, hot water bottle... I had all this written on my birth plan. First time, we followed it to the letter. Second time, it went out the window! My point is, surely there's no harm in considering everything an option?

Having said all this, I found that I really needed (or naturally went into) a 'zone' and fannying around with different options interrupted my concentration. In that sense, birth 2 was ideal - apart from the sheer panic of doing it all alone, I was totally into the process and, like I said, TENS would have been useless in such a sudden and short labour.

I didn't use one for my first labour and I had an epidural. I did use one in my second and likewise found it rather annoying, more of a distraction than a relief. However, when admitted I was already 5 cm dilated and then gave birth with just G&A (not by choice though, I did ask adn was refused an epi) and the TENS.

So would definitely use it again in a third labour - can't really say whether it worked, but perhaps it did and given that I'm likely to be refused an epi again (as that often seems to be the case here), I want every other available option! I did buy one however. Don't know if I'd bother if I had to rent it.

I had one and found it very good...although i think it may have been a distrction thing...you know..I felt like I was doing something for myself IYSWIM?

Tip: dont have it turn it up to 10 when first using it as it will shoot you across the room

Never used one - never had back pain during childbirth (have 2 dc)

I did use one and found it useful, although I don't know how much was psychological. However I did find it a pain being wired up and not able to go in the shower / to the loo without being dismantled! I still think I would use one again though

Haven't read all this but I used a tens machine (was induced with a drip) . I did stand up all the time and rock my hips as well. It helped me get through the first 4-5 hours of a drip induced labour and I'm not sure I'd have coped without it. It didn't take the pain away but sort of merged with it and allowed me to focus more. Not really sure how to describe it.

Once the contractions became too much with the tens machine I switched to G&A which I used for the last couple of hours except for the pushing. I didn't try and use both at the same time. As for the wires etc, since I was attached to a syntocin drip and also to iv antibiotics and those didn't keep me from moving around, the tens machine sure as hell had no chance of keeping me still

Same as you found it didn't help at all first time and didn't bother second time. Won't bother this tim. One less thing to stress about!

I had TENS for the first labour, and found it did help but the next day I felt I still had it on as my back as it tingled in exactly the same way. Second labour I spent in a birth pool at home with G&A so didn't use. I'm debating whether to hire one for #3 in November.
It's totally subjective on whether it helps but I think it's a useful bit of kit to have in your armoury

No tens with DD1 (induced 3 times, 3rd time immediate full-blown contractions and howled for epidural after biting DH's head off for muttering (as pre-arranged)"are you sure you can't hold on a little longer"), no tens with DD2 as no time (also induced then waters broken, DD2 born 45 minutes later. But with DS1 (also induced - hmm bit of a pattern here!!)labour was more prolonged and as Sunday wasn't a busy day on the labour ward there was a tens machine available. It worked more as a distraction rather than "pain relief" and I only used it during the first stages of labour. I'd shock myself and see how far my toes would curl!!! I think the theory is that it stimulates your natural endorphins (or whatever) and so increases your resistence to pain - so you need to start using it as soon as labour begins and notch up the shock as the pain increases. Didn't use it at all during the actual birth - just abused the G&A - lovely stuff! Should be available on tap in special bars !!!

Thanks for all your comments and best wishes, everyone. Interesting comments - I know my opening post was only really asking for the negative "who won't be bothering ...(and why not)" type of comments, but I am interested in the positives, too. I can see how a TENS would work by distracting your attention and giving you something to do and of course there's no harm in lining it up as one of several tools to hopefully get you through it. I just wondered if anyone found it irritating first off and so didn't bother subsequently (quite a few of us) or anyone who didn't find it much cop the first time but a godsend subsequently.

I guess I'm just worried about the electrical current thing - and I'm not aware of any research to say it's less than 100% safe etc, but psychologically, I keep remembering an awful experience I had years ago when having a facial ... one of those ones that utilises very mild electrical currents ... and the therapist bungled one of her knobs/dials and stung me in the face so bad that I lept off the bed . Not at all pleasant! (No facials like that for me during this pregnancy, thank you!!) So, I suppose, deep down, I keep worrying about that and coupled with finding it annoying first time round, just want to verify to myself that I'm not missing out on some amazing piece of weaponry this time. Having read all your comments, I don't think I'm going to be in labour this time round and think "oooh, I wish I'd hired that TENS after all" - I'll just go straight for the Hard Drugs if needed .

It certainly made me laugh when I (thought I'd) turned it off and asked DH to rip the pads off. It was still on max! Lightened the mood (for me at least) before I started pushing - and I don't think he'd take my word for it again

I've never heard anything about them being unsafe from the baby's point of view. IMO it was fantastic for pain relief (or perception of pain relief) but annoying when I wanted to go to the loo or shower.

I found it helpful in the beginning but it started to annoy me towards the end (it was a LONG labour). I think it really depends on the person.

I never even tried one with either of mine

i hired one but absolutely hated it and growled at dh to take it off.

sorry to say the opposite of everyone, I tried one the first time and didnt think much of it but got one the 2nd time anyway and it was a more updated one and was marvellous, the best 30 pounds I;ve ever spent. so I would definitely recommend it as when the time comes i would do anything to stop the pain and several friends also used them and liked them. hope this isnt too unhelpful

I borrowed one from a friend but I think it made me sick. I was induced and went into intense labour very quickly so I think I might have skipped the point where it would have helped. By the time I used it I was already at the on all fours, mooing like a cow stage and the sensation made me nauseous and I threw up.
So, next time, I'm going to skip it!

I didn't use one - just the birth pool it just didn't appeal at all.

I was induced and told not to use it in case it made the contractions go off...

Mind you they also didn't believe my waters had broken and said I 'might be a bit sweaty'!!!!!!!!

I didn't choose the tens machine - I was introduced to it by sadistic MW who demonstrated it's current between my fingers and it was like an electric fence!!
Perhaps some people are just more sensitive to the current?

basically tens is like taking a asprin if you've discolated your shoulder..doesn't work

hmmm - yes, something a bloke might think would get you through the 'discomfort' of childbirth

exactly

i recommend an epidural!

right... must go to bed as it's nearly a quater to three!!!!

goodnight all <waves>

night!

I found the TENS really helped me. I went in to labour in hospital and the midwife applied it for me after 6 hours in labour and I was so annoyed the 1st midwife and discouraged me using it. I was gutted when I pulled out the lead from one of the pads accidentially when I was trying to get some sleep (after 14 hours). My poor Mum was sent on a mission to find pads she came back with 4 different ones and none were the right ones so my wonderful DH tried to make one up (he's an electrical engineer so knew what he was doing) by the time he'd done I discovered gas and air and didn't want the tens machine anymore!!! I'd definately use it again. I did find the machine distracted me during contractions but I noticed the difference without it. Hopefully next time I'll be able to be more active and can manage without anything!!

never the thought of anything touching me in labour. No way. I even ripped the monitor off!
use tens for nerve pain due to spd and its good

I hired one first time round but went into labour in the antenatal ward, with the machine safe at home with dp!! By the time he arrived I'd been managing for a while anyway and it wasn't long before ds1 was born. I didn't bother with any pain relief for ds2's birth and hopefully won't need any this time round either.

I tried it but found it annoying too.

I tried it but found it annoying too.