TENS machines - do they work?

I used TENS with great optimism, but I can't honestly say it did much to ease the pain. For me, it was more about having something productive to do during contractions - fiddling with all the dials etc. When the contractions really got going, I had a mobile epidural, which was brilliant. I wouldn't bother with TENS again.

Hello I didn't use TENS machines in labour but I have used them for other types of aches and pains and they really helped, especially when I had sciatica.

I used tens both times, but if I am honest i think it was more to give me something to do than to releive the pain. When you are pushing that little button you feel like you are 'helping' somehow. In my first labour my battery went dead and it took me about an hour to notice (dh noticed the light wasn't on but didnt say anything) and the second time it worked for about 20 mons before I went on to the gas and air and ds was born not long afterwards. The first time I had one at home already (hired from hospital) and so put it on as soon as contractions began. Second time ds came early so I didnt have it yet, so by the time I put it on the contractions were already fairly strong, so I dont think I got as much benefit.
I think if you are going to use it you have to start using it fairly early on. Good luck!

Most of my friends found TENS effective... Mine kept failing, and even when it did work it wasn't effective. At one point DH accidentally touched the pads and felt like a brick wall was blasting him, and yet I could barely feel it.

I found labouring in water much better pain relief the 2nd time 'round.

I had no gentle build-up of contractions - they just started at 5am thick and fast. I am not sure the TENS machine dulled the pain but the funny pulsing feeling does take your mind off the contractions to a certain extent and turning it up gives you something to focus on! Mine was taken off me when I had an epidural at 6pm. I had
ds at 1am and throughout the night I could still feel the pulsing in my back even though I obviously didn't have the TENS machine on any more!! I would use one again, I think!

It didn't even hit the spot for me, but have heard from friends that they have managed it throughout the whole labour, next time round (if!?) I will opt for the Epi as soon as I walk into the labour ward!

Hello - having given birth on Friday at homw I can say that he TENS machine was brilliant. It was a new one form Boots and really easy to work. Perfect for the early stages - really took the edge off - by the end I kept forgetting to change the mode and so it switched itself off but by then I was using the controlled breathing with the odd blast of entonox. Having thought TENS was not very effective with ds1 I can now say that it may depend on the birth as well as the individual as it felt much more effective this time!

TENS machine worked wonders for me first time and I'm hoping it will again this time (EDD 17th Feb).

I wore it at home and had to keep swithing it off to check I was still having contractions! Iarrived at hospital 6cm dilated and still happily sitting around chatting. The midwife was amazed.I was monitored for 30 minutes and she said I should be screaming at her if the readings on the monitor were correct.

I got to second stage labour with just the TENs and about an hour of Gas and Air, but then it all went pear-shaped and ds was born by emergancy cs, but that's another story..

Worked brilliantly for my back pain in early (induced) labour. Borrowed mine from physio at the hospital. Would certainly use one next time.

I didn't think much of TEN'S machine at all but I have heard of some poeple liking them.Hope it works for you if you do decide to hire one.
Good luck

LornaXX

1st labour, it did nothing really but it was fantastic with DS2. I'd say hire one and try it. It might be great, it might not but you've got nothing to lose (except about £27 I guess )

I hired a tens machine, and practiced with it before the birth, because I thought it might deal with my horrendous back pain... Only because I used it in this way did I discover what an astonishing effect it had - it releived my back pain completely.

I also managed to sleep for four hours during the first stages of labour with it attached, but not sure I noticed it's effect so much when the contractions became powerful. However, it probably was "taking the edge off" and I wouldn't let my DH take it off me that's for sure!! I think it's a bit like Gas and Air - after a while, you are positive it's not doing much, but really it is still taking the edge off the pain. (It was in fact only after the birth that I used gas and air as pain relief for the stitches did I realise just how powerful it was!!! I could feel the stitches - I just didn't care!!! fab!)

