Would u recommend a TENS machine?

[mlr1uk]

Just wonder if a waste of money or something worthwhile??

Thanks

Made me vom instantly.

I found it really helpful for early labour. Didn't think it was doing much until I took it off to get in bath and the pain immediately got a lot worse.

I say get it. It's better to have options!

I did the whole first stage of labour with the tens Machine at home with ds2. I arrived at hospital at 10cm. Although partly because it took my parents who were baby sitting took 2 hours to drive a 30 minute journey and although they had been warned early in the day I was in labour it still took that long. It was after midnight and my mum had got full makeup and Chanel perfume on. So thank goodness for the tens Machine.

Worked for me! I think the earlier you put it on the more effective it's meant to be?

I used one for both my labours (one back to back) and didn't need any other pain relief. at the very least, it's a good distraction! Make sure you get one with a "boost" button!

I believe you can hire them or borrow one from your midwife. I borrowed one off my Mum she uses for her shoulder, it didn't help though. I needed drugs.

Loved it.

Definitely - it was my only pain relief with DD2 until a bit of gas and air while pushing her out. although that was because the midwives left me alone and ignored my request for pain relief until it was too late

It was great until DH tried to give me a soothing back rub and knocked one of the pads off. Then it was like being attached to an electric fence

I'm not sure how much difference it made because my labour progressed rather quickly. I did like having the distraction in the 'early stages', but I didn't really stay in early stages for long. Having buttons to fiddle with gives you something definite to do and I would recommend it.

Like HeyMickey it made me feel very sick within minutes of putting it on. Didn't bother for DC2!

Didn't work for me. Hired one for my first baby and used it, but I found it annoying and tingly and didn't seem to have any effect at all on the pain. Second time around I just concentrated on my breathing and that got me through it just as well. Third time I had a water birth which was lovely. Fourth time I only made it into the delivery suite with 2 minutes to spare!

Worked for getting me to the hospital without much problem. and for some time after.
Water pool and epidural were good later.

Was best for backache in late pregnancy, so worth the £10 I spent on it.

I hired one and forgot I had it!
Only remembered when I was in hospital when contractions were in full swing.

By this point the pulsing sensations didn't really do anything and the boost irritated me do much I tried to rip it off mid contraction!

Waste of money for me!

Just hire one and then so what if it doesn't help?

Nope.

Didn't really seem to do anything for the pain. Fine, it was worth a try.
But when I was full into labour and in the pushing stage the TENs machine really got on my nerves and I was too distracted by the pain to be able to ask someone to remove it.

It got me through first stage and well into pushing stage with DS1 (until EMCS). Get it on as soon as contractions start so that you can stay ahead of the pain, so to speak.

The hospital offered me the use of one in early labour, definitely helped.

I bought one and loved it. I had bad back problems due to pg so tested it out in advance, it absolutely helped me with back pain.

Then I used it for about 36 hrs and this alone got me through my labour.
In fact it was so effective for me that I couldn't turn it up past 6/10 as that was more painful than the contractions.
Very effective.
Used it again since (more back pain).

Mine was a godsend! I managed the entire labour with a Tens machine and some gas / air at the very end. Mine was about £40 from Boots, but they had some sort of deal on and I got about £15 of advantage points for buying it, bargain!

thanks everyone for the feedback