Tens machines are they all the same?

[Firstbump]

Hi, 3 weeks till D day and need to rent one, are they all the same? the two I know about are the mothercare one £27.50 or the one advertised in the bounty pack £29.99. Any advice?

[jessi]

Just thought I would let you know that I called Boots as am due tomorrow and was in a panic. It turns out that they aren't recalling all their Tens machines, they said they had had 4 cases of the wires coming away from the pads due to the extreme heat recently . They said its up to me, if I want to return it I can, but I haven't really got the time now so I am sticking with theirs. Hope it works lol!

[Davros]

There is a Tens machine for sale in the latest issue of Radio TImes. I don't know if I'm a sucker but I tend to think that anyone sold via the BBC must be OK! For further info go to www.radiotimes.com/rtshop or phone 0870 747 2246

[crazynow]

I hired one from boots with ds and used it as soon as labour started I think it helped - it was my 1st prg so I had nothing to compare it to. I will be hiring tens machine again this time and now I have read the last few comments i will have a good look round.

[princesspeahead]

as soyabean says, if you put them on once your contractions are established they won't really work. that's because they dont' work as pain relief as such, they act to increase your pain threshold by confusing the pain receptors in your brain. that means the effect is sort of cumulative. so you have to put them on (on a low setting) as soon as you feel that you are in labour, and gradually crank up the setting as your labour establishes and the contractions become stronger.

you'll understand this a bit more if you do a trial run of the machine before you are ever in labour - you'll put it onto setting 1 or 2 and you'll think it is a bit of a wierd sensation - if you put it onto 5 you'll think "ow! bloody hell I'll never use it on this high" and when you are actually in active labour you'll have started low and eventually have it cranked up to 7 or 8 and you'll only feel it as a bit of a tingle. but if you slapped it on in the middle of active labour and tried to put it straight onto 7 or 8 it wouldn't work at all.

don't know if this makes any sense, difficult to explain, but if you don't use it early and cumulatively it will be pretty useless.

[Hughsie]

I used tens machines in both births and found the new Boots one to be far superior - they had a new batch at Boots Trafford Centre in manchester and they were excellent.

[Firstbump]

Thanks again for the info.

I went on the NCT website and they have links to a www.babycaretens.com and hire a Lady's TENS for £22 for 30 days best price I could find! Lady's TENS gets good reviews on most websites.
So I will ring them today.

[soyabean]

Firstbump: Good luck with it all! My only advice would be to make sure you put it on as soon as the contractions start. I had one with ds1's birth and found it useless but was told it was because I started using it too late on and it therefore didnt have time to start working. That was 11 years ago so they may have improved? Anyway I really hope you find it useful.

[butterflymum]

Hi Firstbump

Just noticed this post on another parenting site. Thought it worth letting you know:

"I thought I should let people know that there has been a product recall on the Boots Tens (hire) Units. I went into Boots yesterday (23/6) to collect a unit and was told there has been a product recall and all stock had to be sent back to the manufacturer - apparently the pads are faulty. Boots were unsure when the service will be resuming. My baby is due in 3 weeks (I know I was leaving it rather late) and I was starting to panic as to where I could get a unit at short notice. Fortunately I logged onto the Bounty website and come across another supplier called Rehabilicare. I telephoned them and they were very helpful and assured me that if I placed an order with them yesterday I would receive my unit today (it's now arrived). Not only was the cost was cheaper than Boots, I didn't have to leave a deposit either. I was very pleased with the service and the website address is www.rehabilicare.co.uk"

[Firstbump]

Thanks that's great. I will hire one!
Partner Ha! he comes out in a cold sweat just driving into the car park! But I will get the practice in. Thanks all for the advice.

[butterflymum]

Not too late to try one.

Give your midwife unit a call tomorrow and ask them if it is possible - even if they can't help, they could probably put you in touch with the physio department who could at least let you try a 2 contact pad one.

When the big day comes, remember to use it from as early on in labour as you can as it can take a while for the effect to 'build up'.

ps
Get your hubby/partner/whoever to have a couple of practise runs beforehand at positioning the 4 contact pads so that they don't panic when it comes to the real thing (again, if in doubt, midwife or physio should be able to help with a trial run beforehand of positioning them)!

...............hope it all goes well.....

[princesspeahead]

my antenatal teacher says that the ones you hire are much better than the ones you can buy at boots - desperately trying to remember the reasons why she thought so but I can't remember. so for what its worth..!
only used a hire one, you definately need a boost button which you use when contraction actually starts, it stays on the non-boost setting the rest of the time.
hth

[Firstbump]

No I have never tried one shame really as this would have helped me make a decision as to whether I would use one.

Pie I have seen the mothercare one which is £39.99 but this is different from the one they hire hence my orginal question. But they charge an extra £5 a week over so you could buy it outright if your late!

[butterflymum]

I used hospital's own TENS with my first son then hired Boot's ones for the next two. I was happy enough with Boot's (cost around £26/27).

If buying, remember to get one that is suitable for use in labour - ie with 4 contact pads not just 2 (as is the usual for pain relief on say joints etc) and also a boost button if possible.

Good luck with whichever you choose. I really liked the TENS but I know some people can't stand them (did your midwife let you try one at ante-natal class?).

[pie]

On a similar line, I've seen ones that you can buy for about £40, anyone think that it would be better to buy then rent. Would it, for example, be good for back aches later. I've only used it for labour pains and plan on getting one this time, but have never used it for backache.