Curious question about NST

chelseajeanene

so I'm 33+4 on the doctors count and am down to weekly NST due to my BMI. I had one done before but that was a 20 min one and today I was hooked up for a full hour and had an ultrasound done afterwards to check on the baby. Is this normal procedure? The doctor made it seem like he was concerned about something but didn't make it clear not to scare me. The ultrasound he said was fine, fluids normal and he even caught the baby taking practice breaths and he said that was very reassuring (which I wish he showed me because that's adorable) but I was just thinking was he worried about something and didnt say it? But anyway will every week be an hour long and an ultrasound afterwards?

momofsweetps

I get weekly nsts and biophysical ultrasounds. They grade the baby on breathing, placenta, fluid and baby's movement. It's just checking the well being of the baby and if baby grades well you passed.

momofsweetps

Btw my nsts have been 1 hour and then 30 minutes and then the ultrasound has been fairly quick.

jennsammut

Last weeks nst was 20 mins today's was 2 hours. T

LaurenNewph

I get them twice a day and if baby isn't cooperative the longer I'm on. They are looking for baby's heart rate to go up and down within a certain range and if baby is sleeping it won't really do that! The one day he refused to wake up and I was on forever and they sent me for a biophysical and that sounds like what happened to you! I wouldn't worry!

meggipi5

I'm pretty sure the heartbeat has to be in a stable range for 20 minutes before they unhook you. It's fairly standard to have an ultrasound with it. I wouldn't worry! I also think you could ask your doctor what they are looking for or why you are still hooked up if you wanted some peace of mind.

blondehairblueeyeditalianbaby

I go every Monday for a NST. I was hooked up a long time yesterday bc baby was wild. The nurse wanted to see her calm a little. I go every Thursday for NST/Ultrasound/midwife visit. They are doing all of this because I was having elevated bp. No other signs of pre e. I started last week and they told me I will do it until I deliver. I am 36 w 2 d right now.

chelseajeanene

Thanks ladies! I was just dying of heat flashes and sweat for that hour so I can't imagine doing this weekly here on out lol get this baby out of me

chelseajeanene

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thinkpink101

At my 32 week u/s I watched the baby take practice breaths... I would believe the early u/s over your dates and later u/s. By my dates I'd be 37 weeks instead of 36, but by the last few u/s I'd be 38 or 39 weeks

CaboBride2015

I have NSTs twice a week... sometimes it's 30 mins, sometimes 90. My nurse said they are looking for the heartbeat to change more than 15 beats, 5 different times. Sometimes it takes longer if she's sleeping or being a total spaz and kicking at the monitor. I don't have USs with mine though.

January2882

I'm also 33wand 4 days I went to see my ob today an now he said that I've got to get a Nsts every week twice a week for an hour still confused on why I.need one?....I have to do until from now till September 17

agiroir

I have to do them twice a week. They range anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes with me. Thank god my last one is Friday! Baby girl acts a fool while we are in the waiting room and will sleep during the NST. They've done an ultrasound after every time because she technically "fails" the test. But when they check her on the ultrasound she passes with flying colors. She's a diva already

surprisepkg31

I didn't know BMI could.merit NST's? Never heard of that I have gestational hypertension supposedly. I go twice a week as well, I hate it. I feel like it's all so pointless. I'm scheduled for an ultrasound at 36 weeks had one last week at 32 weeks, other than that I shouldn't need any others.

chelseajeanene

surprisepkg31 said:

I didn't know BMI could.merit NST's? Never heard of that I have gestational hypertension supposedly. I go twice a week as well, I hate it. I feel like it's all so pointless. I'm scheduled for an ultrasound at 36 weeks had one last week at 32 weeks, other than that I shouldn't need any others.

Having a higher BMI can make a lot more things high risk. I've never had any signs of complications and it's just precautionary

runmoe

I'm a labor and delivery nurse--sounds like your NST was non-reactive, so your provider ordered a Biophysical Profile, which is an ultrasound that scores the baby based on fluid, movement, tone, etc. A typical NST should take 20-30 minutes, so long as there are at least 2 accelerations in the fetal heart rate of 15 beats for 15 seconds during that time, no decelerations in the heart rate, and moderate variability in the heart rate. Hope this helps to clear things up.

amanda1nc

At my NST on Monday, my little guy was being extremely difficult, and they couldn't keep the heart monitor on him because he kept moving around.  So after about an hour they decided to do an ultrasound. I was at the doctor's office for nearly 4 hours!   At my previous 2 NST's it only took a half hour or so.  I think it just depends, but always be prepared to have to stay longer at any and all doctor's appointments than anticipated.  

bcamasosa

Same thing happened to me last week. I was 32+3 and around the 18 minute mark, my baby's fetal HR decelerated to less than 90 and stayed that way for 30 seconds. They almost wheeled me to labor & delivery but Dr looked at it, made the nurse run the NST for a full hour. When it didn't happen again, the doctor said that it was probably an isolated incident, baby was probably playing with his cord and squeezed on his umbilical cord or something. He asked me to keep counting kicks/movement. Im at 33 +4 now and everything was perfect at the last nst. Ask your doctor if he is concerned about anything, what it means and what causes it, you'll just end up stressing yourself out thinking about what it could possibly be and you don't want that!