Tens machines - experience? Rent or buy

[NewMama2Be]

I'm 34 weeks so starting to think about options should I go into labour and had a quick look at tens machines.
Didnt realise they could be hired for such a reasonable price so I'm tempted.

I'm looking at the Babycare options, available to buy from boots or rent from the Babycare site, with the latest Elle 2 version coming with a contraction timer... wondering if this is useful or am I better to maybe have a separate timing device /app?
I'm using the positive birth company hypnoborth programme but dont have an iPhone so cant use the Freya app.
Any experiences with tens machines / contraction timers would be appreciated...
Thanks!

Have you spoken to your MW? I hired one from mine for £10. I did find it helped in the early stages but not as much as a hot bath

Loved mine I brought one as I suffer from a bad back on a normal day so it has long term benifts ... but Defno recommend it ... that my birthing ball and a bath got me through to the point I was fully dilated ( tens machine did help in the car on the way to hospital ) and by then it was time to push ... the bath will be helping more than you think ... I remember pulling the plug heaving myself out and really regretting it

Same goes for the tens machine.

They way I see it you will want to be at home for as long as possible, you don’t want to do a car journey to the hospital to be turned back .. the car journey is bloody uncomfortable.... for £10 to hire it’s worth a crack ...

Exciting times won’t be too long x x

Thank ladies, I didnt think to ask the midwife but until a couple of days ago I thought I'd just need to buy it anyway, then discover it's less than £30 to hire which I thought was really reasonable.

Ahhh baths. I have a bit of an issue with that as I have had leg injuries in the past that make getting in and out of the bath a complete nightmare so I just dont have them.

All I read and hear are people saying how great baths are in the stages of labour and I'm so conscious of the fact that i dont think I'll be able to have one. Even though I know my husband would help me in and out, I think the thought of getting in and out would send me into a blind panic. Trying to think of every way around it 🤞

I rented from Boots the first time and borrowed.from.a.friend the second.
Used both times in early-mid labour.
First time I got in the bath. Second time used gas and air once contractions were strong and the tens started to annoy me.
But well worth it imo.

I hired one from Tesco pharmacy BEST thing ever used it right until getting into the pool to give birth - and I had got so far along I was literally only in the pool about 10 min before baby came along (lucky I know)

Tens machine are very cheap, I got one from Lloyds pharmacy for about £15 with 4 pads
Unless the ones for pregnancy are different ?????