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Using a TENS Machine for Labor Pain: Is It For You?

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Reducing pain during labor is a top priority for most moms-to-be. But given the limited options for managing pain, some pregnant people seek a more natural approach that doesn’t involve the use of medications.

And that’s why some parents-to-be are curious about the safety and effectiveness of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit.

A TENS machine or unit is a small device, often battery operated, that is used to manage both acute and chronic pain.

The unit has wires connected to electrodes that are placed on the skin. The electrodes deliver low voltage electrical currents to targeted body parts to control pain signals in the body.

A practitioner familiar with TENS therapy places the electrodes at or near the nerves where the pain is located. These electrical currents or impulses can create short-term or long-term relief from pain.

Experts say TENS therapy works in a couple of different ways. The first belief is that the electrical impulses affect the nervous system reducing its ability to transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and brain. But they also say that electrical impulses can stimulate the body to produce endorphins, a neurotransmitter that can help relieve pain.

“TENS unit use has been known to alleviate period, joint, back, endometriosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, and postoperative pain,” says Sherry Ross, MD, OB-GYN and women’s health expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

It’s essential that you do your homework when choosing a TENS unit. Ross recommends looking for one that has a reliable and good track record with a strong output intensity and with sufficient electrical impulses.

“The higher the numbers, the more helpful it will be to alleviate the pain,” Ross says.

Ideally, Ross says you’ll want to buy a pharmaceutical-grade TENS unit, going with a reputable brand. You can buy a TENS unit online through Amazon, at a CVS or Walgreens pharmacy, or through an online retailer that sells medical supplies and devices.

According to a review of the evidence, when using a TENS machine for labor pains, the electrodes are typically placed on your lower back, on specific acupuncture points, or on your head.

If you’re operating the unit yourself, you’ll regulate the intensity of the impulses during painful contractions. Most TENS units are small and battery operated, so you should be able to hold it in your hand or clip it to your clothing during contractions.

But if you’re not familiar with a TENS machine, it’s a good idea to consult with a physical therapist, midwife, or doctor who regularly uses this therapy. They’ll be able to show you how to place the electrodes on the skin as well as how to operate the machine to get the best results.

You can also hire a doula or midwife familiar with this method to operate the machine during labor. They’ll be able to place the electrodes and control the frequency of the currents coming from the TENS unit.

One of the main reasons parents-to-be consider a TENS machine is because it’s a drug-free alternative for pain management during labor.

According to Ross, the TENS unit’s ability to reduce pain sensation may be helpful in alleviating mild pain during labor. Some evidence points to the control it allows women to feel, which consequently reduces pain. It also provides a distraction from the contractions.

TENS therapy may also help reduce the dreaded low back pain that seems to strike so many women during the third trimester.

One 2012 study looked at the effectiveness of TENS in reducing low back pain during this period. Researchers divided 79 subjects into four groups: a control group and three treatment groups — one using acetaminophen, one using exercise, and the final group using TENS for pain management.

During the study period, researchers found that 57 percent of the control group experienced an increase in low back pain, while the TENS application reduced low back pain more effectively than exercise and acetaminophen.

In general, TENS therapy is considered mostly safe. That said, research involving the use of a TENS until during labor is minimal, at best.

Ross says some of the things you may notice when using the TENS unit in labor include:

• muscle twitching
• tingling
• buzzing sensation
• allergic reaction
• irritation and skin redness from the adhesive pads on the skin
• burn marks as a side effect from the electrode pads
• lower blood pressure
• muscle spasms

TENS units are used to manage pain for a variety of conditions, including painful contractions during labor. But if this is your first time receiving treatment from a TENS machine, and you plan on using it for labor pains, Ross says to proceed with caution.

“Women who have never used the TENS unit for other pain conditions should not use it during labor for the first time,” says Ross. However, she does say the TENS unit may be useful for pain relief for women in labor if they have had success in the past using it for other painful symptoms — just don’t use it in conjunction with water immersion.

