Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Did you bother with a TENS machine second time round?

27 replies

Pidge · 15/12/2004 12:15

Virtually everyone I know used a TENS machine for some part of their first labour ... but second time round no-one seems to talk about it any more. Did anyone bother with hiring one other than for their first labour. And if so - did you find it useful?

I did find mine fairly useful during my 2 days of pre-labour first time round - i.e. the bit when I was having contractions every 5-10 minutes but they kept telling me I wasn't in labour yet because I wasn't 3cm. But I think I could have managed without it, and once labour proper started with full-on contractions every 2 minutes the TENS machine was utterly useless.

I'm trying to decide if I'm going to bother for my next baby - due in March.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 12:16

I didn't bother 2nd time around - I didn't find it particularly effective the 1st time!

OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 15/12/2004 12:17

I had one the first time and didn't really find it useful at all buti guess it works differently for everyone....

bakedpotatohoho · 15/12/2004 12:21

i had one for no1, thinking it would be the foundation stone in what i hoped would be a huge narcotic barricade against pain. ha ha. it ended up being the only pain relief i had for various reasons that are almost comical now but weren't at the time.

won't be bothering with it again. it was a bit like having a bag of gnats strapped to your back.

staarbar · 15/12/2004 12:23

Hi there

I didn't use one with my 1st pg. I didn't have a hard time at all with dd (5) however with my 2nd pg I was having my twin ds's(2.9) and I found it very useful in the last week for back pain ( I was HUGE!!) and for the start of labour. I just wanted to rip it off when the real contractions started tho as it seemed to make it worse!! If that's possible LOL
I'm 7mth into 3rd pg now and I think I would give it a go in the early stages to ease the pains I get in my back but probably not for the actual birth.

Good luck.. just do what feels best for you.

julen · 15/12/2004 12:23

Used it for the first one but didn't bother the second time - didn't think it made any real difference. Probably depends on the person though - it worked OK for my sil.

Enideepmidwinter · 15/12/2004 12:24

I found it very useful for my first labour and delivery and got one for my second - however the second labour was under two hours from the first contraction so it didn't have any time to work and was just irritating. I think they need a few hours to really start helping.

I would recommend having one, even if it just gives you something to do for the first hour or so!

LipstickMum · 15/12/2004 12:37

I used one first time round and it completely pissed my off! I was in such agony (delivery suite was full!), it really did nothing but annoy me with it's silly pitter patter. I was so hot and the tape all on my back was just so aggravating! I'm not going to bother using one next time! I dind't hire one, the hospital had them for use.

PocketTinsel · 15/12/2004 12:38

I loved mine! I wore it througout the whole of my labour with ds, and only had a bit more help from gas and air at the very end. I have recomended it to all of my friends and am ordering one for this time round this week. Due in 4 weeks.
I'm suprised so many people here didn't think it helped. I loved the fact that i could leave it buzzing away and turn it up on each contraction. Control it myself, iyswim. But as others have said everyone is different. I thinki'd actually be stressed if i didn't have it this time... perhaps it's physcological. But i still won't be without it!

Original poster

Pidge · 16/12/2004 10:45

Hmmm this is interesting. Thanks folks. I guess my feeling is that if I got 2 days of 'low level' contractions like last time a TENS would be quite handy, but not indispensible. I'm rather hoping I might avoid such a lengthy pre-labour this time round, and once the contractions proper started I just wanted to hurl the TENS out of the window!

I'm hoping for a homebirth and will be hiring a pool, so I think I'll probably skip the TENS machine this time round and hope the water and trusty old gas and air do the trick.

OP posts:

popsycal · 16/12/2004 10:49

I was wondering this too
i hired one when i had ds but ended up not needing it as i was induced in hospital and they had them there
i used the hospital one for about 10 minutes then got annoyed with it, then got annoyed with gas and air then just gave birth - short and quick

wondering though, if i go into labour naturally, and have the long drawn out phase at home which i never had with ds, will i need one..
hmm

paolosgirl · 16/12/2004 10:53

I loved my TENS machine, and used it through both labours, from when the contractions started until they got severe. I used the birthing pool both times, so obviously had to take it off at that point, but it certainly worked for me up til then.

LIZS · 16/12/2004 10:59

I used it for labour with ds - he was op so much of the early labour pain was in my back so it really helped, although later I didn't notice when the pads fell off so I guess the effect was minimal (or purely psychological) by that stage.

