How do you use a tens machine? Are they effective or annoying? When's the best time to use it?

[Astarte]

I'm getting a free hire of one with the pool which is coming on Monday.
I know it obviously can't be used in the pool, but I thought since I like to get to about 7cm dilated before using the pool that I could try the tens for the early stages of labour (have previously used nothing).

What are the best ways to make use of it?

Is it best used from when you think it might be active labour or only useful for pre-labour?

What does it feel like?

It feels like someone is sticking pins in your kidneys!

The first time I used it, it did nothing,but then I had a horrible labour.

The second time I found it mildly helpful.

Top tips:

a)Use it alongside practised breathing.
b)Put it on the second you feel you are in labour
c)Stay ahead and turn it up frequently BEFORE you are struggling each time.

I found it useful because:

a)I was in control of something if not the labour.
b) Clicking the booster button was an external sign to everyone to shut the feck up.

I used the TENS and found it more useful as a distraction ie something to fiddle with and buttons to press! as already said, put it on as soon as you're in labour (as early as possible). They're very easy to use (come with full instructions) and i agree with BabyStarlightsMum - the boost button is great to tell everyone to leave you well alone, you're about to explode with a wealth of bad language and violence due to the pain!!!!

I was sceptical but it was bloody brilliant! DIdn't try it before labour and DH had to convince me to try it, I'm so glad he did. It really made it more bearable for the early bit.

It feels like millions of very aggressive little mice running up and down your back wearing studded football boots. It really really helped me a lot up till about 5 cm when I had epidural.

I'm hiring a pool for homebirth this time, but have got the tens ready. probably there comes a point when you take it off and go in the pool for the main bit..

I agress with Jen - it is a good distraction, think I would use one again. Although one of my friends thinks that hers was electricuting her and had to take it off funny stuff!

I used it last time as my only form of pain relief and plan to use it again this time. DH had marked the positions in biro on my back beforehand so there was no fumbling around trying to find the best position! I'd describe it as pins and needles. I can't say absolutely that it worked, but if you think it does and it gives you something to do during contractions ? pressing the boost button ? then that is surely a good thing. And I only got up to level 3 of 6 because the hospital kept telling me I was still in early labour and I didn't want to use it all up too soon!

It was brilliant definitely recommended got me through without anything else but if you can have one have an epidural (I had one post delivery to sew my bits up) - they are bloomin marvellous!

I didn't realise how much it helped me until after I'd got out of a bath in hospital, nearly thrown up & started begging for pethidine, whereupon the midwife suggested I put the TENS machine back on & have a bit more gas & air! That was all I needed after that. And yes, I'd second everyone who says it's nice to feel that there's something you can control. I did still feel the weird buzzy feeling for a while after it was all over, though. I'm pretty sure the advice is to put it on as soon as contractions start, as it takes a while for your endorphines (or whatever they are) to kick in. I think the principle of TENS is that it confuses your brain so that you stop thinking so much about the fact that you're in agony.

They're great as a distraction. It was all I used with ds2 and I had the TENS and gas and air for ds1.
It definitely won't do you any harm so is well worth a try

have it on before you are in labour if you can!

in theory it keeps the pain pathways busy and occupied I think - certainly worked for me up until about 45 mins before ds was born, when I got into the pool anyway.

I threw mine across the room in disgust! But probably put in on far too late as DD was born an hour later!

Absolutely agree with Gadzooks re mice - that, or lots of little hedgehogs rolling up and down.

I found the Tens machine helped quite a bit in early labour, not sure if it helped in second stage as I wasn't about to take it off to find out if there would be more pain without it or not!

I got a bit frustrated with the buttons and programmes as the pain intensified, may have had a dodgy machine as sometimes the button had to be pressed twice to work - chucked it at DH who used it brilliantly. I was on continual monitoring though so he could see the contractions on the machine and boost accordingly. Wouldn't have been without it!

Intriguing, well I'll try it out for BH first I think and see how I get on, thanks everyone.

Helped a lot in early labour. Kept it on throughout but the last hour or so it probably wasn't doing a lot- still, having used it for so long I was in much better shape to cope with the last hour.

helped lots in early labour and kept me going on way to hospital (police had blocked the main road so 10 drive took 45 min!). went up to level 7 of 19 as level 8 felt like being electrocuted.

8 hours later after i'd had to get out of the birth pool, it with gas + air kept me sane until i got an epidural - this time on level 17!

oh yes, test before labour as we found our rechargeable aa batteries were a micron too big and had to get normal ones. plus a spare pack in case... comes in handy for powering baby toys...

I also ended up chucking mine across the room. I put it on early as suggested, but one of the joys of labour - pre-labour even - was the need to throw up. So that blardy tens thing hanging off my back and clattering on the floor as I raced to the loo was a nuisance rather than a help for me.