Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Cherie,
    
    Try not to worry!!  They wouldn't have sent you home if there was
    something to worry about!!!  I had a bazillion non-stress tests with my
    boys.  Sometimes they were good strong ones, sometimes they were weak. 
    Usually they were weak because of either a)the baby's position or b)the
    equipment at the Dr's office.
    
    It may have been that she didn't have the BABY'S heartbeat AT ALL, but
    that she had YOURS, which would be slower and fainter than the baby's!
    I know we've had the two confused before!  Sometimes that kid just ends
    up in the most unlikely spot, and they have an impossible time getting
    the heart rate.
    
    I think that they put a *LOT* of emphasis on non-stress tests, and
    react QUICKLY if anything is slightly amiss.  You may have read, when I 
    was pregnant with Jason, he had an inutero heart arhythmia.  His heart
    would beat along just fine, and suddenly stop.  Then start again, then
    stop.  Me and my Dr. were very used to this, and she said it was
    probably nothing, and would go away as soon as he was born.  Well, the
    one time I happened to have another Dr. reading the non-stress tests,
    he absolutely PANICKED, ignored everything that was in my charts about
    the arhythmia for the past months, and ORDERED me to the hospital for a
    stress test.  Of course, everything was fine - I think he was just
    covering his butt, but it caused a lot of stress on me that wasn't
    needed, gave me 1/2 day in the hospital, complete with I.V., pitocin
    and panicked husband, all because of 'nothing'.  
    
    When they did the non-stress at the hospital, was the 'thing' that
    picks up the baby's heartbeat in a very different place than where your
    midwife had it??  I'll bet they were listening to your heart, not the
    baby's!  Also, 1/2 hour isn't considered a 'long' time for a non-stress
    test, so I'd guess that things really were just fine.
    
    Good luck and try not to worry!!
    Patty
    
    

    I was one week overdue and the doctor scheduled a non-stress test for
    me. He just wanted to make sure everything was ok seeing how I was
    late. I went in on a friday and had the monitor strapped on me for 1/2 hr
    also. Everthing was fine, they also did an ultrasound to see the
    position and the baby's position was good too. The next day i went to
    labor.
    
    Sandy

    This comes from one who knows the joy of having a non-stress test
    *Every OTHER Day*!, in the middle of winter weather in New England yet!
    Starting at 30something weeks my OB requested frequent monitoring,due
    to the fact our first was an inutero death.  I too had many panic
    attacks during these, the beat would be strong and loud, then he would
    move and suddenly no beat-nothing, then he'd move back into the
    microphone range and it would be loud again.
    
    When I had AJ, by a hasty Csection, due to some distress being detected
    both by extended NST and Ultrasound, they had the monitor on me in the
    prep room, then when they wheeled me into the delivery room they
    couldn't hear the heartbeat, just a couple minutes later.  Of course I
    went into a complete tailspin thinking something had happend in a
    couple minute time span.  What had happened was some bird brained
    surgical tech had not bothered to turn up the volume on the fetal
    monitor in the delivery room!  Everything turned out well for him.
    
    With our daughter I called the OB because I felt she was too quiet all
    of a sudden, when the nurse couldn't find the heartbeat with the NST
    microphone, she called in the doctor who also couldn't find it, the
    doctor then confirmed by his ultrasound machine that we had lost our
    daughter.
    
    I do hope this isn't too disturbing, what happened to us is NOT the
    usual ending.
    
    Lyn

    Try not to worry!!!!
    
    I had the test at my doctor's office and when he couldn't find a
    heartbeat, I panicked, he panicked, my husband panicked!  We went to
    the hospital and found out why my doctor couldn't find the heartbeat.
    
    He was trying to listen to the heartbeat with my daughter's butt!
    
    Don't worry, it could have been position, equipment, etc.  If you have
    any questions, call your doctor!
    
    

I also had a gazillion non-stress tests.  It really bothered me a lot but I
really couldn't understand why.  My husband was able to put it into words -
you can't pass a non-stress test - you can only break even.  They give them
to you because they are checking that nothing's wrong, not that things are 
right.

It also bothered me that when I was hooked up to this machine, I became a piece
of meat - the beeping is so hypnotic that that's what everyone looks at.  And
if the bed isn't arranged so you can see the monitor yourself, you don't even 
know what's going on.

