When you can use a TENs machine from??

[sparklygothkat]

When I was pregnant with DS I was told that I couldn;t use a TENS machine because I went into labour at 35 weeks, so never used one with DD1 (31 weeks) and Dd2(33 weeks) But looking in the mothercare book, it says that you can't use one before 26 weeks, so can you use one if you go into premature labour?? Am currently 29 weeks. TIA

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I don't know SGK, but don't be expecting any great shakes from it. Hope someone can answer your question though.

Mine said last time "not to be used before 37wks"

I thought mine was fab BTW - you either love 'em (if it works for you) or hate 'em (if it doesn't)

I thought it was 37 weeks too. I was thinking about hiring one, but with my history I don't want to waste £30. I saw that Lloyds are selling TENs machines for £15, so wondered if all TENs machines are the same too.

Can your MW lend you one? And no, they're not all the same. You must make sure it's an obstetrics TENS.

ooo I didn;t think about asking my MW, I'll ask when I see her next (thought our NHS area is crap so won't hold my breath)

Hi - the Lloyds advert for the TENS machine has a note at the bottom (in tiny tiny writing) saying that it mustn't be used for labour.

I just hired mine from the Boots.com website - they send it to you 2 weeks (I think) before your due date, and you're covered for a month. You can extend it for free if you need to (not that you would.. but means you have extra time to send it back).

Apparently there is some research that tens machine can bring on contractions in some women! So that is why they say not before 37 weeks. If the women took the tens machine off the contractions stopped though. So I think with prem labour, if they thought that there was a chance of halting the labour for a while, they would not want you to use the tens machine. But if there is no possibility of stopping the labour, I cannot see why they would not let you use it? I hth

I found that the TENS machine seemed to make my contractions stronger, and stopped using it duuring labour because of this, so I can see why they say not before 37 weeks

I thought the only reason you couldn't use them before a certain date was because of hte risk of inducing prem labour. If you are in labour I don't see the point in not using one.

The problem is if you hire - when do you hire from...they usually send them out at 37wks so you won't have it for prem labour anyway IYSWIM.

the point in not using it was that it made them hurt far more than they did when i wasn't using it

Ditto to what EllieK said. My contractions were so painful I had the TENS turned up to absolute maximum in a desperate attempt to alleviate them. That just made the pain even more horrendous. It doesn't work for everyone, but I hope it works for you SMS. Good luck!