Just wanting to share my birth story and how using your TENS machine helped me through my labour with my second baby.
With my first I wanted to have a water birth but ended up in hospital as she came 4 weeks early. I had an epidural early on at 4cm and was unable achieve a waterbirth as I was on the monitor constantly.
During this labour I researched a lot on hypnobirthing and alternative ways to manage pain during labor. I was determined to have the water birth I wanted. I truly believe our bodies are so capable of birth and we're made to birth.
I planned to use the tens machine and knew there would be gas handy if I needed it.
I started going into labour late one night, started off as mild period like cramps that I could half sleep through. In the morning I had my bloody show and knew this was it. I was managing the contractions quite well at this stage and talking and walking through them. I put the tens machine on a few hours after I got up, the contractions were still manageable but I remembered reading that the tens needed to be put on early to give full effect. I loved the use of the boost button during a contraction.
I went for a walk with the tens machine on, came home and had a bath. As soon as I got out of the bath I said to my husband put the machine back on! The difference in contractions without the tens machine was huge. After the bath my contractions started to change in intensity and I got hubby to call the midwife, she came around and checked me and I was 6cm! With nothing but the tens. We headed off to the birthing unit where I continued to labour with nothing but the tens. I took it off to get in the birth pool and managed to birth my daughter with no other pain relief except the tens and birth pool. I also listened to my hypnobirthing tracks the whole time. It was an amazing experience. I had no coached pushing and my body just pushed her out on its own. I don't think I would have been able to do it without the use of the tens.
Keeley Johnson - Kaipara
