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How TENS works using Low-Intensity & High-Intensity settings
Labour TENS managing labour pain natural birth natural childbirth Obstetric TENS TENS
Low-Intensity TENS & the Gate Control Theory When using TENS at a low-intensity level, it is working through the Gate Control Theory. The Gate Control Theory suggests that there’s only a certain amount of stimuli that can get through to the brain. In other words, there is a ‘gate’ that only lets so much sensory information through. So, with TENS, you’re ‘flooding the brain’ with this sensory buzzing feeling so that the brain can’t really perceive the sensation from labour contractions as much. High-Intensity TENS & the Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control Theory When using your TENS on the high-intensity setting...
Hayley NEARLY makes it to hospital to deliver her baby …but not quite!
Birth in car Labour TENS TENS TENS machine
Hayley shares with us her birth story.... At 5.30am I started having very mild contractions which felt just like period pain. I carried on with my normal day. At 4.10pm my waters broke with a huge gush and my midwife assured me ‘things would probably ramp up’ and that they did!!! After 10 minutes I decided, ‘holey crap it’s quite painful now’ so I put on the tens machine to use. It instantly made the contractions more bearable while we scampered around grabbing everything I felt we NEEDED to go the hospital now. It was now 4.40pm. The car drive...
10 Foods and Drinks to Avoid During Pregnancy
Food and drink to avoid during pregnancy Foods to avoid during pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most important periods in a woman's life and healthy and careful eating during pregnancy is critical to your baby's growth and development. Specific foods should only be consumed rarely, while others should be avoided completely. Here are 10 foods and drinks to avoid or limit during pregnancy. 1. High-Mercury Fish Pregnant women should avoid eating high-mercury fish more than once or twice a month. Mercury is toxic and can be found in shark, swordfish, tuna and mackerel. Mercury can affect your nervous system, immune system and kidneys. However low-mercury fish and fish high in omega-3 fatty...
Alice shares her birth story...
One thing we love to do as women is share our birth stories. Even if we are in the company of strangers, we don’t care, we love to share. Perhaps it’s the life-changing, unforgettable experience that brings us together and connects us enough to open up and talk. Here at NatalCare Naturally we LOVE reading your birth stories (and so do our mums), so please feel free to share your own. This week, Alice steps us through her incredible, strong, beautiful birth story. It was the middle of the night, Friday and I woke to a mild period-like pain. I...
Hayley uses her 'toolkit' of pain relief options for a natural birth
Pain relief during labour is on most pregnant women's minds. Everyone's tolerance to pain is different, and as such our need for pain relief will vary. Thankfully there is a whole range of pain relief options available to women in New Zealand; some are widely available; some you may need to arrange in advance. Remember you may have a substantial number of hours in labour so it makes sense to have a 'toolkit' of pain relief options ready before you go into labour. Here, Hayley has shares her birth story and describes how she coped with pain using acupressure, TENS...