Tens machines - would welcome any midwifes or lulumama/doula's opinion?

[annaspanna]

Are tens machines any good & if so can you recommend one thats easy to use?

[TheBlonde]

I found it very good
Missed having it when I got in the pool for a bit
Kept mine on until I was pushing

I used one from Boots, I suspect they are all much of a muchness - some have buttons, some have dials

[liath]

I'm not a doula but did have a very good experience with a TENs. My midwife had advised me to get hold of one because dd was persistently OP & she felt they could be very helpful in back-to-back labours. I was pretty sceptical but got one from a company called Tens-hire.co.uk and it was great. I put it on as soon as my contractions started and got good relief for around 3 hours then got in a warm bath, which was fab. When that stopped working I went to hospital and was fully dilated on arrival.

I'm not sure whether I really had a classic back to back labour, dd must have rotated at some point as I got to fully dilated in around 5-6 hours and she certainly came out facing the right way. The TENs did really seem to help and what with that & the bath meant I could stay at home as long as I could.

HTH

[lulumama]

i have not used one personally so cannot comment, i know some women swear by them...my friend used it for her home birth 14 months ago, seemed to help her BUT - she is very focused and very scientific in her approach to things and was going to make it work, come what may!!

BUT

as MIF has said, if you want to get in the bath or pool ,you cannot keep it on, which might curtail your options for later on in labour

did you have any other plans for pain relief, and is this your first?

you can hire them too BTW

[NappiesGalore]

not a doula, but i have had 3 babies in as many years... all lovely straightforward water births, but all pretty damn quick, so quite, um, intense.
i was dubious of the tens doing anything, but was really really pleased with it in the event... had it on till i got in the pool and was a godsend. really took the edge off and kept me calm and in control. in fact, i never had any other form of pain-relief, other than the birthpool itself.

hth

[annaspanna]

i would dearly love a waterbirth but after complications ending in emergency CS i have been told i can't have one at hospital. I did cope well for 12 hrs of pain. I suppose its down to personal taste then?

[Blu]

I'm not a mw or doula, but had a v good experience with a TENS machine. I used it from early - first twinges, amd thought it definitely helped me get my endorphins up. Stopped using it at about 7-9cms and got into the pool instead. Was sky-high on endorphins by then. Had no other pain relief except TENS and pool for 28 hours of OP labour and pushing, and felt really fine.

(later had epidural for ventouse delivery - but the registrar and mws were sure I would have had a CS had I been labouring in hospital and/or not using TENS and pool)

[lulumama]

glad to hear you are going for a VBAC annaspanna......

[BuffysMum]

I used mine with great success you don't realise how much they are helping until you take it off or in one case the batteries ran out (twas a very long and slow labour).

[NappiesGalore]

oh! be careful that its one designed for giving birth (they make them for long-term back pain relief too). the birth ones have a button you hold in your hand to switch the intensity of the pulse up and down at the right moments... the back pain ones have switches wich, believe me, you'll have no truck with at the onset of powerful contractions... i actually got the wrong sort out of a pregnany catalogue the first time round blooming marvellous it was i think...

[NappiesGalore]

thats a shame annaspanna - will they let you hang out in the pool till the actual push part? or have they vetoed it altogether? dont really understand why if so, but then, ive no medical knowledge so what do i know??

yes, looks like personal taste.

you can hire them online. you book ahead, then they send it to you a few weeks before due date and you send it back when youre done... might as well have it to try it out and see if it works for you? doesnt cost much AFAIR

(i do heartliy recommend it btw)

[NappiesGalore]

just re-read and want to say i didnt intend to sound negative about your birth... i think its great youre doing it the way you want to and i hope you have a wonderful birth, happy baby, no stitches...

[anneme]

I'm not a mw or doula but I tried a tens machine with DS and it made me throw up - bit like travel sickness. I have friends who liked it and friends who didn't.
I found the birth pool great and got out before the birth iyswim so it might be worth finding out about that option

[annaspanna]

Sorry i didn't mean for answers to this thread to be solely from mw/doulas. I welcome everyones opinion. I think i will have a tens looking at the responses. I had CS for high bp & foetal distress after over 24 hrs labour & thats why i can't have water birth said the consultant at the hospital.
There are two sides at my maternity ward MW led & obstetric led. I have no choice but to be in obstetric side due to history & there is no pool there. I plan to stay at home as long as poss ideally & thought tens might help me stay at home that bit longer. I'm luckily only 10 mins from hosp. 25mins even in rush hour so can leave it til late.

I'd rather buy than hire. I'm due really soon so not enough time to hire or may be even buy one!!! Was gonna try e-bay. Would you think it ok to use second hand? Theres some new ones on there too.

[amidaiwish]

i used a tens machine with DD1 and found it useless, because it was too complicated (had to get through levels and dials etc...) and i didn't move "up" through the levels fast enough. it just irritated me and i had an epidural instead!!

with DD2 i was recommended to try this one here and it was fantastic. no levels, just one dial that you turn up and a contraction booster button.
i had this on until it was time to push!

[Doulaklaw]

I used a TENS for both my labours, they get you through the early stages and in hindsight I found them to be wonderful.

I didn't have the guts to go for a WBAC last time round but totally intend to HWBAC next time.

The cons can't say you are not 'allowed' to do anything that you feel would be beneficial in your labour, it's your body, your baby and your choice!

check out www.vbac.org.uk/
www.aims.org.uk/
www.caesarean.org.uk/
www.yourbabyyourbody.co.uk/

HTH

[3andnomore]

I used one for my first son and it really helped...with ms I was glad I hadn't boroughed one, as I just didn't need it with him anyway, however, I deeply regretted not getting one with ys...I so could have used one then.
Oddly enough, with es and ys I experienced more painful labour and both were in odd positions...whereas ms was in a perfect position!

[choosyfloosy]

Had good experience. i put it on very shortly after having a hindwater leak, before I was feeling any contractions at all - a VERY good idea. Lasted me very well until i went into the pool about 45 mins before ds was born. with tens it's the earlier the better. Which is great, because I was stupidly obsessed with 'am I being a wuss' and didn't ask for any other pain relief, even rejected gas and air at first because i was scared of not having it in the locker so to speak later. TENS gives you something to do before birth has really started. Get backup packs of sticky electrodes in case of false alarms. Had mine from Boots - was hired but new.

would disagree with it interfering with developing coping mechanisms tbh - it doesn't take the pain away, it blurs it. there was plenty of rocking, howling etc going on with me!

Don't give the control to anyone else (your dh/dp, say) unless he really enjoys being shouted at.