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Original poster

Is it worth hiring a TENS machine?

24 replies

PuppyDogEyes · 15/01/2008 23:59

Hi all,

need advice from the all knowing wise mums of MN!!

i'm 40+2, so don't have much time to decide (completely forgot about it), should i bother hiring a tens?

but is it worth it? or do you thing G&A or epidural would be sufficient?
not overly keen on the idea of epidural, but will TENS really take away that much pain??

(can have massage and essential oils, but don't hold out much hope for them actually having any effect)

been quoted £24 for tens could get for day after tomorrow.

what are your experiences of using TENS?

TIA

OP posts:
threestars · 16/01/2008 00:47

1st labour: I used TENS for the first few hours of labour and it was great.
It also gave me something to concentrate on to help me through the contractions, and a bit of reassurance that I was doing something. I eventually took it off and got into a pool which was gorgeous too.
Gas and air made me sick, then high as a kite, but helped when the contractions got much stronger.
After many many hours, the epidural was like a magic spell had been weaved over me.
2nd labour: a warm bath, and concentrating on a set image in my mind helped me through the contractions. I asked for pethidine later when the pain was constant, but gave birth 5 minutes later, so wasn't long enough for the drugs to kick in!

As for whether the TENS was effective, well I THINK so, for a while. My NCT class made us use it on our hands in practice and it completely numbed them, so I'm guessing it did similar on my back for a while.

WriggleJiggle · 16/01/2008 03:45

I loved mine. Made a huge difference. Worth every penny. Some people just don't get on with them though.

Oceana · 16/01/2008 04:29

I definitely found it useful. I made it through most of the labour just using the TENS. At the end I moved on to gas and air which was brilliant!

Janus · 16/01/2008 04:31

I would second what threestars and wriggle say. I used one for the first and second. First I think it really helped me focus on something and felt I had something to do. I was sick every 10 minutes during labour which became a pain to hold TENS whilst trying to keep hair out of the way! But kept it on so it must have been helping. Second one it is the only thing I used and I'm sure it had a major effect. I really found it helpful and literally only stopped once I was pushing dd out. I'm now expecting my third and my Mum now has one for her bad back which I am planning to nick very soon!
For the sake of £24 it's worth a try! Get hold of one soon though! Good luck, let us know how you get on and if you use one.

FoghornLeghorn · 16/01/2008 07:20

I found with DD1 that while I had the tens on it felt like it wasn'tdoing much but when I took it off and a contraction hit me, I knew it really was working !
With DD2 it really didn't work, not in the slightest, G&A made me throw up and epidural failed so general not much luck with DD2.

I'd say it's the luck of the draw !

bobblehat · 16/01/2008 07:25

First labour - I was induced and was not allowed off the bed due to high blood pressure. It definatly gave me something to concentrate on. Found G+A just made me feel sick and ended up having and epidural which took away all pain and feeling - ended up having to have a ventouse (sp?) delivery cos I couldn't feel anything.
2nd labour totally different. Went into labour naturally and stuck on the tens. Things then moved really quickly and ds2 arrived fairly suddenly and was delivered by his dad at home. Due to the speed no midwives/paramedics were there. The only pain relief I had was a TENS and it was absolutly fantastic. I know some don't get on with them, but I don't think I don't think I'd have managed without it

rmadley · 16/01/2008 09:19

With DS I used it whilst at home and then in the car to the hospital not sure I could have stood the journey without it. At hospital was in the Water and later had G&A which really helped for me. Have booked a TENS for this labour too!

meep · 16/01/2008 09:26

I couldn't have survived without my TENS - as the other posters have said - it gives you something to comncentrate on when a contraction hits!
I got mine at Boots - you pay around £50 and when you return it you get £25 back - and I got mine the day before I went into labour - and I had a long long labour and had forgotten to buy any pracetamol - so it was a godsend!
Good luck!

TsarChasm · 16/01/2008 09:31

£25 from TCHIBO atm

I had one during my first labour and also a bit before I gave birth as I had awful sciatica and the midwife thought it might help the pain. I suppose it's a distraction to the pain - a bit. I found the sensation quite unpleasant. Like being stung by lots of little insects. Some people love them though.

MuffinMclay · 16/01/2008 13:10

Do your hospital provide them? Mine do. Might be worth asking.