For all women, Ross says that since there are inconsistent results for women using the TENS unit, it should not be the only relied upon method for labor pains.

In other words, you may need to use other forms of pain management in combination with a TENS unit. Techniques like massage, relaxation, and breath exercises are all proven ways to help moms-to-be move through labor and childbirth with less pain.

Using a TENS unit during labor may help to manage pain. The effectiveness of the currents depends on the placement of the pads and the frequency of the currents coming from the machine.

There is minimal research regarding the effectiveness of TENS during childbirth. That’s why it’s essential that you consult with your doctor and other healthcare professionals familiar with this protocol. They can help you decide if using a TENS machine during labor is right for you.

Is it necessary to use contraception during pregnancy and what kind?

Let's assume that you are properly protected, but - surprise! - you suddenly discover that you are pregnant, and decide to keep this pregnancy. It turns out that you can forget about contraceptives for many months?

Why use protection during pregnancy

No, you shouldn't forget about contraceptives. Of course, their use in order not to become pregnant no longer makes sense. But after all, it is necessary to protect yourself not only so that pregnancy does not occur, but also in order to reduce the risk of contracting all sorts of unpleasant and dangerous infections (from chlamydia to HIV). nine0007 [5]

Therefore, be sure to use a condom (female or male) if:

• your partner has an active or newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection. ^[5]
• you decide to have sex with a new partner. ^[5]

If a woman has a regular partner and they are both constantly checked for infections, it is possible not to use a condom.

To the attention of all women who used an intrauterine device before pregnancy: an intrauterine device during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth or termination of pregnancy. Therefore, with a confirmed pregnancy, you should make an appointment with a gynecologist and remove the spiral. nine0007 [4]

Not harmful to the baby

Could taking pills early in your pregnancy harm your baby? Research confirms that there is no cause for concern: taking oral contraceptives (COCs) before pregnancy or even during pregnancy does not pose any risk to the baby. That is, if the child is already conceived, the birth control pill cannot affect its growth and development. ^[1]

Also, if you recently took an emergency contraceptive pill based on levonorgestrel without knowing you were pregnant, this drug could not harm the baby. nine0007 [2] They should not be confused with a completely different type of pill used specifically to terminate an existing pregnancy. In any case, it will never be superfluous to consult a doctor.

When should contraception be started again after pregnancy?

You may decide to resume using contraception after the baby is born. Let's figure out when and which method you can start using.

Immediately news: in the first three weeks after childbirth, you will not be able to get pregnant physically. nine0007 [7]

However, even during this period and beyond, at any time after childbirth, if you have no medical risks you can use ^[7] :

• Condoms (male and female)
• Subcutaneous contraceptive implants
• Progestin-only contraceptives
• Contraceptive injections
• However, when using injections within six weeks of delivery, there is a chance of heavy or irregular uterine bleeding. nine0016

Three weeks after childbirth, if you are not breastfeeding or after six weeks if you are breastfeeding you can use ^[7] :

• Contraceptive patches
• Vaginal rings.

It is important to remember that the risk of venous thrombosis during pregnancy and after childbirth is increased. Therefore, your doctor may recommend that you wait up to six weeks after giving birth to use these birth control methods, even if you are not breastfeeding. nine0003

Four weeks postpartum Intrauterine devices (IUDs) can be inserted ^[7] .

• An IUD can be inserted up to 48 hours after delivery. But if during this time it was not installed, then 4 weeks will have to wait. ^[7]

Six weeks postpartum a diaphragm or cap can be inserted. ^[7]

• Note: If you used this method before pregnancy, you will need to resize after delivery. nine0007 [7]

Also a natural contraceptive is breastfeeding (lactation). But for this method to really work, all of the following conditions must be met: ^[7] :

• Frequent feeding of the child: at least every 4 hours during the day and every 6 hours at night.
• The child is less than 6 months old.
• Your menstrual cycle has not returned. nine0016
• If any condition is not met, then there will be no contraceptive effect.