So, my advice is to arrange things the way you want them.  For the second NST,
my husband and I walked in and started rearranging the furniture so I could
see what was going on, and so anyone looking at the monitor would be right
where I could see them.  The technician told us we couldn't do that, but we
ignored her.  The monitor nurse came in, asked what we were doing and why, and
helped us move the furniture.  By the time Elise was born, we had rearranged
all the beds and the nurse usually only stopped in to see if we were there and
if we needed any help. We would hook the machine up and do the test ourselves.

After I took some control back, I felt much better about it...

    Well I'm trying to take the overall advice in this note which seems to
    be "don't worry".  Although its tough to do when you are in the thick
    of it.
    
    I'm 32 weeks and Chelsea Rose has been quite a mellow little baby.  My
    OB figured that telling me not to worry wasn't gonna cut it anymore,
    so he sent me across the street for a nonstress test.  It came back
    okay and they asked me to repeat the test on Monday.  Monday mornings
    test had the perinatal doctor wondering about some decelerations of
    the heartbeat below her baserate (which is about 145).  They had me
    come back on Monday afternoon for a CST.  She did good for most of
    the CST, but in the end when I was having uterine contractions about
    one every 4 minutes (they had already taken me off the drip and given
    me a shot to slow the contractions), she had the heart decelerations
    again...from 145 to 130.
    
    The perinatal doctor said that they like to see the heart rate go up
    15 from the baseline when there is fetal movement, to stay the same
    or go up with a uterine contraction..but that when it drops, its saying
    something about the placenta not functioning as it should at that
    particular time.
    
    They asked me to come back Tuesday morning and by this time I had
    entered the land of emotional walking zombie, trying not to worry,
    but not doing a very good job of it.
    
    Tuesday's test came back okay, so I go in tomorrow.  Will repeat the
    test every Monday and Thursday until birth and if they have a question
    on the reading will go in within 24 hours.
    
    The perinatal doctor said that if he had 3 reactive/equivacable
    readings they would admit me for 48 to 72 hours of monitoring and if
    those didn't look good they would considering taking her early.
    
    Mostly I just need your prayers and support.  I know that I'm doing
    everything I can do at this point, but its so hard to let go of all
    the worry.  There seems to be so many variables with these nonstress
    tests and I know that they are goodness in that if there was a problem
    they are on top of things, but they also seem to raise alot of
    questions that don't have solid answers for them.  
                                                     

    
    I too am at 32 weeks, and I too will be going in for NSTs for the 
    remaining weeks of the pregnancy (AND weekly ultrasounds too). 
    I can't say "Don't Worry" cause it won't stop you. All I can
    say is that when you ARE full of anxiety (I for one am a real
    nut-case today) think about taking everything one day at a time.
    
    You can feel that little person. can't you? Take heart everytime
    you feel her moving -- count the days if you have to, and know
    too, that there are plenty of mellow babies making it into the 
    world. Be demanding of the medical profession if it makes you
    feel better (*I want that ultrasound NOW*). 
    
    Keep us up to date -- I thinking about your Chelsea Rose (great name!)
    
    Monica

    I can understand what Monica is feeling (today especially?),  I used to
    get myself so upset when he "just wasn't moving enough", that I would
    become physically sick.  I actually tracked down my OB the day after
    Christmas, and was hysterical with worry before he had a chance to call
    me back, the OB sent me in to the OB floor for a NST and ultrasound
    just to calm me down.  I was only there maybe an hour, but even finding
    the initial heartbeat seemed to take days.
    
    Fortunately I had an extremely sensitive OB, and decided (in his own
    words) that this mom has had enough let's do the delivery now!  And
    then and only then did my OB take vacation time.  What a sweetie!
    
    Lyn

    I want to thank all of you for your heart warming notes.  Each one
    brought comfort into my day which really help lessen all the anxiety.
    
    We went for our ultrasound and NST on Thursday and all was fine.  For
    the most part it helped me breath easier over the weekend.  I know that
    sometimes I read a little to much into that "I haven't felt her move
    yet today"...so I'm trying just to relax and go with the flow.
    
