Perfect mama+ by TensCare at a glance:
The perfect mama+ machine is safe and effective to use from the onset of labour providing mums-to-be with pain relief in the comfort of their own home. The unit enables the mother to remain mobile and upright, which can aid descent and dilatation. Additionally, the perfect mama+ gives information about contraction times and the length of your labour. It could be used to relieve back pain in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and to ease post-operative pain following a caesarean, perineal tear or episiotomy. The perfect mama+ can also be used with the breast electrode pads to help initiate lactation.
We spoke to these real parent testers to get their review...
How did this product make your life easier?
Mia: I used the Perfect mamaTENS machine antenatally for ongoing lower back pain. I liked the fact it was natural pain relief and instant. My partner helped apply the pads, although I could have managed myself. The instructions were clear and it was easy to understand the different modes on offer. I missed the opportunity to use it during labour but found it very helpful postnatally for after pains.
Celine: It certainly helped soothe my contractions when in early labour. I turned it on as soon as I felt uncomfortable with contractions and kept it on until I got to the hospital. I was 6cm when I got to the hospital and needed other pain relief options. I also used it in the last few weeks of pregnancy with lower back pain. So easy to use, there’s a boost button which I used at the peak of contractions – that helped. It is light, discrete, and easy to carry around.
Sophie: I used the TENS machine throughout my whole induction with my first child. As soon as I put it on I felt instant relief and relied on it heavily as my labour progressed. I was able to deliver my baby with the use of the TENS machine and gas and air as my only pain relief and I definitely believe the product played a big part in this.
Read the 2021 reviews below:
Leanne: I have previously used a Tens machine before in my first pregnancy so I was excited to try out this particular machine. I really really loved this Tens Machine! A few of the features I liked about this particular machine/product was how easy it actually is to use, really simple especially for a technophobe like me. The instruction manual is really easy to follow but one thing I would definitely recommend is that you familiarise yourself with it before labour as you’ll know how to operate it and which buttons are for which feature. It’s really easy to carry with you as well as transport it when you’re on the move and the neck strap makes it easily hands-free especially if you want to move around and walk during your labour. The Pads are easily changed and can be bought which means you can reuse this machine and it’s still hygienic. It’s great for effective pain relief in the early stages of labour and I have already recommended it to a few of my friends who are pregnant as for me it really was essential and it was a game-changer in early labour.
Michelle: This product was very easy to assemble and use during my labour. I was able to wear it comfortably and remain upright as much as needed. The large backlit display was easy to navigate and control, even mid-contraction. I managed my whole labour with just the TENS machine and gas/air and found it very effective as a pain relief method.
Fatma: I put it on at home at 9am and delivered it at 3pm. I kept the TENS on throughout the entire labour and only took it off to step in the birth pool right before the birth. On the positive side, the machine gave me some distraction and power over the pain in the early stages, which helped me build my self-confidence. The instructions are easy to follow, the machine is light and I hung it around my neck with the cord provided. I think it did take away most of the back pain associated with contractions. On the less positive side, I'm not convinced it helped with the tummy pain associated with contractions. As I was coping well with labour, I kept it on the entire time as I was too afraid switching it off would make the pain worse, so I don't really know to what extent it reduced the pain.
Would you recommend this product to other parents?
Anne: I would recommend the Perfect mamaTENS machine to a friend because I found it simple to use and an effective form of pain relief to use during early labour. It is good value for money and a large number of settings allow you to increase the intensity as needed with each contraction. The carry case is also big enough to include the tens machine itself as well as the pads and instruction booklet.
Mia: I would recommend the Perfect mamaTENS machine to others as it was easy to set up, once on I could carry on with my day with the machine either around my neck using the lanyard or clipped onto my trousers which was very useful. I liked the fact each mode was to support you during a different stage of pregnancy and/or labour, but you also have the option to manually adjust to suit.
Celine: I would 100% recommend this product. This tens machine is so super easy to set up and use and really helped soothe my contractions. I had a play around with it before labour as I had a few niggles in my back, it really soothed those aches and pains. You can use from week 37 and I started using it then and when I went into labour in week 40. It’s really compact so can easily pop it in your handbag, hospital bag. It is safe and easy to use, all four pads must be applied to the skin for the machine to work. There is a large backlit LCD screen for day and night time use.
