Non stress test?

[SIZE=12pt]Hi everyone, im in week 31 and my Ob wants me to get the NST at the hospital on a weekly basis starting from tomorrow morning.
I have never had this done, and she didn't explain to me what it was at all, so what should i expect? How long will it take?
Thanks [/SIZE]

 

I have had two NST done. They simply locate the heartbeat of the babies and strap a moniter around your belly to listen to their heart rate. They also give you a button to push every time you feel the babies move. I was hooked up for about 20-30 minutes each time. oh, They also put a moniter on me to measure the number and severity of contractions.

 

I had them 2xweek at my OB's office from 28 weeks on. It is basically a way to monitor your baby's heart activity - variability, accelerations, decelerations, and the babies' movements. They are looking for variability, accels, and few, if any, decels. You have a little button you have to push each time you feel a baby move. When I had mine, my boys had to both have at least 5 accels before they would take the monitors off. So, if their baseline heartrate was 135, they had to both go up to 150 or higher 5 times during the NST. If an hour had passed and they did not have those accelerations/variability, then they would send me to have a BPP (Bio Physical Profile).

Here's a good link that explains it much better than I can!

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/prenatalt...stresstest.html

 

[SIZE=12pt]Thanks a lot :good: :good: [/SIZE]

 

i have an NST twice a week, and i hate it. Not because it hurts or anything, but because it's supposed to take about 30 min to do, and im always in there about an hour and a half cause the boys wont cooperate. They need to get 2 reactions within 20 min, and baby A apparently doesnt like to be monitored and always hides. This last time it took 2 RNs to get the test done, and they were ready to give up and send me to L&D and let them get a strip. Not even born yet and already feisty.


37W4D mono/di boys

 

Augh! I am so not looking forward to my second NST. Had my first one yesterday and what was supposed to be a 30 minute monitoring, turned out to be over two hours!!! My back was killing me from laying on it for so long. The two little boogers refused to cooperate and kept kicking and moving and flip-flopping around that they couldn't get a steady 20 minute monitoring of each. I ended up getting an ultrasound toward the end to make sure all is OK. I recommend you bring a good book if your little ones are anything like mine LOL

 

I'm only 24 weeks, but was following this thread.. Does everybody get these done? My doctor hasn't mentioned them to me.

 

QUOTE(fromthecabbagepatch @ Apr 15 2009, 12:48 PM) [snapback]1274278[/snapback]
I'm only 24 weeks, but was following this thread.. Does everybody get these done? My doctor hasn't mentioned them to me.


I'm not sure if this varies from OB to OB, but at the practice I go to it is the norm for twin pregnancies, or so I was told.

 

I am so glad you asked this question! I had an OB appt yesterday and was told I will be having an NST next week and from here on out. I wasn't too sure what it was all about either. Thanks to everyone for the explanations. I will be more prepared now! :good:

 

I start mine at 32 weeks, twice a week. I will be going to the hospital for them vs. my doctor's office.

 

I started mine at 33 weeks. At first once a week, now twice a week. And I usually have a quick u/s to check amniotic fluid after.
At my NSTs they don't have me push a button though.

 

[SIZE=12pt]Thank you for all the replies :good: I'll make sure i bring a book though! [/SIZE]

 

funny that I fell on this thread today. I just had another OB visit and today was the very first day that they mentioned having to do a NST.
Thanks for the info... Now I'll look more prepared

 

I had one when my oldest went past due (at 41w) and I had 2 other ones with the twins from 36 weeks onwards (weekly). Mine were very quick, babies were very cooperative. I didn't mind. Minimum is 20 minutes I think, I was out within 30 ...

 

QUOTE(fromthecabbagepatch @ Apr 15 2009, 01:48 PM) [snapback]1274278[/snapback]
I'm only 24 weeks, but was following this thread.. Does everybody get these done? My doctor hasn't mentioned them to me.



Ask your doctor for a schedule of your appts. I have a paper I refer to that tells me what they will be doing each time. I think the NST are pretty standard for twins! It helps me to know and plan ahead...sometimes at the end of your pregnancy you feel like you live at the doctors but it is very reassuring to know everything is ok!!!

Good luck, I hope this helps!

 

Good luck today!! :hug: I hope it goes by quickly for you!