DH and I went to our ante-natal class last night and the midwife talked about pain relief during labour. She mentioned that we could buy or hire an obstetric TENS machine to take into hospital with us. I hadn't really considered that as an option....
Did anyone use one? Did you find it offered any relief?
pineapple / 12526 posts
Didn't use one, I've read they do work though.
The gas and air was lovely. 
lol
papaya / 10570 posts
@zippylef: I've heard it's like a bottle of wine without the hangover!! I'm definitely up for that!
I want to try to save the gas and air for as near to the pushing part as possible so it has maximum effect and, hopefully, I wont need the epidural. But we will play it by ear - I'm a massive wuss and if it hurts more that I have imagined I will be taking whatever they offer me!!!
pineapple / 12526 posts
@Cherrybee: I used the gas and air most during the last part of my labor and pushing. I would equate it more to marijuana than wine. hahahaha. It was nice though.
I was induced and did it without pain meds after my epidural failed. Make them wait as long as possible before breaking your water, thats when shit got real for me. It was much more manageable before that.
Don't hesitate to ask for the epi as soon as you think you want it because it will likely take a decent amount of time before they get in to give it to you. I think it took them at least an hour before they got in to try and redo mine when it quit working.
papaya / 10570 posts
@zippylef: From what the doctor said, they will insert the pessary and then as soon as they can get the little hook thing in through the cervix they intend to break to water - to get labour going, essentially. When you say shit got real, did it speed everything up or just make it more painful with the same progress? Do you think I should refuse to let them break the water so soon, then?
pineapple / 12526 posts
@Cherrybee: Honestly, I dont really remember when they broke mine for sure. lol. It's all a little bit of a blur. Mine was already leaking before they broke it. I know they didn't do it until after they started the synto though. They did the cervical gel stuff for 6 hours, then started the synto and then broke my water sometime after that, I think.
If they can, I'd ask them to delay breaking it as long as they can. Labor does get more painful after and the longer your water is broken, the higher chance of an infection. Thats why we got stuck at Addenbrooke's for 5 days, because we were on anti-biotics from my water being broken for so long.
Once things got started, it went pretty fast though. I went from nothing to 10cm in like 6 hours? It was quick.
papaya / 10570 posts
@zippylef: Oh blimey!! So I could well have her Sunday after all? I've been telling people (DH, the inaws, my mum) this approximate timeline:
8am Sunday: Go in.
10am Sunday: Get called from the waiting room!
10.30 Sunday: Get a bed - wait for someone to be free t give gel.
4pm Sunday: Finally get the gel stuff or pessary.
4pm Monday: Need more gel stuff because nothing's happened
10pm Monday: Break water
2am Tuesday: Start synto. Request epidural.
11am Tuesday: Up synto. Scream for epidural.
6pm Tuesday: Synto at max. Scream because epidural isn't working.
10pm Tuesday: Emergency C section
I always think it's best to be prepared for the worst then you're pleasantly surprised when it's only a little bit hideous!
kiwi / 542 posts
@Cherrybee: totally worth it. I bought one of amazon. I'd order one if I were you.
papaya / 10570 posts
@sea_bass: It's a bit late for *ordering* one - I'm being induced on Sunday!! Darn my pain-is-all-in-the-head-til-it-gets-close-and-shit-gets-real attitude!! But I might find one on the shelf at Toys R Us (fingers crossed). Okay, I'll get one. If nothing else, it will be a distraction, which is what I will need. Repeat after me "it's pressure, not pain!" AGH!
grapefruit / 4681 posts
I haven't thought of this, but great idea! We even have one already! I may ask my midwife about this!
Breaking my water didn't exactly speed things up for me. Things actually progressed the most after I got the epi and could relax. I went in for induction at 7 am on a Saturday and they started sometime after (maybe 9 am at the latest? I can't remember exactly). I think they broke my waters around 4 pm? I wasn't progressing most of the day and had my epi around 6-7 pm. Doctor came in closer to 11 pm and I said I had a lot pressure. He reluctantly checked me, as he was getting ready to move to a c-section. To everyone's surprise I was 10 cm and DS was born at 12:05 am Sunday.
kiwi / 542 posts
@Cherrybee: you've plenty of time to order before Sunday! Either amazon next day delivery or order to pick up in store at boots. You can order from Boots online and they will send it to your local store. It's totally worth it.
papaya / 10570 posts
@anbanan15: Brilliant!! Another fairly quick induction story! Thank you! About the TENS, I think it has to be a specific obstetric TENS as opposed to the sort you use for backache but it's totally worth asking your midwife about it! You can hire them over here in the UK but I've left it a bit late and I will have to buy!!
apricot / 491 posts
They offered me a TENS during my labor last Sunday and I tried it but it made me feel worse- like there were too many forces at work on my body. I don't know how to explain it! I left it on for like two contractions and made them take it off. I've heard a lot of people like it though!
grapefruit / 4681 posts
@Cherrybee: I tried to do a quick search (I'm not awake) and an obstetric TENS machine only come up under UK sites and not any US ones, so I'm confused if they are different?
@glimmersnaps: Did they call it an obstetric one?
grapefruit / 4681 posts
@Cherrybee: okay so it seems like the maternity ones have a higher setting and a boost button or something? Again from a UK site and I'm still now awake Maybe the regular ones aren't recommended because they aren't strong enough?
Btw you totally have time to order one from Amazon! If you order now you might not even need to expedite shipping.
papaya / 10570 posts
@anbanan15: I don't know if they're stronger but they do have the boost button that you push when you have a contraction which turns the intensity up. I wonder why we use them during labour here in the UK but you don't seem to in the US? Strange!
pineapple / 12526 posts
@Cherrybee: This is how mine went.
Sunday 11:30pm- Water broke, didn't know what it was
Monday ~4am- Went in to be checked, sent home, told to come back that night
Monday 9pm- Admitted and given Cervadil
Tuesday- 5am-ish- Started synto
Tuesday 12pm- Fully dilated, started pushing
Tuesday 7:31pm- Baby born. The long delay was due to some complications with my own health situation.
Oh, and my synto was at max. I'm not going to lie that its fucking brutal.
Don't you live near Peterborough? Kiddicare might have one!
papaya / 10570 posts
@zippylef: I've heard it's pretty horrendous! I guess at least I'm expecting it to be! Bring it on!! I never did do things the easy way!! So you were awake for a good 48 hrs?? How did you have the energy to push?!
pineapple / 12526 posts
@Cherrybee: Not really. I slept pretty much from 10pm until the started the synto, which they did an epidural at the same time, and then I got a couple more hours after they started it until my epi wore off. I had also been asleep between when my water broke at 11pm and when I realized what was going on and went in at like 4am.
In the end, my epi didn't work (they tried twice more to place it and it didnt do anything at all) and I did it on max dose synto with nothing but gas and air. You can do it!
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