TENS

My favorite birth tool

TENS Units

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) units are an underutilized tool for making labor pain much more bearable.

This wearable device attaches to pads placed on a laboring person's back. These electrode pads send mild electrical pulses through the skin and the body, creating a buzzing, tingling, or prickling sensation. This both effectively distracts wearers from the labor pain and produces endorphins (think runner's high) to help you through each contraction.

I lovingly call TENS units my "assistant doulas" because they bring my clients so much relief. Our rentals include everything you need to experience the TENS magic.

Benefits to using a TENS

  • Drug-free pain management
  • Decreased anxiety
  • Increased ability to relax your body
  • Increased maternal satisfaction
  • Freedom to move during labor
  • Relief on your timeline, even before going to the hospital and in the car
  • Delay or replace pain medications
  • No side-effects for baby or parent
  • Reduces perceived pain
  • Triggers the body to release endorphins (pain-relieving hormones)
  • Usage can be stopped at any time

Our TENS Units rentals include

  • 6 weeks rental of a TENS Unit, complete with a lanyard, wires, electrode pads, and fresh batteries
  • Simplest unit available (only four buttons) specifically designed for birth
  • A training video to teach you to safely and confidently use your TENS unit
  • A PDF explaining how the TENS unit works for your doctor, midwife, and/or nurses
  • Easy shipping when you need it
  • Time extensions available as needed

"Available evidence does support the use of TENS during labor as an option for pain management."

Evidence Based Birth