If it's been 21 days or more since you gave birth, you've had sex, and you haven't used elective contraception (or think something went wrong), you can safely use emergency contraceptive pills. ^[7]

And finally, the last one. Yes, if you use hormonal contraceptives, a small amount of hormones passes into the milk, but no study has shown that this can harm your baby. And it is worth delaying the start of taking estrogen-containing contraceptives only because they can slow down or weaken the production of breast milk. nine0007 [7]

^[1] Charlton BM, Mølgaard-Nielsen D, Svanström H, Wohlfahrt J, Pasternak B, Melbye M. Maternal use of oral contraceptives and risk of birth defects in Denmark: prospective, nationwide cohort study . BMJ . 2016;352. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6712.

^[2] Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. Planned Parenthood. 2017. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception/which-kind-emergency-contraception-should-i-use. nine0003

^[3] World Health Organization. Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use Fifth edition 2015 Executive summary. 2015;(July):1-14. doi: www.who.int/reproductive health/topics/family_planning.

^[4] World Health Organization. Family Planning: a global handbook for providers. Fam Plann . 2011:1-25. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.02.006.

^[5] Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Pregnancy week by week. 2015. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/basics/healthy-pregnancy/hlv-20049471.

^[6] Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. How effective is spermicide? 2017. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/spermicide/how-effective-spermicide.

^[7] The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Contraceptive Choices - after You've Had Your Baby . (NHS, ed.). FPA; 2017. https://www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/files/contraception-after-having-baby-your-guide.pdf. nine0003

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Pregnancy Dentistry | Forest Balsam

Every woman wants her pregnancy to go smoothly, without unnecessary worries. But due to the fact that during pregnancy the female body changes quite quickly, various complications begin to arise, including with the health of the oral cavity. nine0003

During pregnancy, problems with teeth and gums begin to develop more intensively, there may be a rapid weakening of tooth enamel, there is a tendency to develop inflammation of the gums. In this article, we will answer the most common question of expectant mothers: Is it possible to treat teeth during pregnancy ?

One of the main misconceptions is the assertion that dental treatment during pregnancy is highly undesirable. This statement is incorrect. A woman in this period is simply obliged about Report all health complaints to your physician and Strictly follow his recommendations . The doctor is always better than the woman herself is aware of modern methods of treatment and will give the right recommendations in any situation.

If problems with teeth and gums are postponed until the postpartum period, they can only become more complicated and develop into a more serious stage of the disease.

Expert advice Forest balsam: during pregnancy, pay more attention to the condition of the teeth and gums . The female body during pregnancy is more susceptible to the development of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, therefore, thorough cleaning of plaque, strengthening of teeth and gums should become an obligatory stage of morning and evening oral hygiene.

1 trimester

(from fertilization to 14 weeks of gestation)

In the first trimester, as you know, the formation of all the internal organs and bones of the baby takes place. During this important period, mother and baby are most sensitive to external factors, as well as to most medications. The placenta completes its formation by the 16th week, so until this time dental treatment expectant mother not desirable because the embryo is very vulnerable.

Therefore, if there is an urgent need for dental treatment in early pregnancy, you should consult with your obstetrician-gynecologist and take into account all the risks to the baby associated with the use of drugs, and then contact your dentist for professional advice.

2 trimester

(from 14 weeks to 26 weeks of pregnancy)

During this period, the expectant mother is sent for a mandatory examination of the dentist. It is during this period that it is better to decide how to cure a tooth during pregnancy. The second trimester is the most favorable time for preventive dental procedures , as well as for treatment using anesthetics, since the protective functions of the placenta are active, the fetus is already sufficiently formed and strong, and the pregnancy process itself has entered a stable phase.

nine0197 3rd trimester