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Hi, Just wondering what people thought/think of TENS machines for labour? I am tossing up whether to buy/rent one for labour (this is my second pregnancy). I've read they are good but would love to hear from anyone who has actually used one or knows someone who's used one in labour.. Do they work?
Thanks :)
I have looked after woman who it has worked really well for, however i was induced and didnt find that it helped due to the fact body was being forced.
For a natural labour it works well.
good luck
I used a TENS for my first labour and felt it saved me from needing to use any other form of pain relief. For me, it was just great. I think it's most important to learn how to use it properly and practice well before you go into labour as I have heard some people say they found it hard to work/annoying so stopped using it. As if you want to fiddle with a new/unfamiliar gadget when in labour! I had a great lesson on how to work it during the last weeks of my pregnancy so knew exaclty what to do and how it would feel when labour started. Feeling the sensation of the TENS when not in labour was helpful for me to know what to expect and I could tell from 'trying it out' that I would find it useful. Some people don't like the sensation it gives so I highly recommend trying it first and getting some training. I relied on it so much that I was not prepared to take it off to have a shower or bath - it was that good for me. Great for the car trip into the hossy as well. Am picking one up next week for my upcoming second labour and going through the training again even though my last labour was only 18mths ago (I think you get my point about learning it first - often they just send it out to you with a video/handout which I think is inadequate)!
Some people will tell it you it makes you focus on the contraction (which is not ideal) but for me it helped me get through the contraction and focus on a different sensation other than the pain of the contraction IYKWIM. Would personally pay thousands to use it again although it is definately not for everyone.
I had a TENS machine and was induced (although was in labour when they induced me) and it worked fine. Although I did keep forgetting to use it because I wasn't in that much pain.
I took it off to use the pool just before I started pushing and didn't put it on again afterwards and it still wasn't painful. I guess it didn't do much for me, but maybe it did - I had it on for about 6 hours while I went from 4cm to 10cm. (But then I was "oooh, that's a contraction, better press the button, ah it's finished now.") I know that having the constant pulsing buzzing there was really relaxing and better than nagging DH for a massage.
I used it again when I had really bad whiplash and backache and DS was 2 months old and I was in a lot of pain but couldn't ignore him: it worked wonders then!
OM Blue Earings ... I just wanted to pipe in!! I have not heard about a TENS machine, so I googled it and read "electrical impulse" and just had to shut the darn internet off!!! Do it really work?? Electricution while in labour?? *shiver* I'm one of those who it will not work for ... I will have my baby in the waiting area out of fear of them having to put something that is going to SHOCK me on me!! I have and will not experiance labour, but surely there must be better "pain" control methonds than electricity!!! Ok, electric impluses ...but it still does not take the picture in my head away of my little toe in an electic outlet!! "push hunny, push"
Sorry - I'm being neurotic. Am interessted in how exactly it's helpfull though?
The theory is if you're having electric shocks then the pain centre of the brain is overloaded so you don't feel it.
It's nothing like that. It's like... a gentle pulsing. A soft massage. Your mobile phone on vibrate. It's quite soothing really.
Nadine it's not electric shocks! More like impulses that kind of feels like pins and needles and it's fully adjustable for you comfort level. Light for mild contractions and you crank it up as you need to. If you have it on high straight away then it might feel a bit too full on but if you end up using one you'll be surprised at how much you can tolerate the highest setting in the peak of a contraction and it can be comforting!
I found it helpful, especially for my first and second labours. My third labour came on very fast (2 hours in total) and it didn't really help much due to the immediate intensity so I'm undecided whether to use one again. I have a feeling I will though ;)
If you do a search in the labour and birth forum this topic has come up loads, lots of opinions.
I was with a woman on Sunday night who had a portable one (such a neat little machine). She loved it! I'll be getting one for my next labour. I tried it the other day on my arm, pins and needles would be my description too. I was quite amazed how strong it was.
She hired hers for about $80 with a $20 refund if the electrodes were unused. Its a tiny machine that hangs on a chain around her neck. Well worth it Id say. If you dont use it you dont use it.
