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If this is your first birth you will have many questions about the birth, probably nothing more so than ‘how much will it hurt?’ If it is a subsequent birth you will probably have a good idea already. In both situations you want to know what type of pain relief is available.
Pethidine and Epidural are probably the first forms of pain relief that will come to mind, but both have side effects that may spoil your birthing experience. An injection of Pethidine will help you relax but may make you feel sleepy, weepy and sick; you may even fall asleep missing the birth completely. An Epidural involves a hollow needle being inserted into the lower part of your back to enable a pain-killing solution to be administered, this in turn will make you lose sensation from your waist down and you will be confined to your bed. (There are various types of Epidural and if you wish to try these or Pethidine it is advisable to discuss all options with your midwife.)
For a drug free alternative, TENS (Transculaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) could be your answer. It enables you to stay mobile throughout your pregnancy and is totally safe for you and your baby. In fact, TENS has been used in labour for over 15 years and there are no indications of any side effects to you or your baby.
How does it work?
Using TENS is totally safe, even if it does sound a little scary! Two sets of electrodes are placed to your back on either side of the spine, this is to apply stimulus where the nerves from the womb and birth canal join the spinal cord. The machine works in two ways, firstly raising your body’s natural painkillers or endorphins and secondly, it switches off ‘gate’ cells in the nerve pathways. In simple terms this means it stops the signal of pain going from your womb to your brain and back again, in other words the message that there is pain is blocked so you don’t actually feel it.
How effective is TENS?
Although the effectiveness of TENS cannot be guaranteed, clinical trials have shown that 80% of women using TENS in labour have found it useful enough to want to use it again in subsequent births. In fact; in Sweden 75% of women use TENS as their preferred form of pain relief. One of the advantages of a TENS machine is that you control how much you use during your labour. There is a hand held unit, which allows you to adjust the intensity as and when you need it.
How safe is TENS?
TENS is safe for mother and baby; studies have shown that babies born to mothers using TENS are more awake and responsive than those born to mothers using strong drugs for pain relief. However, mothers who have a Cardiac Pacemaker should not use TENS. Using TENS is non invasive and non addictive and will not alter the normal course of labour. In addition it can also be used with other forms of analgesia such a Pethidine although smaller doses are generally required.
Where can I find a TENS machine?
It is advisable to check with your maternity unit if they have TENS machines, they may only have a limited supply and availability cannot always be guaranteed. To fully benefit from a TENS machine you should use it as soon as labour starts as it has a cumulative affect. A better solution may be to hire a TENS unit, a hire period is usually around six weeks, this will ensure that you will have peace of mind that you can use the machine as and when you need it. This is particularly beneficial, as clinical trials have shown that to achieve the best pain relief it is advisable to use the machine from the onset of labour and for two to three hours after the birth.
It is advisable to discuss all forms of pain relief with your midwife or GP before making any decisions about the form of pain relief you wish to use.
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