I found it really helped in the early stages, and was something to focus on rather than the pain.

meep · 16/01/2008 13:11

But you might need one at home - my time in hospital was short compared to my time at home with my lovely TENS!

kekouan · 16/01/2008 13:13

yes yes YES!!! I couldn't have done without mine and I gave birth with just the TENS and G&A. It was absolutely wonderful....

Boots will send a Mama Tens one to you recorded delivery if you ask, the number is 01372 723434.

Good luck!!!

largeginandtonic · 16/01/2008 13:13

Get one!!! So useful. The hospital will probably have them but you need to put it on as soon as your contractions start for it to work. By the time you get in to hospital it would be too late.

Boots hire them out.

kekouan · 16/01/2008 13:14

btw - it was definitely effective as every time i went to the loo I would accidentally dislodge one of the pads, and dear GOD it was agony.

I put mine on with the first contraction and built up the levels gradually, and it definitely made for a good birth experience.

sorry, but I can't rave about TENS enough...

CarGirl · 16/01/2008 13:15

absolutely fabulous, didn't realise how much it helped in all 3 labours until I either took it off, or in one very very long labour ran out batteries!!!!!!!!!!!

Scampmum · 16/01/2008 13:19

Definitely. DH wouldn't call the midwife because he couldn't believe I was in established labour and then when she arrived I was fully dilated!

Top tip, though - don't forget to 'unboost'. I kept thinking 'here's another one... oh sh1t, it's already on boost!'. Don't know if they all have 'boost' buttons, but I had it on all the time and then boosted during contractions... that was the plan, anyway.

Ended up in theatre for DD (good thing I didn't listen to the MW when she said I should have her at home since she was OP and brow presentation and would never have come out without the forceps) but hope to have no pain relief this time (am 25+5).

melpomene · 16/01/2008 13:25

Tens didn't work for me at all - I just found it irritating, and took it off after a while. Gas and air was great (and made me high). I was glad I'd tried the Tens, though; if I hadn't had it I would have been wondering whether it would have made a difference.

From the other posts, it sounds as if it works for most people.

MuffinMclay · 16/01/2008 13:28

Oh yes, sorry. I forgot that labour normally starts at home (was induced with ds1). Ignore me.

Original poster
PuppyDogEyes · 16/01/2008 17:37

Thanks for all the replies.

think i'll order in the morn for thursday.
but i've been given an induction date today, and quite doubtful that labour will start at home now.

I think the litle one is happy where he/she is for the mo.

i think for the sake of 24 (incl. postage) its probably worth it!

OP posts:
Original poster
PuppyDogEyes · 20/01/2008 21:13

after much umm-ing and ahh-ing i ordered the tens on fri. got it on sat via special delivery.

but still waiting on my own special delivery .

no sign of LO yet.

so have it ready to go for the first sign of a ctx. also bought a spare battery. so taken everything on board, and it can't hurt to have another form of pain relief on hand (esp if epidural can fail, as foghornleghorn said )

thanks for the advice and will let you know how i get on.

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Original poster
PuppyDogEyes · 05/02/2008 17:41

Update...

Used my Tens. and thank god for it.

i was in the bath at home for 3 hours and then the tens was the the only pain relief i had for the next 15 hours.

then i had gas and air with tens for the next 7 hours.

was told too late for an epidural during the last 7 hours .

didn't feel like gas and air did anything, but make me woosy.

eventually had a spinal and forceps birth.

point is: if you are thinking of hiring a tens, for the sake of £25, it is worth hiring!!! if you don't use it, nevermind, but if you have a labour like mine, it was the only thing i felt that had an effect (apart from the eventual spinal, which was bliss!).

make sure you get a tens for labour - so one that has a boost button. i used natures-gate, you can find them online.

goodluck with all your pregnancies and labour!

OP posts:
slinkiemalinki · 06/02/2008 10:29

Thanks for the update and congratulations on your baby arriving safely!

BorgLady · 06/02/2008 12:26

Does it have to be a special maternity TENS? My stepdad has one for his bad back, could I borrow that and use it?

Original poster
PuppyDogEyes · 06/02/2008 12:59

thanks slinkie!

borglady - i didn't notice the tens as it pulsed away, but needed the boost for contractions.

with the boost you can increase the tens feeling for the temporary increased pain/ wave of contraction.

as threestars said, it gives you something other than pain to concentrate on.

(i gave dh the button, and shouted booooost!! at him when i needed it, i had gas and air and bed rails in my hands!)

and remember to let go of the boost after the contraction!

hth

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