the final count down
Well, this week started by twice a week doctor visits, but now it's 3 times a week visits...eek. I went in for my first NST yesterday. I went to a different office that my obs practice out of because it's closer to work. So, I had a nurse who I never had before. She tried to hook me up for the NST but could not get the heart beat. I could feel Grace moving so I wasn't too worried. I was a little worried because for a while the nurses were able to pick up Grace on the doppler in seconds and I'd hear the strong heart beat. The last 2 times, it took a long time to get her and then it was a faint heart beat once they did get her. I thought that was odd since she is so much bigger now. I asked the ob about it last time and he said that a heart beat is a heart beat and that it could depend on the position of the baby and the skill of the nurse.
So, I wasn't sure what to think when this NST thing couldn't pick Grace up. So, the ob came in and tried to get Grace on the doppler. He found her pretty quickly but it was the faint sound. I asked him about it (different ob than I saw last time). He said this fainter sound was actually the echo of the heart beat, but it's still a good indicator because with out the heart beat they wouldn't pick up this echo either. But, he said I would need to go to the hospital to get my NSTs for the rest of my pregnancy. So twice a week at the hospital weekly and then one ob appt weekly...3 appts a week. They then sent me to the hospital. THANKFULLY this office was across the street from the hospital.
So, I get to the hospital where they have the "better" equipment. And even then it took a while to get her on the machine....and it was still faint. Then after about 15 minutes of broken up readings (I was watching the screen), she just fell off the screen completely. So the nurse came back in and switched out the equipment. Then I got an actual strong heart beat :-) I was laying in there on the machine for about 40 minutes and the entire time Grace was on the monitor...and I thought it looked fine. Her heart range would go up and down from about the mid 130s to high 150s. But I guess they still werent' getting what they wanted. So the nurse put this buzz thing on my stomach and Grace jumped so hard that I jumped. Then she wouldn't stop moving and her heart rate stayed up in the 160s-170s. The nurse said "either she's moving everywhere or laying still." Which seems to be my observation of her too. So, then the nurse had to stay in the room and kept moving the sensor around to try to keep her on the monitor. Then said that she got the readings they needed...it took well over an hour! Hopefully they won't all be that long. My back was aching from the position I was in and I kept drifting off.
I did find out our next steps though. I have an appointment at 36 weeks to get an ultra sound and then meet again with the maternal fetal medicine specialist and then he'll make the call on when d-day is for Grace. So in like 3 weeks and 2 days, I'll have my delivery date for Grace!! So excited :-)
So, I wasn't sure what to think when this NST thing couldn't pick Grace up. So, the ob came in and tried to get Grace on the doppler. He found her pretty quickly but it was the faint sound. I asked him about it (different ob than I saw last time). He said this fainter sound was actually the echo of the heart beat, but it's still a good indicator because with out the heart beat they wouldn't pick up this echo either. But, he said I would need to go to the hospital to get my NSTs for the rest of my pregnancy. So twice a week at the hospital weekly and then one ob appt weekly...3 appts a week. They then sent me to the hospital. THANKFULLY this office was across the street from the hospital.
So, I get to the hospital where they have the "better" equipment. And even then it took a while to get her on the machine....and it was still faint. Then after about 15 minutes of broken up readings (I was watching the screen), she just fell off the screen completely. So the nurse came back in and switched out the equipment. Then I got an actual strong heart beat :-) I was laying in there on the machine for about 40 minutes and the entire time Grace was on the monitor...and I thought it looked fine. Her heart range would go up and down from about the mid 130s to high 150s. But I guess they still werent' getting what they wanted. So the nurse put this buzz thing on my stomach and Grace jumped so hard that I jumped. Then she wouldn't stop moving and her heart rate stayed up in the 160s-170s. The nurse said "either she's moving everywhere or laying still." Which seems to be my observation of her too. So, then the nurse had to stay in the room and kept moving the sensor around to try to keep her on the monitor. Then said that she got the readings they needed...it took well over an hour! Hopefully they won't all be that long. My back was aching from the position I was in and I kept drifting off.
I did find out our next steps though. I have an appointment at 36 weeks to get an ultra sound and then meet again with the maternal fetal medicine specialist and then he'll make the call on when d-day is for Grace. So in like 3 weeks and 2 days, I'll have my delivery date for Grace!! So excited :-)
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