Who else is doing NSTs? Decel question.

brooklynesque · June 2014

My doc just started having me do weekly NSTs just because I'm as old as the hills. ;;) My first was today. I didn't mind it because I liked hearing the heartbeat for a good long time and I could tell it was going well because my baby was moving around and her heartbeat was rising as she moved.

There were also maybe 3 instances in half an hour where the heartrate quickly plummeted but rose again within a few seconds. Has this happened to anyone else and, if so, did your doc explain it?

Please no "ask the doc" responses . . . . I asked my doc if the dips were normal and she bit my head off (essentially "I have a lot of experience reading these things and if I say it's fine don't worry"), which is another issue . . . gah.

:-S

I found this past thread on the high-risk board which seems to suggest short decels are normal but wanted to know if any of my July 2014 ladies knew anything about this or had experienced this. https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/8478008/about-heart-rate-during-nst

Csltdk · June 2014

I have been getting nst 2x:week since 32 weeks. And yes it's normal you WANT that little paper that prints out to have ups and downs it shows the baby is reactive. If it was a flat steady heartbeat line that means the baby is non reactive and a bit more stressed. The bottom line are your contractions, when you get one it looks like a hill.

Best of luck!

brooklynesque · June 2014

@csltdk -- do you get decels that are very quick but steep valleys where the heartbeat plunges more than 20 bpm and then rises again? That's what I'm getting.

ChrisB · June 2014

I've been the NST queen the last week and a half - I've had 4. We had a similar experience as yours and the nurse and my OB said it was normal. Drops like that are expected as long as the heart rate returns to normal. My little guys heart rate was all over the place at times. It made me nervous at first, but once I was told everything was perfect I was able to relax. I'm sure if there were any concerns they wouldn't have let you leave.

Tbags83 · June 2014

Csltdk said:
I have been getting nst 2x:week since 32 weeks. And yes it's normal you WANT that little paper that prints out to have ups and downs it shows the baby is reactive. If it was a flat steady heartbeat line that means the baby is non reactive and a bit more stressed. The bottom line are your contractions, when you get one it looks like a hill.

Best of luck!

^ what she said. I've been getting them since 32 weeks as well and I asked the same questions!

brooklynesque · June 2014

TKT17 said:

I'm sorry your doctor reacted that way, that would be a big problem for me. Is there maybe a nurse or another doc at your practice you could request next time?

I'm going to tell my husband about this tonight and discuss what to do. She's a well respected doc but there have been some other issues too -- phone calls not returned, stuff like that. Childbirth is tough enough without having to wonder if your doc actively dislikes you for some unknown reason. But I realize I may be overreacting -- she might have just been having a stressed out moment. :-/

Csltdk · June 2014

brooklynesque said:
@csltdk -- do you get decels that are very quick but steep valleys where the heartbeat plunges more than 20 bpm and then rises again? That's what I'm getting.

Yup. You'll have a baseline heartbeat (my little one is around 130) she goes up to 180 and down to 100. They won't get concerned unless the heartbeat goes to like 50 bpm. I have had 14 nsts and they are all the same. They will most likely start giving you ultrasounds to check the fluid level as well. Normal fluid number is 5-25 and each week it can flucuate.

Sometimes baby will be sleepy and they will ask you to drink cold water to get baby moving/reactive.

TRS48 · June 2014

Are you sure the dips aren't just your baby moving away from the monitor? Mine move often during NSTs.

ahjahbaba · June 2014

I've been getting 2x weekly NSTs since 32 weeks. My nurse explained to me that decels are really only of concern if they're prolonged and make a "U" shape. Quick dips are nothing to worry about, just normal fluctuations.

1982Babies · June 2014

Totally normal, from what my NST was doing and what the nurse said.

iris427 · June 2014

That sounds normal to me, but I'm not a medical professional. Like pp said, you want to see some variety in the heart rate, instead of just a flat nonreactive one.

