TENS specifically for back labour?

[togarama]

I just saw a reference on another thread to TENS machines being particularly good for back labour.

I'm curious whether other MNers found this to be true? And do any of you know of good resources re the effectiveness of TENS for back labour?

Labour with DD was manageable and the birth was a positive experience. However, I wasn't expecting back labour (she was in a good position, albeit with a hand above her head) and it was a rather unpleasant surprise. If we ever have another baby, I'd like to be more prepared for back labour. I also feel quite sorry that I turned down the offer of the TENS machine from my midwife...

A tens will only get you so far ime. I had one with my dd, she was back to back and induced. I think tbh my labour was a bit mismanaged, had I the option to stand up and move I think it would have gone better. As it was, the TENS provided relief til I was deemed to be in active labout (ie, 3 cm dilated) but then it was worse than useless and a total annoyance.
I was lucky that it was a hospital tens, so second time round I hired one from Boots. I didn;t get chance to use it as labour was so quick, but it was fab to switch it on for a few minutes in the last week or 2 for the terrible aches I had.
fwiw, my second labour was also back to back, but being upright meant he turned. My 2 pieces of advice to anyone, after such a great exprerience second time round is simply, read Ina May Gaskin, and keep upright.

True for me, DD was back to back but the TENS really helped as it provided counter pressure against the back pains. It does take a few hours to build the endorphins though so you need to put it on asap. With DD I sat on the leads and disconnected them and didnt realise for a bit. The pain got really bad after that so it was definitely doing something. I walked an awful lot during that labour as hospital didnt think I was in labour so we went shopping with the TENS. Was 8cm on entering hospital.

With DS it was useful to DH to see when to put the G&A in my mouth- i.e. when I pressed the button he put the mouthpiece in. DS was back to back too but he turned mid labour, strangely with less walking than I did with DD perhaps DD had done all the hard work for him in there!

At the very least it does give you something else to focus on during the contraction and I saw it as a reminder to relax my body as soon as I pressed the button. It kept me calm.

I used a TENS machine with DS, until we got to the hospital, where I was turning it up so high for it to have any effect that it felt like I was being electrocuted. So I stopped using it. After another couple of hours I started getting the pains that I now realise was was DS being back to back - I don't know if he turned back to back during labour. But the pain was in my backside so I don't think TENS would have helped tbh.

No, it did naff all for me!

I used TENS with both of mine, both were induced and had it on until I 5cm with DS1 when I had syntocinon drip and epidural. Had it until I started pushing with DS2 and had G&A aswell from 7cm. I found it amazingly useful, especially with DS2 as it's all I had in the car on the way to hospital. My first was back to back and second turned back to back before I started pushing, but still helped before he turned.

Tens was finefor the first few hours but once the back labour pains kicked in nothing helped. Not the pool, g&a, or anything. Except the lovely epidural. It was the most relief ever!