Tens vs water during labour

[ZuleikaJambiere]

With DD I used a tens machine from the very start and loved it. I was eventually persuaded to take it off at about 6cm as apparently the effectiveness wears off - it hadn't by that point, I really felt the contractions straight after so it must have been doing some good

DC2 is due next month, I'm having him/her in the same hospital, but now there is a midwife led unit with a pool in each room (previously only one pool on the whole labour ward, so I didn't even consider water as it was unlikely I'd get the pool).

Having read loads of positive birth pool reports, I'm tempted to give it a go. But obviously I won't be able to use my beloved tens if I do, and I'm wondering that if I don't like the water for some reason and get out, will the tens not work if I haven't been using it all along?

I'd be very interested to know if you used one or the other, or both, and how you found them for labour

Thank you

Watching with interest as I am having the same dilemma with DC2. Used Tens with DC1 (homebirth) and loved it - had to be taken away from me in the end as was told not useful during pushing.

FOr DC2 hoping to be in midwife-led unit at hospital and thinking about using Tens for the early stages and the birth pool in the hospital, but also worried about surrendering the Tens and if I will like the water.

WIth DC1, I had the option of getting in the bath, but I really didn't want to -not sure if it was because our bath at the time was on the small side and the water barely touched the bump or if there was a primal instinct that I wouldn't like it.

Me rambling on probably hasn't helped you much though.

Hi

Have used both tens and pool. Used pool with DC1 and found it OK. I struggled to get a temperature that I felt comfortable with. Came out after waters broken by midwife and needed an epidural.

With DC2, I used only TENS. I had no other pain relief at all throughout and I didn't find that it was wearing off. I just increased the setting throughout labour. However, I also tried hypnobirthing and managed to stay calmer with DC2 so perhaps that was another reason I needed no other pain relief.

You could use both surely? Use tens at home in early labour. Move to the birthing pool and see how you find it. If it doesn't suit you, move out of the pool and put the tens back on.

Hope everything goes really well for you.

i used a tens for ds1 and it was fine up to a point when i had to turn it up high and then it was just annoying and i ripped it off!

with ds2 and ds3 i laboured in a bath, almost delivered them both in the bath but had the urge to get out and stand up and then knelt up to deliver them.

ds4 was a pool birth and i have to say it was fantastic, as the pool is bigger and deeper than the bath i had the room to move around and my back etc was fully submerged so i didnt want to get out, i was only in the pool 40mins (1hr labour in total) and ds4 who was 10lb 13oz came out with no pushing, it was very quick and intense but lovely and i am sure being in the water meant i didnt tear :)

i wanted anotehr pool birth for baby no 5, dd, but i ended up on the syntocin drip so couldnt but i still have a very active birth, on all fours, birth ball, kneeling up etc and it was fine, but given the choice i would go for a water birth, you can always get out if you dont like it :)

I'm hoping for a waterbirth at home and have been reading up - The Water Birth Book by Janet Balaskas is really good. I think the advice is not to get into the pool until you are 5/6 cm as before then it can slow labour down. So you can use TENS until then and then try the pool. I have a TENS to use in early labour. It's my fiorst so obviously no idea if any of this will work!

I went for both! Tens is great for early labour (when you can't use a pool as it may slow down your dilaton) and then once things were going at 4/5cm I took it off and jumped in the pool.

I used the tens machine for the whole of the following day too - as the 'after' contractions were quite intense.

That is my plan - tens at the start then water. Am also going to try acupressure.

TENS then pool+G&A for DS1
TENS only for DS2 (who was rather quick - didn't even get time to go to hospital)

Also recommend hanging onto TENS for early bfing stiffness.

Tens was OK in early labour but once admitted (5cm) it wasn't nearly as good as g+a and then the pool.
though after 8 hours in the pool I was still only 5cm, so got out and then nothing worked (tens on max helped slightly, ditto g+a but was still screaming), so thank goodness for epidurals. No idea if the water slowed things down as it took another 20 hours even with max syntocin to get fully dilated!

Most people's labours, even first ones, are much shorter so hopefully your 2nd will be easier no matter what you decide.

Thanks for all these responses - so I can have the best of both worlds, it sounds perfect . I hadn't realised water can slow labour down early on, obviously I need to read up! So why do mws recommend you take a bath while in the early stages at home?

Its to do with your whole bump being submerged - I don't understand the science. But yes baths are fine - HOWEVER if you use a tens machine, then take it off to have a bath and then put it back on again you will find it a less effective method of pain relief, as it seems to work better the longer you have it on. So take a bath with caution!

Might be best to take bath, use tens, use pool.

Thanks for that tip MotherPanda, I'll remember that one

I have had 3 home waterbirths using tens, then pool for delivery. I couldn't say I loved the tens machine but DH keeps telling me I didn't get to the top setting, and I've never had the chance to try gas and air so it must do something.

On the other hand I can say that I loved getting into the pool each time - warm water is so comforting, and deep enough to be comfortably supportive, I can't actually imagine giving birth on 'dry land' now

I'd say its worth a try - you can always get out again if you don't like it