Advice on TENS machines

[cocobongo]

Posted this in Childbirth- but it seems a less active topic, so hopefully someone here can help...

Hi

Looking for some advice on which TENS machine to buy. Am planning to order from the Boots website, and wondered if anyone had experience of the machines there- in particular, is it worth going for the most expensive Babycare machine at £70 or would the £45 Boots version be just as good. Am happy to pay the extra if it is likely to be any better.

Thanks!

The most important thing is to make sure you get a TENS with a boost button.

I have bought two, the first didn't have one and the second did. Being able to boost definitely helped me.

If it's any help I hired mine, I think that costs about half what it does to buy one but I wasn't sure how I'd get on with it so didn't want to buy one.

I'd use one again though.

I got a Boots 3-in-1 one (Ebay) and it was great for both backache and labour. The dial goes to 19 - I used 2-3 for backache, 6-7 in the car to hospital, and round 17-18 mid-labour.

Seems to be you love or hate it, so do try it (on the non-labour setting!) before labour. Also mine doesn't take rechargeable batteries, so stock up on the Duracells...

I hired my TENS machine from
tens-hire.co.uk/

I used nothing but TENS and it gave me good pain relief. The TENS machine that I had came with a DVD telling you how to get the best from the TENS machine. I would recommend getting a spare set of electrodes.

A tens machine is more effective if you put it on at the first twinge. Having a spare set of pads helps if the first set get really sweaty or what you thought was a first twinge was in fact a false alarm. Also you can use TENS to help with afterpains.

Look out for special offers, I got mine really reduced in sales (a Boots one) so it was practically the same price as hiring would have been but I still have it for DC2.