Hi Ladies,
Just wondering who here used a tens machine during labour and was it effective?
I'm hoping and planning for a drug free natural birth & thought the tens might be good as I can hire one.
Thanks :)
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Hi Ladies,
Just wondering who here used a tens machine during labour and was it effective?
I'm hoping and planning for a drug free natural birth & thought the tens might be good as I can hire one.
Thanks :)
just subscribing, i am interested in hearing answers, i am thinking of hiring one for my next birth :) hope someone with some answers pops in for you soon xxx
Yes I used one, that's the only pain relief I used.
I highly recommend getting one. It was fantastic to have something to 'do'. The one I used had a hand held button that I pressed down on during contractions, good for something to focus on.
At the end I didn't think it was having any effect & I had it up to it's highest setting. But once DS was born, somehow I accidently set it off & nearly went through the roof! So it obviously was taking away some of the pain lol.
I loved mine.
I used it with DS1, and lasted till 5 cm before asking for peth. DS2 i lasted till 8cm and then used gas. DS3, i missed out as he arrived at 37 weeks and i was due to get it at 38 weeks. But i managed his labour with gas.
I think it really helps to take the edge off the contractions, and is fantastic for managing early labour!
Goodluck
TENS was my very bestest friend during birth :) I used that and hypnobabies (and changing positions, shower etc) I never even got it up to the highest setting - stayed on 2 most of the time. The only time I got panicky was when I couldn't get it to work. Definately worth getting.
That's a very good point - get it on asap. I got to 8cms at home before I felt like I needed to go into hospital, could barely feel the contractions with the TENS on at this stage.:
LOL you just reminded me when my DH was changing the batteries (theres a tip - take spare batteries with you!) and I started freaking out because I could feel a contraction coming! Never seen a man move so fast!:
What is a tens machine??
YES! Get one if you can. I used one with DD's labour and it was excellent. It helped me get to 7cm at home and I continued using it throughout transition (although I swore a few times it wasn't working anymore at that stage even though I had it maxxed out on the highest setting!).
MrsBexie, TENS stands for Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It's a little machine (handheld portable size for labouring women) that has 4 pads which you place on your lower back. You control the settings on the unit to the level of electrical stimulation through the pads on your skin. What it does is when you feel pain, you're getting that signal from your brain. The TENS blocks that signal with the electrical pulses through the nerves. Hope that makes sense. It's non-invasive and very effective.
Sounds like I need to get myself a TENS machine!! Where do you get them from??
Heaven, I hired mine from the hospital physio and I was able to claim some of it back on my health fund.
Yep same here, hospital recommended a physio & I also claimed some of the cost back.
I hired mine thru a private crew called "TENS Australia". Google them and you'll find them.
I found it invaluable at home with my first labour and had it on for the entire 30+ hours, only took it off when I was in the shower... I made it to about 4cms at home then used that with gas at hospital.
I hired it with my second labour and had it on for about an hour but when I reached hospital I jumped in the shower for an hour and then it was time to push. The poor tens was left aside!
My view is if you hire it and it does nothing, no big loss. But if it helps you then that's another form of pain relief that isn't drugs!
Thanks Ladies :)
Looks like i'll be hiring one then :D
Yay for tens, sounds like it's really effective!!!