Tens machine - yay or nay?

[Kaylabobs101]

Hi Guys,

I am currently 28 weeks with my first, I am considering buying a tens machine for early labour, just wondering if anyone has any experience with one? is it worth investing in? :)

Also any recommendations on a good one would be greatly appreciated :)

I found it very good along with hot water bottles, paracetamol and hot showers for the first few days of labour. It was useless towards the end but I was exhausted.
I had an unfortunately long labour, the majority of people I know had a baby in their arms in less than 24 hours from first twinge.

I had the boots one. I bought extra pads but didn’t need them

Mine arrived after baby.

Had one and loved it, great in early labour and mine was doing great till a good 7cm. I didn’t think it was doing that much till I took it off 🙄. It doesn’t have any side effects or risks, doesn’t impact on you choosing any other forms of pain relief, and can also be used after the baby - works really well for back pain as well as labour! Can’t remember which one I got but they are all essentially the same, boots, Lloyd pharmacy, Amazon all have them. Mama Tens popular make. Our maternity unit also either sold or hired them so can ask your midwife if they do that locally to you?

Yes!!! I put on after the first day of labour. By the end of third day, I needed more relief but was only 2cm!!! I think that was mostly because I was so tired that I couldn't cope...

There are literally no downsides to it...

They made me take it off when I got my epidural (after three and a half days). And it can't be worn in bath/pool. But it's fab.

Yay. I got a second hand one. Buy new pads online. Sold it after 5 years for similar to what I bought it for. Nothing to lose.

It’s worth looking into getting one second hand, or Boots used to hire them out (not sure if they still do?). When I was in labour I had one on. At one point I said ‘This isn’t making any difference’ and switched it off..then I said with the next contraction ‘It was helping!’ and put it back on!

Yeyy

I found it didn’t do much for the pain (although I was induced so it all escalated very quickly), but working the thing and having it took my mind off things!

Used it from the beginning of labour alongside g&a. I really felt the difference when turned it off by mistake.

I used mine while coping with early labour at home and on journey to hospital. I definitely found it helped initially. Once I got to hospital i used the pool for pain relief so had to take it off and DD ended up being born in the water. I used the babytens one which had a lot of good reviews.