    We go in again tomorrow for another NST and ultrasound.  One thing I
    don't like about the test is the audio aids they use in waking Chelsea
    Rose up.  They want to see heart exceleration and every time I go in
    she is as mellow as can be and not all the times is she asleep..this
    we know cuz of the ultrasound where she is moving around.  So they
    bring out this thing that reminds me of a tazer (sp?) gun and put it
    on your belly.  It probably sounds to her the equivalent of a semi
    truck right next to your car on the freeway who honks his horn when
    you don't expect it.  Her little heart rate jumps from 145 to 175
    instantly.
    
    On Thursday I told them I wanted an alternative way in trying to wake
    her up, so they let me drink 7up and eat a pack of M&M's.  This worked
    just fine and even though I don't like jump starting her system with
    bubbly and chocolate, its better than startling her with that darn
    noise gun!
    
    I'll keep you all posted and thanks again for all the support.
    
    ..Lori
                      

    I haven't heard of any device, but I know they often will give
    you something to eat or drink - when I went two weeks ago for
    an ultrasound they gave me a glass of diet coke and this last Friday
    at the NST they gave me a glass of chocolate milk (which only succeeded
    in making me nauseus). 
    As was suggested to me last year, if the baby isn't moving enough,
    have a little something with caffeine in it, and although you might
    not like the idea of waking her up by this method, I'm sure the 
    piece of mind you get from feeling her kicking around far outweighs
    the concern about the way of getting her active....
    

    I used to go in daily (sometimes more than once a day) for the
    non-stress tests the last month of my pregnancy.  They would give me 
    lots of juice and sometimes 7up, finally Shayne would wake up and start
    moving and they always had to take the monitors off, because by that
    time my bladder was overflowing and I **HAD** to go.  Finally they 
    just started telling my to bring in a Frosty from Wendy's and that
    seemed to work the best.
    
    Just another trip down memory lane......

My OB keeps a basket of hard candy on the reception desk.  I always would grab
two of three and eat at least two before the NST.  I'm sure that wasn't the
entire intention of the basket, but the gals at the desk would usually greet me
and point a finger at the basket to remind me.

The ultra sound/NST test that the hospital did the day I had him, used a dinner
bell.  They rang it right over my belly.  Although he didnt react, the woman in
the next booth had almost an immediate reaction.  Maybe you could bring a bell
with you next time instead of the taser thing.

Lyn

    My daughter was not moving all that much a week before her delivery so
    the doctor ordered the NST for us.  When they first hooked me up she
    didn't move for about half an hour so the nurse brought out what she
    called "The baby waker".  It must be what you referred to.  It reminded
    me of a electric razor.  When the nurse put it on my stomach the baby
    jumped so high it knocked off the sensor.  Her heart rate went up but
    she went right back to sleep.  She never really moved very much during
    the whole pregnancy which really worried me because my first baby
    always moved.
    
    Take care,
    
    Angie

    I too thought the "taser" was kind of mean. For NSTs with my
    second, I found that a chocolate frappe (or milk shake elsewhere)
    did the trick nicely for both of us. 
    
    I think the taser produces a reflex, which is different from
    voluntary motions the baby makes, so perhaps this is why they wanted
    to use it.
    
    Lucy

    They told me they want to see heart excelerations and thats why they
    use the taser if they baby is not excerlating on their own, by fetal
    movement or uterine contractions.
    
    Chelsea Rose could stay at her baseline heart rate for the whole test
    unless she is poked and prodded...and for the most part that doesn't
    phase her to much either.
    
    I have noticed a difference since I've now schedule the tests at 12noon
    instead of first thing in the morning.  I get to the hospital at 11:30
    and eat lunch in their cafeteria...grab a bag of M&M's (if needed).  
    When I was taking the test in the morning I wasn't eating breakfast
    until I got to work, cuz I don't normally eat until 8:30 or 9:00.
    
    So today I had a 4oz coke and bag of M&M's on hand and it would figure
    that she was just as awake as could be.  The perinatal doctor just
    called and said she looked beautiful and he would see me on Thursday.
    
    Having 3 good tests under my belt has surely helped relieve some of 
    the anxiety that was mounting last week.
    
    Its great to hear all of your experiences!
    
    Thanks Again!
    
    ..Lori