Hiring a TENS machine - any advice?

[ElmMum]

There seem to be lots of places to hire them online. And lots of different types.

Anyone get good/bad stories about particular online stores or brands of TENS?

Cheers in advance

you can buy them from lloyds pharmacy for £14.99.

Hello, I used Tens.co.uk, cost £28 and think it was for 6 weeks hire too. Not as cheap as the one recommended above but good service and worked well, spare electrodes etc were all included.

I was really glad I got the TENS as just used that and gas and air during labour (though it was probably more useful in the early stages as you would expect). It also gave dh something to do to feel useful as he had the job of turning it up and down in the later stages, should have known he'd want the gadget!

I got one from my local boots (on hire)
make sure you check you have all the bits and it works
you don't want to send DP out in a mad rush to get the missing wire when you are in labour (like me)

it was really useful in the early stages at home, in the car and at hospital, until I suddenly hated it with avengeance and had to get it off immediately. I don't think it took it personally

Used Natures Gate both times to great effect. Only had TENS and Gas/Air with both and was induced both times! £25 ish for 6 week period.

at my antenatal class the midwife said it's really important to get one with 4 pads not 2 - apparently the Lloyds one is so cheap because it only has 2 pads. My advice is not to put it on too early. I put mine on about 30 mins after the first twinge. 12 hours later it felt like the pads were burning the skin on my back, really uncomfortable. Ds wasn't born until another 16 hours after that.

cheers, thanks for the advice.

I rented mine from Surestart, completely free because apparently we live in a deprived area. First one they gave me was broken, so that wasn't so reassuring, but hopefully this one will be ok!

Do they have a Surestart in your area, or any other schemes like that?

I got the Boots one, perfectly good and was very glad of it. But foolishly I did not get it from the local Boots and paid the deposit on my credit card. Upon returning it my husband had to kick up a hell of a stink to get the deposit put back onto his card instead (same account). Might upgrade to a fancy Elle Tens as recommended by NCT this time as I know they really work for me.

Hi, can second Nature's Gate was great for me last time, and I'm getting one from Surestart this time (and a bean bag, home birth planned)- there aren't many benefits from being in a deprived area! Last time we also were given a sippy cup, labour massage oil, home safety kit, and offered a mini-blender (didn't need one of them). I quite like Surestart!

get one for maternity use. you will need the boost button.

i used the cheapest option from natures gate. its all i had for about 18hours! then g &a.

re: the sticky pads, on the day i used the 2 test pads, 4 other pads and then had to get the midwife to stick on with hospital tape.

this is because my labour was so long and midwife suggested a better postion for the top two.
so maybe look at tens options with extra sticky pads included.

also get your labour partner look at how to work it and get to grips with it before the labour.

gave it to my dh, because i was in no state to be fiddling with dials and working out intensity!
i just yelled at him to either..TURN IT UPPPP! or TURN IT DOWN!!! Towrds the end, i had g&a in my hand, so handed him the boost button, and then just shouted BOOOOOST!!!

but make sure you (or labour partner) stops pressing the boost button after the contraction passes.

HTH

on