Any tricks for making NST's go well/quickly?

Today I had my last "boring" OB appt. Next week we start weekly NST's. I have read a lot of posts venting that these can be difficult and take a long time. So for those of you who are there or have been there, are there any "tricks" to make them go better? Did you eat right before, drink caffeine, schedule them for a certain time of day????

Share your tricks. Since I'm still working, I'll be using "lunch" time for my appointments, and I don't want the process to take hours (if that's possible!).

TIA-
Jen

 

I remember going to those weekly appointments and sitting back in the awful chair for 45 minutes- it is ****! I always brought my mom with who would paint my toes while we did the NST- it really made the time go by! My mom's the best! I think that was the last time I even had my toes painted!

 

I have them everyday in the hospital so I've learned all the tricks. Definitely make sure your eat beforehand and try to schedule it when you know your babies are active. Take along some sugary snacks and drinks and bring along a magazine or book. They can last any where from 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how coopertive the babies are. Good luck, I hope the babies pass their test.

 

QUOTE(Buttercup1 @ Jun 6 2007, 03:20 PM) [snapback]281543[/snapback]
I have them everyday in the hospital so I've learned all the tricks. Definitely make sure your eat beforehand and try to schedule it when you know your babies are active. Take along some sugary snacks and drinks and bring along a magazine or book. They can last any where from 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how coopertive the babies are. Good luck, I hope the babies pass their test.


Thanks for the tips! How is Miss Baby A doing? I've been looking for an update from you.

 

at mine the rn had me hold the monitor on one baby - which helped

 

I am having them twice a week and they could be long an annoying. I found that drinking Orange Juice made them more active and the NST's go quicker. That is amazing that you are still working, I stopped a few weeks ago. I cant imagine how I would do it. Good Luck and feel good.

 

I had them weekly with both pregnancies. Drink some juice right before you go in. I also stopped at Dunkin Donuts before them during this pregnancy :blush: , you'd be amazed at what a chocolate glazed can do for them.....

 

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you'd be amazed at what a chocolate glazed can do for them.....


LOL! Something sugary will get them going for sure!

 

I either held a monitor or I rested...

 

Mine take forever because my kiddo's won't stay on the monitors! It seriously takes 2+ hours, not to freak you out but thats how mine are.

 

I've only had two so far, and the first time I asked them to turn off the lights, and I took a little nap -- they had propped me up with a ton of pillows, and I was fairly comfortable. The second time, I took my sleep mask and did the same thing....

Oh, and I ate a couple packages of my DD's Disney princess fruit snacks beforehand, to get the kiddos moving, LOL.

 

Most of mine I scheduled around 4:30pm which was at the end of my work day. My babies always seemed to be the most active on my way home from work. I would just lay and relax after they attached the monitors. I never had any problems with the babies or keeping them on the monitors. My problems were that my blood pressure would be high and I would have to wait and have it taken several times. The only NST that I had in the morning was on the day they decided to do my c-section. I went in for my NST at 9am and they decided to do the c-section due to my blood pressure and other pre-eclampsia signs. I had my babies at 1:07 that afternoon.

I actually enjoyed the NSTs. I liked hearing the babies' heartbeats. I thought it was relaxing.