Read the 2021 reviews below:
Hollie: I have already recommended this product to other pregnant friends as it was fundamental to my pain management in labour. It was easy to set up and use and also control during labour, the fact you can hang it around your neck was fantastic. The only criticism about the ease of use was that you have to press the boost button quite firmly which can mean you don’t hit it quick enough during a contraction.
Gemma: Straight forward to use, multiple levels of pain relief which meant you can truly tailor this to your needs. There is the option of a belt clip or a neck strap to make it hands-free which was very useful. The boost button was, of course, an important feature, and the boost mode certainly seemed to help during contractions.
Anna: The product is light, portable, well designed, the ability to use it for milk stimulation is rare and the contraction timer is a great feature. The price of the product is fair for the number of features it includes. I have already passed this on to my best friend who is expecting in December and she is keen to use it.
Would you choose this product above all others on the market?
Gemma: This was my first time using a TENs machine, so I cannot compare it extensively, however it definitely appeared simpler to operate than some I have seen and smaller in size. I also liked that it came in a small bag, so once the batteries were installed it looked like a nice luxury thing to pack away for labour.
Anne: Yes, from my research into other tens machines on the market this seems to be superior in the number of levels of intensity which allows for great control. The carry case is also a good size and better than others on the market. It is easy to set up and straightforward to use. I would definitely use this product again in future pregnancies.
Mia: I do think the Perfect mamaTENS should win a Mother and Baby award due to its ease of use and its effectiveness in easing pain instantly. It is a good investment as it can be used in pregnancy and beyond. I feel that the one thing that makes the product stand out as it is a natural pain relief option which I was looking for rather than medication.
Read the 2021 reviews below:
Gabrielle: I chose this tens over the one I have in the house as I was looking forward to using the contraction timer. This was handy to keep an eye on and make me feel more positive about my labour progressing. My original tens didn’t come with a storage pouch so this was very helpful. If I was to go into labour again it would choose it over my own tens.
Penny: Yes, I have seen other machines in the past and they look pretty complicated but this one is very simple and quick to set up. This product should definitely win, all labours are lovely if you are in control of pain, you can get up from your bed after the birth and have some normality back. The strength of the little machine is great and really does help with pain relief. When it gets too much you just hit the boost button to get you through.
Gemma: Having used other TENS machines in the past what I liked most about this was the number of levels within each program as well as the fact there were 3 programs. This meant I never felt there was 'nowhere to go' with the pain relief. The size and shape of the device meant it was easy to hold and use, and the neck strap and belt clip was great for making it hands-free.
What changes would you make to this product?
Anne: If I could change one thing about the Perfect mamaTENS machine it would be the quality of the material used to make the storage pouch. While I loved the size of the pouch, I did think the quality of the fabric lets the product down. I think a better quality pouch would be the only thing I would change about this product.
Sophie: If I could change one thing about the product it would be the range of settings that it offers from A to C. Upon using and seeing other products I noticed quickly that they are much simpler to use, with fewer options to consider and progress through. I also think the product could be slimmed down to make it easier to handle.
Gemma: The only thing I would change about this product is some way to contain the wires, when I was moving around at times I found they got a bit tangled, but this is a minor issue. It was perfectly suited for how I needed to use it. It was comfortable to wear and easy to take the pads on and off when required, were I to have another child I would happily use this again.
Read the 2021 reviews below:
Michelle: I don’t think there’s anything I would suggest. The product did exactly what it said it would do and I was able to manage my labour without the need for pain relief other than gas and air, which I didn’t think I’d be able to do! I’m really glad I was able to use this TENS machine and have such a positive experience of labour.
Anna: It's already packed full of features so I'm not sure how much more you could get into such a small product. I would love the ability to play calming music, perhaps upload and play 1GB worth of music onto it and to be able to plug headphones into it, save carrying around another device but I understand that may not be possible.
Hollie: I would ensure that the pads are able to be cleaned or are less sensitive. They are very sticky which is great but if the grab something like hospital bed paper then they no longer work which would leave you without a tens machine. This happened to me but my husband managed to clean it off during labour so I could use them.