TENS Machines - any good?

[Mummytobe2014]

Hiya everyone - i am thinking about using a TENS Machine during labour (if i am not allowed a water birth) and just wondered what peoples opinions were on them, are they good? Do they help with the pain? Can you use through whole of labour etc?
Your thoughts/comments would be appreciated

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MNHQ Update
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I used one when in labour with dc1. Tbh I didn't find it v effective, but have since been told they work best if they're used right from the start: I didn't get access to one until getting into hospital (ie didn't have my own) and by that time labour was established. dd was also back to back, which may have impacted on effectiveness?
Afaik they can be used throughout labour although may not work in case of epidural/spinal?

No, I couldn't see the point of it either. Used one with one labour, and not the other, and wasn't much difference.

I've since been treated with TENS for back and shoulder problems, and again, haven't seen any noticeable effect.

I don't like the tingling sensation you get from them either - most uncomfortable.

Yes!

DS2 was back to back and the TENS machine made a huge difference. I managed to labour at home for a lot longer than I expected, and only went into hospital for the last couple of hours. I would've had to go in for pain relief a lot earlier without the TENS machine.

Mixed reviews then! I wonder if the actual machine you use (cost wise or brand wise) makes a difference to how effective it is? They range is price so i wondered whether that made a difference at all!

I would much prefer to stay at home as long as possible and thats why i thought this would be a good idea to assist but not sure if its worth the outlay!

I borrowed a boots one from my cousin who rated it highly. I couldn't have afforded to buy one. My local Lloyds chemist hires them, would that be an option for you?

I hired mine from tesco. You can hire them for a month so you can get to know how they work.

I think knowing how to position the pads and how to escalate through the levels will increase its effectiveness.

Having said that I still didn't know how it worked whilst I was in labour and preferred the pulse rather than the boost.

Yes am happy to hire one especially if it doesnt work i wouldnt have paid out to own one, i can then just give it back. I will enquire in my local boots or chemist then!
I wondered whether it also acts as a distraction maybe? I am 31 + 3 days now so really need to go in and think about hiring one in the coming weeks and have a go and see how it feels etc. Atleast if i understand how it works it might alleviate some pain even for some of the time.
thanks ladies

I was offered one for free in hospital - though that was some years ago. Do you have to pay for them these days then?

I dont know, i havent really looked into it i hadnt realised you could hire one! Maybe i will check with my mw at next appt.

I really liked having mine during my last labour. I put it on once I was having regular contractions (every 15 mins or so) and kept it on until I was fully dilated. I could have kept it on if I had wanted to but by that time it was annoying rather than helpful - but actually I didn't want anything touching me at all! I didn't need any other pain relief.

I hired mine from the NCT. They send it out when you are 37 weeks and you keep it for 5 weeks.

I think it is the sort of thing that works for some people and not for others - but it is harmless to try and if it helps you to labour then that can only be a good thing, right?! People say it works best if you put it on early in labour.

Mine was wonderful, got through the first 24 hours of a sadly long, slow and painful labour with it. If £30ish to rent one won't dent your budget I'd definitely get it.

How it worked for me was that the shocks it gave (when turned up high) were painful, really quite bloody painful actually, but it was a far more manageable pain that contractions - so I could focus on that rather than the contractions.

Definately sounds like something i wanna try even if only for a few hours before i get irritable lol...
I will do investigating and see where i can get one from without having to buy it.
Thank you everyone

I think they are a 'marmite' thing, but certainly worked for me. Used one for about 6 hours before getting into birthing pool for DS1, and for DS2 it was all I had, as he was in more of a hurry!

Make sure you get one with a boost button for contractions, and make sure it doesn't get set back to zero on the way to the hospital (so that's why it suddenly seemed worse!).

Try ebay for 2nd hand; new pads can be bought in Boots etc. Make sure you have spare batteries. Worth buying if you think you'll have another baby, and also useful for post-birth & BF-ing aches & pains.

Also sorted DH's back out once!

Worked for me.
Hour and a half labour and for the first half I only used the tens (and then on to G&A).

Considering I had every drug known to man for 1st labour the difference it made was amazing.

Keep an eye on this one, if your due date is a while off mamatens I bought this a year ago for £20 off Amazon and the price fluctuates wildly (it's £29 to hire in boots).

Worth looking on eBay too as you can find loads of people have bought them and not used due to quick labours/csections etc.

I've used one for period pain for ages, it's great. I'm hoping it'll also work in childbirth for me.

Word of warning though, it shouldn't be used in pregnancy until you're past 37 weeks.

I absolutely LOVED my TENS machine during labour. My latent stage lasted 6 days so I needed the TENS to sleep and it was miraculous - made the contractions completely bearable. I used it until I was about 5cm dilated then got in the pool so I took it off.

It's a no from me

I used one for my dd. Put it on at home as soon as was sure I was in actual labour. Got to 9cm when examined when we got to the hospital. The midwife checked twice as she couldn't believe it as it was my first baby. I think they are a good distraction of nothing else a you have to remember to use the boost button during contractions. In the end had no pain relief other than tens up until I had to have a spinal for forceps as dd got stuck. When they took it off to do the spinal I really noticed the difference in the pain. I would definitely go for it. Anything that helps has got to be worth while! out of

Another yes from me. Fantastic distraction and it really helped with my first birth. Now 38 weeks with DC2 and I've hired a mama tens from toys r us for £4.96 or something ridiculous. Not sure if it was a limited time offer but I did it online just after Xmas. Have it for 6 weeks.

EeyoreIsh thanks for heads up on when is best to use from

I think i am definately going to give it ago - will have a look at toys-r-us online, that would be great at that price.

astnightopenedmyeyes - did you have to join the mother and baby group to hire the tens?

No I didn't have to join. It isn't mama tens, it's Elle tens. Looks fab though with a boost button, batteries etc.

I say yes. Bought an Elle tens used it for the 8 hours I laboured with ds. Didnt use anything else.I may have left it on to be stitched up but they gave me gas & air for that.

Lent it to a few friends, one of whom only used tens. Am using it for dc2 soon. Will then sell it. I guess. Though i like the idea of keeping it for back pain, could be handy, but must fight the clutter.

Think it cost me £50 but couldn't get second hand one significantly cheaper so I'd rather have it new & sell it on.

Mn advice was to get it on early. I also used the boost button & acupressure which gave me a distraction during contractions.

Amazing things! I wish I'd tried earlier as dd1s birth was very painful. I got one for dd2 hoping to use it in the run up to a water birth which is what I was lucky enough to have, I'm so glad the TENs was so effective at getting me through the first part it meant I got into the pool much calmer than I would otherwise have been.

Definitely you need to start low and work it up gradually, although that said my labour was very quick so not much time to graduate it and it was still wonderful.

I bought mine from ToysRus for about £35 which wasn't much different to the price of hiring. Got the midwife to place the pads for me which was probably a good thing, DH looked a bit scared by that point

I borrowed a friend's Boots one. I found it more useful than I expected - definitely recommend it. If you use from the beginning it really helps keep things bearable, as I realised after knocking the wires later on... it took a while for it to be useful again (this mishap was repeated multiple times in my labour..)

I was anxious about taking it off to get in the bath but then the bath probably reduced the pain by 40% or so (tens about 20%)