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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

TENS or not to TENS

19 replies

chocbiscuits · 20/06/2008 14:08

Last time I got a TENS machine with Ds and then when got induced the midwife wouldn't let me use it because she said the contractions might go off.

Ended up paying for it because I was too tired and busy with Ds to manage to write a letter or ring up to explain I hadn't used it, and anyway had had it for 3 weeks.

Now am pg again - should I get one or not?? Any opinions gratefully received!

OP posts:

PeterDuck · 20/06/2008 14:10

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Ebb · 20/06/2008 16:08

Tens didn't really do much for me but my contractions started coming quite intensely and every 2 - 4 minutes so no time to build up. It didn't help that I'd only picked it up the day before ( from the local antenatal clinic £10 suggested donation) so my dp and I were trying to read the instructions at 2 am and I kept zapping myself! I was in the birthing suite by 3.30am and far enough dilated to get straight in the birth pool so only had it on for anhour or so. Pressing the boost button was distracting though!

PrettyCandles · 20/06/2008 16:14

I think the midwife was talking through the wrong bodily orifice. I haven't been induced, but used TENS with all 3 labours, from the very earliest stages, through monitoring as well, and there were never any problems or issues with it. I found it excellent for the earlier stages. Each time I hired from Boots, and the models were different each time. The last one (20m ago) was a disaster - not easy to use, and the 'safety strap' was so over sensitive that it kept coming detached and drove me nuts. Nonetheless, it served its purpose in the earlier stages. I think TENS is good.

MrsSprat · 20/06/2008 16:18

TENS machines are a bunch of crap, would rather have nothing, until I needed the good stuff

littleducks · 20/06/2008 16:32

TENS was all i had til ambulance arrived with gas and air and even then the cylinder was empty so i didnt get a good puff until i was delivering the placenta i borrowed a friends machine, was very good but i did work out how to use it and insist dh worked out how to use it before i was in labour as he notoriously bad with instructions

maidamess · 20/06/2008 16:35

TENS gave me something to faff about with when I didn't know what else to do with myself. I also blew all the lights in the house by flicking a switch whilst wearing it.

bletherer · 20/06/2008 20:37

I laboured with only a tens machine and I don't know if it really worked or not but
I do agree with maidamess - it gave me something to fiddle with to take my mind of the pain. Worth it just for that. My maternity unit had one which they gave me.

I found that the best way for me to deal with the pain was to just zone out - I don't know if anyone else has had that experience in childbirth, but you seem to go to another place in your head. I think I got very primal and grunted a lot!

Minkus · 20/06/2008 21:22

Def worth it for me- really helped a lot and as the worlds biggest wimp with a near zero pain threshold I managed with just TENS and 15 minutes gas n air. Must collect the second one tomorrow in fact!

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/06/2008 20:55

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bobblehat · 21/06/2008 20:59

Another vote for one here. Whether it did anything or if it was just a distraction I don't know, but it was fab - used nothing else with ds2

slinkiemalinki · 21/06/2008 21:20

I was able to use mine when induced and it was fabulous. MWs helped me put the pads on and given all else I had was G&A I was very thankful for it. Works for some, not for others, really advise you to give it a try!

A · 21/06/2008 21:29

Used one twice with ds1 and ds2 - definitely worked for me for most of both labours (only used gas and air at the end of both). I didn't know if it was working until I had to take it off to deliver ds1 (kept it on for ds2!). Now expecting no3 and will definitely be renting one again.

I also have a friend who used only tens as pain relief and thought it was great, but I know it doesn't work for everyone.

snickersnack · 21/06/2008 21:31

I found it great both times round - and a welcome distraction from contractions. Didn't really work towards the end, though can't remember at what stage I took it off - top tip is don't let your dh take it off and stick the pads on his arm to "keep them tidy" before turning the machine off - he got one hell of a shock (quite literally)!

policywonk · 21/06/2008 21:32

I used one on both labours and thought it was great - found it really useful. More so on DS2's labour, when I put it on quite early on.

Your MW sounds tres stupid - sure, they don't work for everyone, but why deny someone the chance to try?

fymandbean · 21/06/2008 21:35

100% great! would recommend!

Elasticwoman · 21/06/2008 22:05

I found the TENS machine very useful but you need to attach it at the very first twinge. Then it is useful only until Transition stage. (I used a birthing pool after that).

You do take a risk hiring it, because you would still have to pay for it even if you didn't use it.

You need to have it at home and understand how to use it before you go into labour.

Original poster

chocbiscuits · 21/06/2008 22:13

lol maidamess & starlight!

OP posts:

Twinklemegan · 21/06/2008 22:18

Well I'd try it, but remember that if you have a painful early labour then the TENS won't touch it. Mine was turned up to maximum and I was still in agony. In fact I think the TENS might have made it worse. And if the pain's bad enough to really need pain relief then you won't be able to operate the thing. I got so so confused trying to find the right controls while having a huge contraction.

Next time I won't be bothering. I'd rather be free to concentrate on dealing with the pain.

hillbilly · 21/06/2008 22:23

I used TENS for both births and found it really helpful. For me it offered a distraction more than actual pain relief, and for my second birth it was all I used, although in retrospect maybe I should have gone for drugs, drugs and more drugs!!

It also gave me a focus in the early stages of labour, especially as I had not read the instructions beforehand so I had to learn how to use it first. Even second time around. And obviously I could not trust dh with anything electrical so had to do it myself - or maybe that was just me being a control freak in labour!

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