More Doctor's Appointments

Wednesday, 9 May 2007

I might as well own my own parking space already at Kapi'olani Women and Children's Medical Center. Monday, Chris and I were there for 5 hours, after an interview screening with a pediatrician and then immediately following, a 3 1/2 hour birthing class. Getting used to the cafeteria food already.

Today, after my 3 week ultrasound checkup (which we found out that baby is doing fine, within the normal range of growth), I discovered that my cervix has gotten thinner again in its measurements. Now, starting next week, the doctors have ordered that I go in twice a week for the rest of the pregnancy, in addition to my regular 4 week checkups for ultrasound and my OB, to get a NST so they can measure any contractions. (I've got a whole two page reminder list of my appointments!) They have been saying I am prone to pre-term labor all along because of my possible incompetent cervix and uterine septum, but now they that are worried I may go into pre-term labor, and it's way too soon, since I'm only 28 weeks. I feel okay, although I've been extremely tired so I've been taking 2-3 hour naps daily. Not sure if this means I should not work summer school now. I was told to watch for contractions, and at the lowest threshold, if I feel something, to come into the hospital.

We really have to work on purging and cleaning the house now, make room for baby, and perhaps get rid of those brazen male wild boars that are going through people's garbage and our front yard like they are domesticated pets?

I got this from the www.americanpregnancy.org website: "The Fetal Non-Stress test is a simple, non-invasive test performed in pregnancies over 28 weeks gestation. The test is named “non-stress” because no stress is placed on the fetus during the test.


How is a NST Performed?

The test involves attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement is measured for 20-30 minutes. If the baby does not move, it does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem; the baby could just be asleep. A nurse may use a small “buzzer” to wake the baby for the remainder of the test.


Why would a NST be performed?

A NST may be performed if:

You sense that the baby is not moving as frequently as usual
You are overdue
There is any reason to suspect that the placenta is not functioning adequately
You are high risk for any other reason
The test can indicate if the baby is not receiving enough oxygen because of placental or umbilical cord problems; it can also indicate other types of fetal distress.


What are the risks and side effects to the mother or baby?

A NST is a noninvasive test that poses no known risks or side effects to mother or baby.


When is a NST performed?

NSTs are generally performed after 28 weeks of gestation. Before 28 weeks, the fetus is not developed enough to respond to the test protocol.


What does the NST look for?

The primary goal of the test is to measure the heart rate of the fetus in response to its own movements. Healthy babies will respond with an increased heart rate during times of movement, and the heart rate will decrease at rest. The concept behind a non-stress test is that adequate oxygen is required for fetal activity and heart rate to be within normal ranges. When oxygen levels are low, the fetus may not respond normally. Low oxygen levels can often be caused by problems with the placenta or umbilical cord.



What do the NST results mean and what are the reasons for further testing?

A reactive non-stress result indicates that blood flow (and oxygen) to the fetus is adequate. A nonreactive non-stress result requires additional testing to determine whether the result is truly due to poor oxygenation, or whether there are other reasons for fetal nonreactivity (i.e. sleep patterns, certain maternal prescription or nonprescription drugs)."

Wish me luck! Does this mean I'll be on bedrest? My cramping in the legs are terrible, so bad that I could barely walk out of the doctor's office today and had to have Chris massage my leg before I got into the car. We'll see what my OB says next week. On a positive note, Junior is still busy kicking and moving all the time. And, yes, I'll get those belly pictures posted soon!