NST #1

Went to the birthing center for my first non-stress test:

What is a nonstress test?This simple, painless procedure is done during pregnancy to evaluate your baby's condition. During the test, your healthcare practitioner or a technician monitors your baby's heartbeat, first while the baby is resting and then while he's moving. Just as your heart beats faster when you're active, your baby's heart rate should go up while he's moving or kicking.The test is typically done if you've gone past your due date, or in the month leading up to your due date if you're having a high-risk pregnancy. Here are some reasons you might have a nonstress test:
• You have diabetes that's treated with insulin, high blood pressure, or some other medical condition that could affect your pregnancy.
• You have gestational hypertension.
• Your baby appears to be small or not growing properly.
• Your baby is less active than normal.
• You have too much or too little amniotic fluid.
• You've had a procedure such as an external cephalic version (to turn a breech baby) or third trimester amniocentesis (to determine whether your baby's lungs are mature enough for birth or to rule out a uterine infection). Afterward, your practitioner will order a nonstress test to make sure that your baby's doing well.
• You're past your due date and your practitioner wants to see how your baby is holding up during his extended stay in the womb.
• You've previously lost a baby in the second half of pregnancy, for an unknown reason or because of a problem that might happen again in this pregnancy. In this case, nonstress testing may start as early as 28 weeks.
document.write(ad2);
What's the procedure like?You may be advised to eat a meal just before the test in the hope that eating will stimulate your baby to move around more. Although there's no hard evidence that this works, it can't hurt. It's also a good idea to use the bathroom before the test, because you'll be lying strapped to a monitor for up to an hour.During the procedure, you lie on your left side, possibly with a wedge under your back that allows you to lean back. A technician straps two devices to your belly: One monitors your baby's heartbeat and movement; the other records contractions in your uterus. The technician listens to and watches your baby's heartbeat on an electronic screen while your contractions are recorded on paper.If your baby's not moving, he could be asleep. You might be asked to drink some water, juice, or soda to get him going, or the technician may nudge him gently through your abdomen or try to wake him with a buzzer. In some cases, you'll be asked to press a button when you feel the baby move. The test usually takes 20 to 60 minutes. What do the results mean?If your baby's heart beats faster (at least 15 beats per minute over his resting rate) while he's moving for at least 15 seconds on two separate occasions during a 20-minute span, the result is normal, or "reactive." A normal result means that your baby is probably doing fine for now. Your practitioner may want to repeat the test every week (or more often) until your baby's born.If your baby's heart doesn't beat faster while he's moving or your baby doesn't move after about 90 minutes, the result is "nonreactive." A nonreactive result doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong. It just means that the test didn't provide enough information and you may need to take it again in an hour or take other tests such as a biophysical profile or contraction stress test.However, a nonreactive result could indicate that your baby isn't getting enough oxygen or that there are problems with the placenta. If your practitioner thinks that your baby's no longer doing well in the womb, she'll probably decide to induce labor.

Appt. was at 4 pm and needless to say, I did not leave until 6:15 pm. The baby was active, his heart beat good, but things were just not coming together for me to pass the test. I ended up having to drink 4 8 oz. glasses of ice cold water and eating 1 glass of ice. Nurse Dawn even sat with me for the last half hour trying to get the baby to move. She called my doc (routine) to tell him I failed and he wants me to go back Wednesday (day of ultrasound).