A tens question

Have found somewhere that does the elle tens machine for £25.94 with free delivery.  Have heard this is the best one recommended by the NCT just a couple of q's:

Did anyone else use the elle tens and how did you find it?

Did you get the large electrodes?  They are extra but are meant to make it more efficient - is it worth it?

Did anyone else hire fron tens.co.uk and were they ok?

Is there anything else I need to think about?

It says they send it out a calender month before so I would be 36+5 and you get it for 7 weeks hire with a free extension if needed (although I can't see how you would - that sounds ok right?

Any help gratefully recieved!

Nikki 33+1 xxx

 that page looks familiar so i think thats where we ordered ours from, and we had an elle one. It was fab, it comes with practise pads so you can try it out before hand.

Its a good machine with a fab boost button for when you feel your contraction coming on. It was very easy to use. Its got 2 levels of pain relief, so you can start off and work up gradually. i found that I didn;t even get up to the 2nd level.

Just as a side line, after i'd given birth i was wondering why i was feeling a bit shivery...it took me a while to work out i still had the tens machine on!

should i also add that my waters broke and my contractions started straight away (every 3 or 4 mins lasting 60-90 seconds) i went in to hosp to be assessed, was not dilated at all, put it on when i got home and 5 hours later I went back in and was 8cm. pretty good stuff.

Hi Nikki,

I used the Elle Tens and it was amazing.  I had a painful back-to-back labour and managed on TENS and hypnobirthing alone to fully dilated and for several hours in second stage.   It's great because it has 15 levels at Boost 1, then another 15 at Boost 2, with upper and lower electrodes adjustable separately.  Then finally you can go to Optimax.  The huge range of levels give you a real feeling of control, e.g. when on Boost 1, level 4, it really helped me that there was so much more still available.

I did get the large electrodes and found them to be excellent.  You use the normal sized ones for the top, and replace the bottom two with a long strip which goes right across the whole width of your back.

I bought from tens.co.uk.  Excellent, next day delivery, and I liked the free practice electrodes and the option of the long strip, which you don't get elsewhere.  I decided to buy as we can use it again if we have another baby, and my H can try it for sports injuries too.

I don't think that Tens would be nearly so good for a labour which isn't back-to-back, but it's worth getting whatever the position of your baby, as my son only turned back-to-back on the day I went into labour.

 Hiya,

I got mine from http://www.tens-hire.co.uk/ not an elle one, but i found it usefull, gave me something to do if nothing else, did take the edge off a bit at home.

Now im pg again i wish i had have bought one, at least i could have sold it on, ah well.

Ive heard lots of good things about the elle and thinking of getting one this time.

 I used an Elle TENS (but a fairly old one) which had pads about 3 inches square

My problem was that there wasn't enough time for it to really start working (it needs about 3 hours to really kick in) but if you have the time I reckon it would be very helpful

Also a small tip, if you're using a pool too, don't let your OH try and take it off with wet hands - the pain was INCREDIBLE

The White Rabbit:

 I used an Elle TENS (but a fairly old one) which had pads about 3 inches square

My problem was that there wasn't enough time for it to really start working (it needs about 3 hours to really kick in) but if you have the time I reckon it would be very helpful

Also a small tip, if you're using a pool too, don't let your OH try and take it off with wet hands - the pain was INCREDIBLE

  sounds painful!  Will remember that one as hoping to use the pool if they'll let me (I have GBS).

Thanks for all the replies guys.  I did think about buying one but really can't afford it, I could buy a different one but I thik I'd rather get that one and just rent it.  Will get the bigger strip though def.

It apparently comes with some practice electrodes too

Good to hear other people have used them and found them good xx

 KT, if you wanted one of your own, I think the elle goes for around £30 on ebay so may be worth taking a look.

 I've had a look there and they're still about £50 but thanks anyway xx