Errrrgh... I have to go in and take a non-stress test at AAOBGyn tomorrow morning because I'm almost at 40 weeks and the baby isn't here, yet.  I've never had to do this.  My water broke with DS, 4 days early.  Anyone have one of these done? Was it a long test?  I googled and it seems like it could be anywhere from 20 min to an hour.  Obviously, 20 minutes would be better for me.  Anyway, I know they are just being cautious, but I really wish I didn't have to do this!   
                
                             
        
Re: Anyone have a non-stress test?
I had a TON of them. Every week from 28 weeks til I delivered at 38 weeks. Sometimes twice in one week. Very annoying. They hook a heart monitor around your belly and find the heartbeat of your baby (with two, it was a pain in the arse), then once they establish the heart rate, they wait for, I think it was, 5 decels/5 accels. They want to make sure the heartrate is pretty constant, but will respond to things--like once they put this zapper thing on my belly to make the boys' heartrates skyrocket. It was pretty funny.
Once they found the heartbeats of my boys, it usually only took from 5-20 minutes. Never an hour.
good luck!
i had one at 41 weeks. it was during the ultrasound to check my amnio fluid levels that we found out she was breech. good times.
the monitoring part is easy. they put the band around you to check on the baby and every time you feel the baby move, you just tap on a button.
I had a lot with Elena b/c of some off tests.
I found them very relaxing -- just getting to lie down and listen to my baby's heartbeat for a while. Of course, I was always doing it during the workday, and who doesn't just love to lie down for 20 minutes instead of driving back to work?!
6-yr-old Elena and 4-yr-old Julia.
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