Absence of Tens

...as in ten centimeters

This may be anecdotal, but I have witnessed and heard of a number of women who do not progress beyond nine centimeters. I'm not sure why. I have heard of first-time and experienced moms who stay dilated to 9 for hours. One client of mine was at 9 cm for 10 hours before she ended up having a c-section (there were other complications at this birth).

I have a number of theories, but I'm not sure how to find out if there truly is a common cause:

• lack of movement/activity: too much laying in bed prostrate doesn't help the baby's head apply pressure to the cervix and aid dilation;
• posterior baby: wrong birthing position and the baby is unable to rotate because of mom's failure to be upright and moving around (see above);
• interventions (like epidurals) given too early, interrupting labor's progress, and dilation doesn't occur because of uterine exhaustion.

I don't know what the reason is, but I have heard of more and more moms who don't progress past 9 cm and never feel the urge to push.

...as in TENS unit

In many childbirth books and resources, references to TENS units abound. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It is a small machine that delivers electrical currents through wires to specific places on the back, and the sensation tends to block the perception of deeper pain (like a labor contraction) and causes the body to release endorphins (natural painkillers). It does not alleviate all of the discomfort, but usually helps to significantly reduce the sensation of pain.

There is no documentation of side effects, and the machines can be small enough to carry in your palm. As far as I can tell, there is also no restriction of movement, though the unit would of course need to be removed for labor tubs or shower use. They are often used for physical therapy and to alleviate the pain of arthritis and fibromyalgia.

However, I have never heard of a US hospital employing the TENS unit for labor. I have never seen one, nor have I heard of anyone personally who has used this method.

Why not??

No side effects, freedom of movement, pain relief...why not?