Are all experiences of using a TENS machine good - contemplating buying one, do they help???

[Kerri1983]

I am really thinking about buying a TENS machine to use during my labour but don't know an awful lot about them.

The few people who I know that have used them have said they would definatly use it again.

Please let me know your experiences

[MrsMcJnr]

I thought it was fab, I put it on when my contractions started getting strong and kept it on until after the birth and I was lucky that that was all the pain relief I needed

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

Surely the solution is to get families to sign up to a huge fine for missing G&A or something rather than deprive hb women a heavily relied on coping tool.

Are you sure tisn't a strategy for putting people off?

[ajm200]

Supposedly the G&A restrictions were brought in a year ago here because a couple of families were misusing the G&A before the mum went into labour and expecting the hosptial to provide more on the big day more likely to be cost cutting.

When I booked a HB with DS they provided 5 large canisters and told me that DH could pick up more from the hospital if needed. They don't allow that anymore for health and safety reasons.

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

ajm200 What IS is with G&A restrictions? hey said similar things to me so I felt unsupported in my homebirth and cancelled it. I suspected that was the intention

[ajm200]

I didn't like the TENS machine when I was having DS but they put it on me very early for a constant SPD pain and it didn't really help

I'm having a HB this time and have been told that I'll only have one hour of G&A so I've hired one just in case

[MatBackFeck]

Bizarrely I loved it in first labour loathed it in the second. Not sure why, just never got on with it second time and took it off. If I had another go I would probably have one handy and see how I felt at the time. First time I wouldnt be parted with it even after he was out! Having done it twice I would say it pales into insignificance compared with the gas and air.

[Twinklemegan]

I think the distraction aspect of the TENS was a bad thing for me actually. It stopped me from focussing fully on the pain and learning how I might deal with it. So when I had to pull the bloody thing off, after going all the way up to full and feeling no effects except a very painful burning on my back, I was pretty out of control with it all. If I ever did it again (very unlikely) I would want to experience the pain properly early on without distractions.

[SharpMolarBear]

Oh and I seeem to remember the instructions being very complicated about when you could move up a level and when you could 'boost' - I didn't really understand, it was a bit like a video game. Anyway, once you're using it, you just make it up

[SharpMolarBear]

MM - the one I got went up to 15 on the scale. The manual (which DH had read frm cover to cover) only mentioned 1-5. I only discovered it went higher by accident!

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

It only works when your contractions don't hurt that much!

[PumpkinPatty]

I hired one. I found it a complete waste of time and money TBH. But then I had a L O N G and horrible back to back labour.

I found back massage was much more helpful. And gas and air was FANTASTIC

[SharpMolarBear]

I hired through Boots, called up on my due date to extend and they did it, no fuss. TBH I think as long as they get them back, they're fine. You get a postage paid envelope etc to send it back and spare batteries - you'll need them and more!

(Actuially, now I think about it, that's quite ing - I went through 8 AA batteries)

[SharpMolarBear]

I found it quite good, used it up to 9cm by which time it just wasn't cutting it even on th ehighest level. Turned it off (so I thought) then got DH to take the pads off....even in pain his face made me laugh
What I didn't like though was feeling tied to it, when I went to the toilet and I desperately wanted a shower but had a few "trial run" contractions before I was convinced I could turn it off.

[ThreeWheelsOnMyWagon]

I found it really useful during the initial stages of labour. I just kept turning it up gradually as the labour pains increased, and wasn't actually convinced that it really was working until i missed a contraction and felt how painful they were without the tens!!

DH would also reccomend it - once I ahd progressed to gas and air I turned around to get some water from him and found that he had roped the midwife into fitting the machine onto his sore back. He reckons it did a great job!

[ILikeYourSleeves]

I didn't like it at all, I had 4 days of contractions and tried the TENS but it just added more unecessary pain IMO! But loads of women like them, so hire not buy I say.

[pinkspottywellies]

I just found it buzzy But I understand that the longer you can use it for the better as the effects build up. I only had it on for about an hour, then took it off for a bath, then another hour/hour and a half on then I think I yanked the leads and said 'get that damn thing off me'!!

I think I will get one again this time though just in case it was helping and I didn't realise!

[bootus]

Bought brand new one off ebay for same price as renting, figured it may come in useful if labour didnt put me off no.2 . Was very good one by all accounts and think it was one of those 'didnt realise how much it was working until it came off', plus gave me something to think about, and dp could feel useful...gadgets n'all that. Def glad got one!

[inscotland]

I hired mine from Boots but it did bugger all for me.

[jasperc163]

I hired one - which worked fine.

Fraid though I found it absolutely useless in terms of pain relief (water/pool much more useful).

[No1GruffaloHunter]

I'm in the love Tens / can't imagine labour without it camp.

I would (and have hired) though as unless you are planning lots of DCs I think it makes more financial sense.

FWIW I had a long early labour and I think TENS is most effective for my kind of labour. Friends who had very quick deliveries or those who were induced are much less enthusiastic.

Best of luck.

[zazen]

well bluemousemummy, for me labour was fine - like riding waves at sea for days, but I had a freezing lower back - felt like it was made of ice - cracking apart.

i brought a fleece bag filled with wheat in to the ward, and got the nurses to microwave it for me so that DH could press it into my lower back, and sort of knead me as well. it was great as his hands were going numb just rubbing.

You can fill a long sock half up with rice and tie a knot at the end: add a few drops of clary sage into it and bob's your uncle. yum.

[cafebistro]

I used Tens with both my labours and found it really helped...you have to start using it early on though. I managed with just gas and air along with it. Its especially helpful for early labour before you got to hospital and gives you something to concentrate on.

[bluemousemummy]

microwavable bag of wheat??? That's a new one on me, more details please!

[zazen]

I found it irritating, and Dh was a bit crappy at sticking it on TBH. ripped it off myself though

It just buzzed and didn't actually stop any pain traveling up to the brain or any such twaddle. It did help me focus my frustrations though.....

For pain relief, I found a tennis ball rolled around my lower back much much better when sitting on the big bouncy ball and leaning on the bed.

I also had a microwavable bag of wheat which was lovely.

Oh yes and an epidural eventually after three days of labour!! Now that was amazing!

I so wanted to think of myself as a drug free earth mother yadda yadda, and while the contractions weren't too awful or anything with gas and air, and were super fine with the epidural, the tens was pretty useless for me.
HTH and good luck

[horsemadgal]

It helped my back pain but not the stomach pains, but was better than nothing really.