Difference between NST and BPP?

Could someone please explain what the difference is between a non-stress test and a biophysical profile. Dr says I will not be having any NST this pg. I will have BPP once a week at MFM.

 

QUOTE(NINI H @ May 3 2007, 11:49 AM) [snapback]242406[/snapback]
Dr says I will not be having any NST this pg.



WHAT?! NONE???

NST is a non-stress test and is basically just where they put monitors on the babies (stick a pad to your belly where the babies HBs are) and a contraction monitor on your belly. Then they watch to see how the HBs are doing, if you are having contractions and how often/strong, and how the babies HBs react to the contractions, if applicable.

The BPP is the bio-physical profile and is when they do the u/s to check the babies grow and development (the way I understand it). They grade the babies usually to indicate how they are thriving.

I find it very odd with a twin pg that the OB would say you won't be having any NSTs. But, maybe this is more common than I know??

 

I thought it was a little funny too, especially with the preterm contractions I've had. But I was wondering if a NST was not as specific as a BPP? Or if the NST is included, in a way, in the BPP?

 

For twins NSTs don't do much on seeing how the babies are doing. On the other hand they should still be doing NSTs everyonce and a while to make sure you aren't contracting because a BPP does not show weather you are contracting or not. I had once weekly BPP with like once a month NSTs(or when I thought I was contracting). The pain in the butt was when I was hospitalized they did NSTs twice a day and the babies would NOT stay on the monitors so it was a big waste of time and they kept having to bring the u/s tech up twice a day.

 

I've been contracting up to every 5 min and the least every 30 min. So they know I'm having them. Thankfully until 26 wks they weren't doing anything. I thought the NST wasn't as detailed. thanks for the reassurance. I guess I'll know more when they see me next Wed. I appreciate the info.

 

If it's any comfort I also had tons of contractions... and with the BPP they can see that the babies hbs are solid and they can see that the ctx are not affecting your cervix.... so in some ways this is much more important than a NST.... A NST basically tells if the babies' hb decelerate or seemed "stressed" during the contractions. They are more challenging to do on twins... my docs really waffled on when to start me on them... they kept passing the buck to the next doctor... finally my doctor, who wound up delivering, said, "okay someone has to call the shots here, so I'm sending you over for them starting next week." But honestly if I hadn't asked about them, I don't know if I ever would have been sent for them. The BPPs are much more important in my opinion.... they give a lot more information...and I have yet to hear of a case where a NST turned out badly and that was the sole reason for delivery... usually something else happens too..mom's bp going up... a BPP revealing that one of the babies has less fluid than before....or showing that the cervix is shortening/opening... most of the reliable information determining if the babies need to come out comes from the BPP... all that being said, it is still a little surprising that your doctor would completely rule out NST... most docs who don't favor them might at least say, "well, let's wait and see and if there are indictators that you need them, then we'll send you over." It could be that if you are contracting a lot and have been contracting a lot and nothing is happening with your cervix and the babies are growing/thriving well...that they are just assuming you are one of those women (like me) that has a particularly irritable uterus that doesn't really affect anything....

All the same it is annoying to be dismissed so easily... I know I felt that way when I was pg with the twins...and at the same time my gut told me that they (the doctor's) were right and my cervix is just made of steel..and that the babies were not coming out anytime soon....