I used TENS last time and twice I accidentally turned it up instead of down.....certainly took my mind of the labour pains!! I was pretty happy with it, not really sure if it did much other than take my mind off things for brief periods. I was only in labour for less than 2 hours, so wouldn't be sure if I could've gone longer with no pain relief but just TENS. I hope I couldve. I will think about using it again. It did get annoying after a while and I just ripped it off (probably last 20 mins).
xo
You are sooooo lucky RF to not be in that much pain during labour - good for you! I often am in awe of these people who didn't find labour to be that painful.:
I am not sure if there has been any research done but have heard that using a TENS can assist the speed of your labour. I certainly had a quickish first labour but not sure if that can be contributed in any way to use of TENS or not! The technicial who explained how to use it mentioned this but I didn't look up any research so not sure.
Just to add my sister's experience with the TENS machine - she loved it. She had it on from about 10pm the night before my niece was born, it helped her to sleep through the start of her contractions, a little bit anyway. She had it quite low at this point.
She kept it on going into the hosp, had it on for the entire duration of the labour and even afterwards when the Dr was stitching her up (only a few stitches!).
She loved the feeling of control it gave her and said it really helped her pain. She only used that and the gas for the birth.
I also agree it isn't electrical shocks - what it does is send a tiny little impulse into the spinal cord, I think to interrupt the pain messages shooting up and down the spine.
Anyway my sister loved it and I'm definitely getting one for Feb!
Thanks everyone, i'm thinking i might get one and give it a try and then if it doesn't work my hubby can always use it for footy injuries.. i've heard they're good for that too!
My last labour was all in my back so i think the TENS machine would probably work well for me if i have back labour again this time.
Thanks!
Just a question?
Where do you get them from?
I'm in Melb
odette
Odette, my sister hired hers through the Mercy hospital where she was booked in for delivery.
You need to register to hire one a while before birth and then they give it to you a week or so before your EDD I think.
Ask your hospital/midwife/obs - that's what I'll be doing when it gets a bit closer.
I tried one and hated it... the electric pulses felt icky and it hurt me a couple of times. I also hated the pads on my back. I still ended up with a drug free labour.
My sister swore by it when she used one though.
This is why I thinks it's essential to try it before you make a decision as to whether to use it. I could tell straight away that it would be a great thing for me, but for others the sensation will be unpleasant.:
Odette - Where in Melb do you live? I hired mine from a company in East Brighton and thought the guy who showed it to me was great - they do send them out but as I posted above I think a "go" of it first is better. I will PM you the details if you want - let me know. It depends on the hospital you are planning to give birth in as to where you can hire them through - this company I went through were fine for Royal Womens/FPH and Masada as there are the 2 hossies I've dealt with. (ETA : Ahh, I see you are in Montmorency so East Brighton not so great - ask your hospital).
I agree with Ren 100%, I also hated it, I think I only had it on for 2 contractions and then ripped it off, cause it felt worse than the contractions for me.
I also ended up with a drug free labour
i used one for my first labour, but i don't think it did all that much for me. it's principal use was as a distraction... gave me something to do during contractions. i lasted 16 hours with TENS but by that stage was not in good shape and needed serious pain relief.
TENS apparently works wonders for some people (among them the woman who took our labour classes - she had 4 kids with no other pain relief) but not for others. there's certainly nothing to be lost by trying it, but the one thing i do regret is that it prevented me from getting in the shower which would probably have been more helpful in the later stages.
best wishes for your pregnancy and labour :).
I used one and it was FANTASTIC and the reason I know that was because the batteries ran out and I really noticed how much more pain I was in when it stopped working! I made DH drive down to tthe servo at 6am to get some more ( after the one we took out of the fire alarm stopped working as well).
I think the key is to put it on as soon as labour starts - that what I did and then I would turn it up really high as the contractions where coming on. Also - when the midwife came to assess me at home she noted that I didn't really feel the contractions badly until they were right at their peak ( as she was feeling my belly for them) and she put that down to the TENS.
However - I think they are only going to help if you have a back labour and make sure you have spare batteries in the house!!!
I have already posted in this thread but just wanted to pop in again as I just gave birth to our second child 4 days ago. WIthout the TENS I think I would have died, that's how useful it was for me. I cannot prraise this wonderful device enough. A second, completely natural, drug free labour for me thanks to the TENS.
ETA : I had no back labour at all, all contractions were felt in tummy, down low so definately don't need back labour for it to work.
I used a TENS, it worked well for the first 12 hours of hard labour, but after that it annoyed me...
I will use it again though, great for distraction of the pain.
If you get one, makes sure that you get it well before you are due and you know how to put it on (or you birth partner does) and how to control it...
You may not like the sensation when you are not in labour, but it makes the world of difference when you are actually labouring.
Based on the effectiveness of it, i will probably try the water injections next time too