TENS UNIT
TENS Unit- Included in your package, or as a stand alone service for $150.
Extra mileage fee applies outside of Warsaw, IN.
I am TENS Unit certified through DoulaVersity, & include an Elle OB TENS unit rental with my doula packages!
WHAT IS A TENS UNIT?
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and provides a drug-free kind of pain relief. This can be used for all sorts of pain and is often used by women in early labour.
A TENS machine sends small, safe pulses of electrical current via leads to electrode pads which are held to your skin and held in place by a firm gel. The pulses pass through your skin and into your muscles and tissues. This gives you a gentle tingling or buzzing sensation. The intensity of pulses can be increased or lowered based on the pain being experienced.
THE GATE CONTROL THEORY
The TENS unit runs off of the Gate Control Theory which revolutionized how we think of pain, and how to treat it. It says that when certain nerves are stimulated (or touched by electricity), a gate mechanism is closed. "This causes the perception of pain to be muted. It was based on this theory that the TENS units of today were created. Modern TENS units produce a wide variety of electrical signals and impulses and can be adjusted to each person’s needs and ailments. TENS units have been effective for relieving acute and chronic pain caused by surgery, childbirth, migraine headaches, tension headaches, injuries, arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, chronic wounds, cancer, neuropathy and other problems" (Doulaversity)
WHY DOES A TENS UNIT REDUCE PAIN?
There are a number of factors that contribute to the pain relief offered by a TENS machine. These include:
Electrical pulses from a TENS machine prevent pain signals reaching the brain.
TENS pulses release natural feel-good substances call endorphins.
It helps you feel in control of labour and feel less anxious.
It offers a distraction from contractions.
TENS VS EMS UNITS
Most units you can find on Amazon "say" that they are TENS units, when in reality they are EMS units. Above is an example of the differences between TENS & EMS units as not all are safe for a pregnant woman to use during labor. The ELLE OB TENS Unit is specifically created & formulated for women to use during labor-which makes it easier, safer to use, and of much higher quality. You and your baby are of #1 importance to me, so I made sure to get the best, most effective unit on the market. I was able to use this TENS unit myself for the home birth of my daughter and it was incredibly helpful for pain management.
CLIENT REVIEWS
BROOKE M.
When I was using the tens unit I was completely shocked as to how it actually worked. To be completely honest I wasn’t sure how I felt about it and didn’t have a ton of faith that it would work. But I fell in love with it very quickly! Most of my labor was in my back and due to an ongoing back problem I’m had for years I’m used to a significant amount of pain all of the time but when it reached past that pain level that I was used to I was very uncomfortable and wanting pain medicine. However Heidi stepped in (thank you!!) with her amazing TENS unit and as soon as she got it on and started using it, it took so much pain away it was like a night and day difference. As my pain go stronger I would increase it and it was doing an amazing job it took almost all if not all of my back labor pain away. Using the TENS unit helped me put off getting the epidural until the pain went into my stomach that was when I said game over. The only down side of it the entire time was I couldn’t put it in my stomach and to I had to take it off for the epidural but I highly recommend the TENS unit for anybody in labor.
MICHAELA H.
My goal for the birth of my daughter was to have a completely unmedicated birth. I ended up needing to have pitocin to speed up the labor process, but with the TENS unit I was able to withstand the pain. In the beginning I could hardly feel the contractions with the TENS unit, but when it got more intense the unit helped create a distraction to the waves and I was able to push through them. I couldn't recommend it more!
BRADY H.
The TENS unit made laboring without medication extremely manageable. From early labor to transition + pushing the TENS unit helped every step of the way. I definitely will always rave about this amazing tool!
REBEKAH F.
I was highly skeptical of the TENS unit. At the most I thought it was unnecessary. But when I had to be induced, I was so thankful to have something I could do to help with the pain of pitocin. I was able to deliver without any pharmaceuticals or epidural! The TENS unit played a major role in that outcome.