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NST question

nmc29nmc29
in 3rd Trimester

What does the number mean on the contraction monitor?  I had my first one today and it held steady at 30 except the 3 measly contractions I had that pushed it to the 60s.

Or just it just mean I'm contracting?

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Re: NST question

  • curlilocks1207curlilocks1207

    I asked this at my last NST. The nurse said if I was having a true labor contraction it would be at 100 (as high as it goes).  Mine usually stays between 20 and 30 and jumps around when the baby moves.  Does that help at all?

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  • essey1234essey1234 member
    the nurse will set it at a base #, depending on the nurse and how they like to look at it so pay attention first to what # it's set one.(1 nurse i have likes it at 0, the other will always set it to 20 or 40), then based off how high the number goes determines how strong the contraction is, but i think more so how long and how ofter you get them. today i had some contractions but they were quick and not steady so it didn't mean anything.just that i had them
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  • Dancer6978Dancer6978 member
    Oh, man, are you kidding me? Mine have never gone beyond, like, a 7, and I was due yetsterday  This is insane! Even today, the numbers stayed around 1 or 2.  *cries*
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  • SeaMamaSeaMama member
    I didn't have a SINGLE contraction during mine.  I was under the impression that the main reason for the test was to monitor baby's heartrate though - contractions are the secondary reason, no?  For mine they didn't discuss numbers, just showed me baby's pattern and said that they look for 2 spikes during a 20 min period and HR between 130 and 160 for baby (or something close to that).  They took me off and sent me home when all looked good.
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  • nmc29nmc29

    They said they looked for the baby's heartrate in relation to when he moved around and if I had any contractions, how he handled them.

    I was hooked up to 2 monitors and I had to push a button everytime he moved that put a little tickmark on the paper.  I was on it for about an hour because he gets cozy after a little bit of me laying down and doesn't move.

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  • Dancer6978Dancer6978 member
    SeaMama, that is correct about contractions being the secondary reason.  I didn't have any contractions this morning, either, and my numbers still went up to 7-ish at some points.  The reason I was so annoyed in my first response is that it if the numbers go up to 100, then that meant I was REALLY far away from having a contraction, as my baseline was at 0 or 1 for most of it.  :P  Also, the numbers can move higher when the baby kicks -- that's the only reason I even got a 7, I believe.  When the printout comes, they can tell the difference between a contraction and a baby kick, because the contraction is more of a smooth hill, whereas a baby kick looks like jagged hills.  That's what my midwife has told me, at least. She said you can't "fake a contraction" on an NST, simply because they appear so different from a kick on the printout.
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  • LoriSTiLoriSTi
    At my NST my nurse told me they are looking for the baby to move then the babies heart rate to go up 10bmp for atleast 10 seconds. They want to see that 10 times I think, then they let me go home. This is my 3rd NST and I've never had a contraction. I'm still early yet though so thats good in my case. I hope to see them when I'm farther along.
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  • SeaMamaSeaMama member

    imageDancer6978:
    SeaMama, that is correct about contractions being the secondary reason.  I didn't have any contractions this morning, either, and my numbers still went up to 7-ish at some points.  The reason I was so annoyed in my first response is that it if the numbers go up to 100, then that meant I was REALLY far away from having a contraction, as my baseline was at 0 or 1 for most of it.  :P  Also, the numbers can move higher when the baby kicks -- that's the only reason I even got a 7, I believe.  When the printout comes, they can tell the difference between a contraction and a baby kick, because the contraction is more of a smooth hill, whereas a baby kick looks like jagged hills.  That's what my midwife has told me, at least. She said you can't "fake a contraction" on an NST, simply because they appear so different from a kick on the printout.

    Hehe!  Sounds like we both have perfectly content on the inside, active babies.  LOL.  Hang in there!

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