Did go to the trouble of hiring one second time -even had it shipped abroad. But in the end I was induced and progresed from a lengthy period of manageable contractions to full on agony very suddenly so there wasn't really an opportunity to use it. Sent it back unused !! If circuumstances had been different I would probably have used it again.

If you feel it may be of some benefit in certain circumstances then get one but by the sounds of it that seems unlikely.

cazzybabs · 16/12/2004 11:04

I used it for both labours. 1st time throughout - only pain relief and 2nd time till i got in the pool. If I have any more will def. use it.

Flumberrysauce · 16/12/2004 11:05

Wouldn't, thought it was rubbish all it did was irritate and make my back itchy. Threw it at DP - put slight bump on his head - nothing compared to what I was going through but you should have heard the whinging

logICICLE · 16/12/2004 11:37

I used a TENS first time and it was fantastic. It meant that I got through 12 hours of pre-labour contractions, 8 hours of 1st stage and 2 hours of 2nd stage with nothing more than it and 1/2 hour of gas + air at the end of the 1st stage. I'm now due in May and I really want a waterbirth but if I can't get the pool, then I will definately be using the TENS again! Then again, I did buy one and use it for back pain in the last pregnancy so I have my own and got good value from it...

vivat · 16/12/2004 11:46

Big fan here too - used it in my first until the epidural, and then used nothing else in my second not even gas and air.

The main reason I liked it i think, is that it gave me something to focus and concentrate on. Whoever said it feels like a bag of gnats buzzing is spot on, but I quite liked that feeling... Why don't you order one so you have the choice when you go into labour.

Original poster

Pidge · 16/12/2004 12:02

I guess I'm being a bit stingy and thinking of saving £££££s given that I'd like a homebirth and am going to hire a pool for that, which is quite a big expense. Another way to look at it of course is that a TENS machine hardly costs anything on top of that. Hmmmmm ... will mull it over ... but still generally feel that I didn't find it hugely helpful, except during those very early stages. And even then not essential.

OP posts:

brusselbeansprouts · 17/12/2004 19:17

Agree with the bag of gnats!
Mine helped a bit in the early stages but only a little bit and pretty soon it really wasn't enough. I also lost mine in the aftermath of an emergency c-section and I only hope that a kind midwife sent it back for me!

Yorkiegirl · 17/12/2004 19:23

Message withdrawn

emMerryChristmastmg · 17/12/2004 19:43

If I'd known how much differnece a TENS machine would be I would have used one with DS1. TBH I thought it was a load of rubbish so didn't even look into them and their effects.

SIL used one first time and said it really helped so with DS2 i hired one and found it fantasic. The labour was fast and he was born at home (very much an unplanned homebirth, had to call 999 etc etc) so that was the only pain relief I had for delivery, I had gas and air for the late arriving MW to do her embroidery IYKWIM (Is TENS really pain relief? I always wonder that). With DS3 I hired another one and again it was a fast labour and he was born at home( planned HB this time though). I went form zero contractions/zero dilation to holding him in 2hrs 19mins and the TENS was fantasic.

I would, without a shaddow of doubt, use one again should the need arise

janeyjinglebops · 17/12/2004 20:22

Used one for both labours and found it useful both times.
DD had TENS, birthing pool and gas (7 canisters!) only. Despite my wish for everything going... How did that happen?

ds had TENS, gas and pethidine a much better combination IMO!!

juniperdropofbrandy · 17/12/2004 20:45

Haven't read posts as I'm off now but only used it with second and it was fantastic IMO. Ended up with it full throttle by the end whilst staring out of a window, sniffing lavender oil and watching traffic The standing certainly got the contractions going.

hana · 17/12/2004 21:03

I had a TENS machine for my fist labour but didn't really feel it did anything for the pain, it was a bit of a faff too, with all the wires, etc and taking it off/on when I had a bath or shower.
Not bothering for my next labour!

moondog · 17/12/2004 21:06

Juniper..full throttle! Lovely expression!

I used it twice. It was definitely helpful...not wildly so but still of worth.

SmokedSamN · 17/12/2004 21:52

Pidge, if you're using a pool won't you have to take the TENS machine off to get in it anyway?

Personally I didn't use it the first time as I was induced, just like Popsycal. I spent quite a few hours wandering round my little 'cell' in the antenatal ward wishing I had either a TENS machine or someone to rub my back for me. Ummed and ahed about getting one for the next labour. Just like you, I thought it wasn't going to be much use if it only worked in the early stages.

and didn't bother in the end (but I did have dp and midwife to rub my back second time).

hth

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread