Experiences of using a TENS machine in early labour

[SantasRubiksCube]

I'm only 27 weeks so got a while yet until baby is here but just starting to think about labour and birth and stuff, this isn't my first baby but I've never tried a TENS machine in labour before and just wondered what peoples experience of them are? Did they help through the early stages?

Used twice and found it super helpful, would 💯 recommend one. In fact second time I used it up right up to the pushing stage.

Yep I used mine for 36 hours until I finally got gas and air. The tens machine plus a labour comb pressed into the palm of my hand kept me calm.

I loved using mine too, it was a great to relieve more mild contractions, even if just a distraction

Loved mine too, used it for both labours. I don’t really think it does get rid of the pain but the distraction of it certainly helped, I’d recommend trying one and if it helps, great, if it doesn’t you can just turn it off and no harm done.

Worked for me in the early stages until I got into my birthing pool.

I liked it. I don't know what it actually did for pain, but it felt nice and was a good distraction too,
I felt like I was Doing Something.

Used mine with all 3 and loved it. DH was very scared about me using it because prior to labour when I needed to test it worked I tried it on him (it said don't use in late stages of pregnancy) and I hadn't read the instructions properly, thought it wasn't working properly so cranked the settings right up before figuring out my mistake and in his words nearly electrocuting him 😂.

In my first labour I didn't think it was doing much until I took it off to get in the bath and had a contraction when I was one foot in one foot out. Let's just say for every subsequent bath I got both feet in, got DH to disconnect me and sat down quickly!

I don't know how it worked but it really helped me (twice!) The midwife had to prize it from my hands when it was time to get in the pool...

Just utter bollocks. Even more irritating than my husband trying to be all reassuring....

Yep liked it and good distraction. Used it for 21 hours with just paracetomol until I was induced and got epidural by which point I was exhausted, but up until then I just turned it up at each contraction and did my breathing/visualisation and totally worked for me.

Used mine right up to and during the pushing stage. Honestly can say I did not find that part painful. Exhausting, but not painful.

Worked really well for me. As above- a distraction and something to feel in control about.

Loved mine. Like others said, not sure it does anything for the pain...but it does something to help somehow! During my labour I was either in the bath, or on 'dry land' with the tens machine on. Would recommend making sure you have some extra pads incase you're like me and take it on and off quite alot

I found it really helpful with first baby, used it right from contractions starting to getting to the hospital and being 7cm dilated. It definitely helped for the 20 minute car journey that felt like forever!! Only took it off as was able to get into the pool.
Will most likely use again for baby number 2.

Wow thanks everyone for the replies, I think I'll look into hiring one (as this is likely to be last baby) and I'll keep an open mind to just give it a try and see how it helps/feels. Apart from my first baby, my labours/births don't tend to be too long and I usually just have the gas and air so hopefully this will be an added thing to just make the whole thing abit easier

Bloody loved mine, 10/10 recommend

Did nothing for me, I'm afraid.

Same here 😂
I didn't like it, not really sure why I just couldn't get on with it at all!

I didn't think I needed one. Turns out I was in early labour for 3 days and in the middle of day 1 made my partner go buy one from Boots! It helped and was also a bit of a distraction

I found it a great help for my two labours. For first birth I had TENS and paracetamol. Second birth was TENS and then pool. Both great experiences.

Worked brilliantly for me too. Highly recommend

100% it got me to 8cm with a bit of gas and air and 26 hours of labour then had to take it off for emergency c section. Didn't realise how good it was until then!

Didn't get on with it myself, but judging by the replies on here, it's definitely worth a try- I would try it out beforehand though, as I was easily frustrated by the thing by that stage.

I loved it. A distraction, may not have done anything for the pain, I honestly couldn't tell. But it certainly did something for my ability to cope with the pain

Same re my first birth.

I didn't use the TENS for my second though as it was in the boot of the car and I never bothered to go and get it 😅