I used TENS for ds1 but thought it was fairly pointless until it was taken off and I realsied that it had been taking the edge off them. It is also a useful thing to take your mind off the pain. I have booked one for my second baby (due 27/2)as I am hopefully having a home birth. My midwife suggests early use of the TENS as it's effectiveness builds up. I think I'm a bit of a control freak and need to feel I've covered all the options so would probably want to hire one anyway even if it stays in the box!! I'd also ask the midwife to draw crosses on your back where the pads should go as it can effect the effectiveness quite a lot.

All I had for the birth of my 1st was my TENS (and a fantastic midwife)..so I think they are fantastic. You have to put up with the tingles and it made my back twitch as the current stimulated my nerves, but took my mind off other things! I would not think twice about using it for my second.

I have to say how brilliant my TENS machine was during the birth of DS last month. I used one with DD but didn't think too much of it. I tried again this time as Boots have a new improved machine and it's fab, worth every penny (£27). Really easy to use. It goes from settings 1 to 14 and I got up to 8 with gas and air only. You have to the machine on fairly early into labour according to the midwife, mind you, my labour was 3.5hrs and I only wore it for the last hour, before that I found walking around helped.
My advice is if you can afford it get one or ask the hospital for one, its worth a go.

With DS1 I had and epidural as the whole thing when on for hours and that was the only thing that would have got me to the end. With DS2 I hired a Tens machine as I had heard good stuff about them. This time the labour only took 3.5 hours and I didn't make it to the hospital so thats all I had. I'm not sure if it made a difference as I had the 'power' level on full within about 1 hour of putting it on. The two labours were so different it's impossible to compare but I will use one again as I think anything that makes labour easier has got to be a good thing really.

I had one but I think it was more a psychological help than anything else and it gives you something to do. Don't think it really helped in any other way. I'd get one and if you didn't feel it was helping then don't use. Better to have it and try it than think about it might be able to help and not having it.

It didn't really work for me, although it felt pleasant. I think the thing that put me off was that i must have caught the strength switch and put it on full so that when it was attached and turned on i nearly shot off the bed and ended up looking like chrystal tips (with the hair), on the other hand i have a friend who used hers all the way through and swears by it.

Did nothing for me, either, despite the NCT ante-natal teacher enthusing about it. My faith in it probably wasn't helped though by the fact that the midwives at the hospital (I'm in Belgium)didn't even know what it was!

Mog - I thought TENS was great. I had a very long (first) labour, and although I eventually had an epidural, thought it was great until then, and kept me fairly calm and in control. Whether or not it was a placebo / just gave me something else to focus on I don't know, but would definitely try it again. In my NCT class (admittedly all first labours) quite a few had completely natural births only with TENs. Also, my husband managed the controls which gave him something to do which was good rather than just sitting around feeling useless.

Did absolutely nothing for me with my first. Didn't bother with it for the others.

My friend used one and she was convinced that it helped, although, her description of labour pains etc. do not sound any different to min - I opted for some good old relaxation techniques to try and distract myself from the discomfort and pain. I think it is one of these mind over matter things, if you are convinced it is helping then you will swear by it. Personally, I wouldn't bother with one.

I don't know about 2nd labours, only having had one, but it was relatively short (7hrs from first contraction to birth).

I thought TENS was wonderful. I used it all the way through, with gas and air for the last hour. I was still happily relaxed, walking around, chatting when 5cm dilated and I think TENS had a lot to do with that. It may have been all in the mind but that's fine with me, just so long as it works.

I even found it helped when I was having my stitches done.

If I were you, I'd get one and if you don't use it, well, it's not the end of the world, is it?

I used one in my first labour, and found it excellent for the first stages . I hadn't planned to use one, but was already in hospital when my waters broke, and the nurses offered me one. I had always thought they were 95% placebo, but it was good for me at the start of labour. It would have allowd me to stay home a little longer (if I had been home IYSWIM). Then as things moved on I had gas and air, also excellent, diamorphine x 2 and then an epidural. They were all excellent for the stage in labout I had reached.

I used it and I think it did help - at least like Lorien said it made me feel more in control. I would use it again