Dedicated Email: TENS not Tense

Filed Under Dedicated Emails, Pregnancy and Birthing | May 21, 2009

Labour’s a rather big undertaking so the more tools you have in your labour toolbox the better prepared you’ll be to meet the twists and turns of giving birth.  Birthing Buddies is all about empowering women to have a positive birth experience. Purveyors of Birth Pools and TENS units, they also offer personal prenatal classes. Here are a few of their tips for making your labour easier – and who couldn’t use a little bit of help with that?

Having a bath or taking a shower can work wonders when you’re in labour. In the bath the warmth and buoyancy of the water makes it easier to relax during contractions, and when you’re in the tub you can also try out different positions that may make you more comfortable. Heck, if you and your care giver are up for it, you can even birth your baby in the bath.

In the shower you can direct the spray over your abdomen during contractions. You can also take a birth ball or stool into the shower and your birth partner can also join for extra support. Most hospitals do have showers and tubs, and if you’re sticking close to home an Aquadoula birthing pool ensures the water will always be warm. Hint: If you’re heading to the hospital make sure your partner packs their swimwear.

Another thing to try is Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS. Not half as complicated as it sounds, it’s a form of non-medicinal analgesia for to women in labour that’s been widely used in the UK since the ’90s. TENS provides drug-free pain relief that you control and can be started and stopped easily during labour. Most beneficial during the early stages of labour, the Birthing TENS can stimulate the production of endorphins, which have an analgesic effect.

Intrigued by these natural options for easing labour? Check out the Birthing Buddies site for more info on water birth and the TENS unit. Their site also contains helpful resources and a nascent blog. Because when you’re in need they’re a friend indeed.

Birthing Buddies: www.birthingbuddies.com