TENS machine - are they worth it?

[jollyjoanne]

I am expecting my first baby in early March and would really appreciate your thoughts on Tens machines? Are they worth using? Is there a particular brand / standard I should be looking for? Is it better to hire or buy one? All help/comments welcomed.

Yeah I'd say they are worth it and I'm a complete wimp with pain. Mine got me to 5 cm then I burst into tears and asked for an epidural

I found it better than the gas and air.

I hired mine but don't think there's much difference in buying.

One thing I would say it try in advance to find some kind of bag or belt for carrying it in because it is a pain having to keep it in your hand.

Yes.

Hired mine from Boots.

They sort of distract you from the contractions and, for me, it meant I could put it on a notch too high and be able to control the pain by reducing it when I wanted (hope that makes sense).

I only had the tens and then a water birth (was looking forward to getting woozy on gas and air but it didn't affect me!)

Thanks, had gas and air for a non-pregnancy procedure and found it had little impact on my pain.

I didn't bother for the first, but found it a godsend for the second and third. Got to 6 cms alone on TENS both times, although I did love gas and air and found it a big help. There are several brands out there, but I really wouldn't buy one - just hire and make sure you have a few spare pairs of pads, as they wear off after 12 hours (I had long labours)

Also, get it on as early in the labour as you can, as it makes a big difference later on, and don't take it off even when you think it isn't helping any more - it will be. And don't let your birthing partner play with it while it is on...... ,my dh got a smack in the face from me after he mucked about with one of the dials in the middle of a contraction

I used my own one (Elle Tens) and got to 8 or 9 cms without anything else.

I have now lent it to a friend due any day now and would definitely use it again myself.

I have heard they are not particularly effective if the pads are applied in the wrong place - should be knicker line and bra line.

Only took it off when I was provided with gas and air but felt almost superstitious about relinquishing it.

Fwiw I had little faith in it beforehand but thought I would try anything that might help.

I used an Elle tens too during the birth of my son. Bloody brilliant! I found the higher settings a little uncomfortable and prickly, but I think if I'd had a natural labour where the pain builds up and up gradually, I could have notched up the tens accordingly and it would have been amazing. As it was I was induced using a drip, and when the contractions suddenly started coming back to back with no breaks in between, I decided to have an epidural. I had to take the tens off at that point, but it lasted me that far! I wasn't interested in gas and air.

I would definitely recommend the elle tens, it seems to be pretty popular. I got mine 2nd hand on ebay, with a new set of sticky pads. By the way, if you get one you will need fine white micropore tape to hold the pads where you want them; I found they moved about a lot otherwise, or just came off. With the tape on it was fantastic, really helped!

Hi, I would definately say they are worth it, when i took mine off to get into the birthing pool only then did i realise how much it had been helping. When your not in labour, put it on and you will only be able to stand level 2-3 in labour i was at level 7-8 as quick as a flash they do really work. I hired mine from boots, you get a carrying bag for round your neck and simply post it back so no faffing about once your home with baby.

I found mine really useful if not for taking away the pain but making me feel more in control and changing the pain (if that made any sense!) It's true that it really is when you take them off that you realise how much it has been helping! I opted for an epidural in the end as I had an extremely long labour and was finally given an induction drip to speed things up after 36 hours but the tens got me through until then!