When we welcomed our baby girl, Matilda, to the world we found the TENS machine we hired from NatalCare Naturally incredibly helpful during our labour. We were induced using the Misoprostol method. I took my first dose of Misoprostol around midday and started feeling tightenings around 10.30pm that evening.
By around 3.30am in themorning the tightenings were too painful for me to sleep
through. At around 6am I asked my partner to help me put on the TENS machine and started using it on the lowest setting. I found the sensation of the TENS machine provided a soothing distraction during contractions.
My contractions continued to build throughout the day and we moved to the delivery suite around 10.30pm on Saturday night when I was 2.5cm dilated. I continued to use the TENS machine, up to the third or fourth setting throughout active labour, alongside gas and panadol. Because we'd needed to be induced we needed to have a monitor attached to my belly throughout active labour, which meant I was unable to move around into different positions or use the shower or birthing pool to help with pain management. I ended up needing to lie on my side on the bed so was really reliant on the TENS and gas to help me manage the pain of each contraction. At 4.31am our little girl was born happy and healthy via normal vaginal delivery. I think having the TENS machine made it possible for me to avoid other methods of pain relief and I'm really pleased that it supported me to have the birth experience I wanted to have.
- Julia