I wouldn't be happy about my doctor reacting that way. What is she going to do if you have questions or concerns during delivery? You should be prepared to advocate for yourself and press questions if necessary.

brooklynesque · June 2014

Thanks for your responses, ladies. The dips were so quick I wasn't extremely worried but my doctor's defensive reaction kind of made me wonder. (Separately, I'm going to talk to some other birth professionals -- my Bradley teacher/midwife in training and my doula -- about whether my doc is known for being like this or whether most people get along with her fine. Of course she has to get along with ME fine but other feedback is helpful.)

abchittam · June 2014

I was going to say the same as @TRS48‌. I had my first NST yesterday. When DS would roll or turn away from the monitor, her heart rate would drop dramatically because the monitor wasn't in a good position to pick it up anymore.

BBColt78 · June 2014

I too have been getting them since 32 weeks and agree with what the ladies have said. My LO rate goes often from 180 to 130. Dr explains her to be "very happy in there."

Your doctor's reactions sucks. Of course, they are only human but this is obviously a big event and stressful enough without those comments.

INmommy871278 · June 2014

I asked at my third one last week and the nurse explained to me that they want to see a 10-15 bpm change every 5-10 minutes usually that doesn't last long. Like PPs when DD moves around the heartbeat gets crazy, but it usually goes to a base beat around 140.

helloblueeyes · June 2014

Mine looks for certain amount of accelerations/decels in 20 min and a certain amount of movement as well. So sounds normal to me. But I would definitely have an issue with my doc acting like that.

shanaynerz · June 2014

Exactly what everyone else said. I've been having them weekly since 34 weeks and had 4 this last weekend, and the babies' HRs were up and down constantly, just like ours. It's totally normal. For me it seemed like the HRs may go wonky when they're moving a bunch, too, like the nurses needed to move the monitors around a ton to find their HBs because Baby A hides sometimes, so I think that could make it seem like it's going really low or something. Honestly, if the nurses and doctor aren't concerned, I wouldn't be.

SeaBlue73 · June 2014

So sorry your doc was intolerant of your questions. Glad to hear you're prepared to get some extra support in this area 'cause you certainly deserve to have someone care for you with patience & understanding.

I've been doing NSTs since 32 weeks because of hypertension & GD. Most of my appts. have been like yours. Yesterday, I had some extended dips in baby's HR that were associated with contractions. My OB sent me to L&D for extra monitoring & after 3 hours of being hooked up to their NST machines, everything checked out fine. The nurse who was working with me in Antepartum Testing explained that my doctor was probably being overly cautious, but I'm ok with that.

I would continue to advocate for yourself by asking any questions you may have, and also trust that they'll send you for more monitoring if your results warrant it.

Good luck!

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Ecomom17 · June 2014

brooklynesque said:

My doc just started having me do weekly NSTs just because I'm as old as the hills. ;;) My first was today. I didn't mind it because I liked hearing the heartbeat for a good long time and I could tell it was going well because my baby was moving around and her heartbeat was rising as she moved.

There were also maybe 3 instances in half an hour where the heartrate quickly plummeted but rose again within a few seconds. Has this happened to anyone else and, if so, did your doc explain it?

Please no "ask the doc" responses . . . . I asked my doc if the dips were normal and she bit my head off (essentially "I have a lot of experience reading these things and if I say it's fine don't worry"), which is another issue . . . gah.
:-S

I found this past thread on the high-risk board which seems to suggest short decels are normal but wanted to know if any of my July 2014 ladies knew anything about this or had experienced this. https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/8478008/about-heart-rate-during-nst

Wow, your doctor sounds...special. So sorry you have those kinds of issues with her. I second the advice to ask a nurse or someone else your questions.

I've been getting NSTs twice a week for the past 6 weeks and you definitely want to see a reactive response, meaning peaks and dips in baby's heartbeat. In my case baby had a period of restricted growth (although his growth picked up again, now he's just small), so what they're specifically looking for is whether his heart rate drops with movement, which is a sign that he's not getting enough oxygen (which hasn't been the case at all, thankfully). It's a good sign that you're getting reactive tests!

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