Has anyone used a TENS machine or Hypnobirthing to assist with a natural drug free labour?
I had a good friend who used hypnobirthing for her second pregnancy (the first one was twins, delivered Cesarean). She had a very good experience with it. I used a TENS unit for severe back pain and it didn’t do much. Some people find great pain relief for other surgeries (like shoulder or knee) from a TENS. I think that having a successful natural childbirth is all about being very prepared and having a good support team in general. I also think it has a lot to do with your personality. When I had my two babies, the nurses told me that some women really want a natural childbirth but they end up using drugs because they just do not handle the pain well, begin to panic, etc. There are a lot of pros/cons to using epidurals so I’d do as much prep as you can but also learn about pain relief so that you are prepared if you decide you want to. People may give me thumbs down for that but it can turn a long, painful labor that isn’t progressing into an enjoyable, special time.
