Can anyone tell me *exactly* what this is, what it's for, what's involved, etc? i had an OB appointment today, and the doc "couldn't find the head" (only way he tried was through an internal exam, and apparently he has stubby fingers ) He was very conserned as to why the baby wouldn't have dropped by now (i'm due in 6 days), so he had his LPN do an ultrasound in the office, to make sure she's head-down and there was nothing else going on. He found that the cord *might* be around the neck, but there was plenty of fluid around and the heartbeat and everything else was great, so he said it really wasn't a problem, just to remind the doc during delivery, so he could look for it. Okay, fine. On my way home, a nurse called and said that the doc and LPN discussed it, and they decided i need a non-stress test. They wanted me to come in today, but i had to get my husband to work, so i made an appointment for tomorrow.
from WebMd: The NST(non-stress test) involves putting a belt with a fetal monitor around the uterus which records the fetal heartbeat on a strip of paper. checking on the health and welfare of the baby.
" This test is usually done in your practitioner's office. You will sit in a chair or lie on a table with fetal monitoring equipment hooked to your belly. The monitor will record your baby's heart rate in conjunction with any uterine activity. More frequently than not you are asked to press a button when the baby moves so that the heart rate can be seen in relationship to that movement. " I've had it done, its just a belt that will montitor the lil ones heartbeat, and you press this little clicker when ever you feel the baby move. I was having contractions at the time, and they show up too. they put me in a little room and i got to sit on a leather recliner with my feet up, and i had the option of watching tv if i wanted to. its not bad at all.
My non-stress test went great; all they did was hook me up to the monitor and make me wait until i had a couple of contractions that met their criteria--they had to be at least 15 seconds long, and elevate the fetal heartrate by at least 15 bpm, i think. Anyway, that took less than an hour (it would have been 20 minutes had she not rolled away from the stupid thing during a really good one, and by the time the nurse came and found her again, i had to wait for the next one), so i was really happy. As the nurse was getting my discharge papers ready (they did it in the "real" OB area of the hospital), she talked to my *wonderful* doc, and he said he wanted an ultrasound done too. The way it was explained to me, the ultrasound was to see how big baby was, how much fluid there was, etc--something i did only a week ago, and technically did again yesterday in the doc's office. Alright, i was a little grumpy, but i knew it wasn't the nurse's fault, so we hung around. What would it hurt, right? Well, after two more hours of waiting, and having time to think, i got really angry, and decided i had had enough of my doc screwing me around, making me do things over and over again for no good reason, and making me wait for an ultrasound (understandably, that machine is used for both women in labor, and those in the ER, so i was naturally, and rightfully, last on the list) that i didn't need--i mean for crying out loud, this would be ultrasound #6, and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the baby or me, despite his best efforts to force something on me. i walked out of the examining room to the front desk, and said to anyone who was listening "I've had alot of time to think, and i don't mean to be rude, but the more i think about it, the more i'm convinced that my doctor is completely crazy, and i would like to leave now." Wow, THAT got their attention. The nurse that was farthest away (who i had not even seen before) jumped up and said "let's go have a talk." We had a very long discussion about my treatment thusfar, my doctor's forgetfulness, refusal to listen, and general attitiude that since every test he's tried proves i'm healthy, he has to work that much harder to find something wrong with me. i was really having a moment, my husband was ranting right along beside me, lol, and she was VERY patient and understanding with us. She kept asking what she could do; get the doc on the phone, make him come here and talk with us, set up an appointment so we could go to his office, anything. I said what i REALLY wanted to do was to refuse this last test, sign whatever wavers i had to, be done with it, and hope that when i was in labor, i could say that i didn't have a doctor at all, and hope that mine wasnt the one on call. Yeah, i said alot. She got my papers together, and said that Tom (the nurse-dude who is just as slow, but at least listens better than the doc) was on his way to talk to me--in fact, if he wasn't there in at least 5 minutes, i could go ahead and sign those papers and get out of there (we had explained earlier that we needed to go get our kids). He did come rather quickly, and had the ultrasound tech and machine with him (the poor woman looked like she was being held hostage, lol). Tom seemed oblivious to my breakdown (i guess all the nurse said to him was "come here now" and he complied), and simply started explaining why i was having this ultrasound--to look again and see if the cord was around the baby's neck--WHOA, hold on, what??? That is not what we were told by the nurse from his office on the phone yesterday, or what the nurses there told us. Seeing my unspoken confusion, he went on to explain "well, sometimes they'll check baby's size, the amound of fluid, etc, but you just did that last week, so we want to take a quick peek with the better machine and just see about that cord" OMFG i just had this huge fit with the nurse about how horrible my doc was, how he was setting me up for failure, and though i really do have these feelings, the last straw really added up to a lack of communication between the nurse from the office, and the ones here...i did NOT know what to say. Tom went on "So you had some questions for me?" Ummm....no....not anymore, that really cleared up alot, thanks for coming, lol. The ultrasound took like 20 seconds once the machine was ready (8 minutes to "warm up" lol) It was really obvious to the tech that the cord wasn't even close to the baby's neck, and she was really irritated that Tom kept looking over her shoulder and asking "are you sure...that's not the cord right there???" i loved it, she looked at him like he was a total moron, and kept repeating "yes, i'm very sure, there is no cord on, or even near, the neck" lol. i'm praying that i don't have to endure another office visit...i've never been in a hurry to have a baby, especially this one, but please little girl, don't make mommy sit in a room alone with those crazy people again...you MUST be born before Tuesday...
*pokes pins in figurines of the doctor and staffers* egad that sounds annoying...maybe they are trying to induce labour through this new technique they have discovered called the annoying ning nong technique!!!
the fun thing is....you don't *have* to go to any more appointments.... You could always say one of your kids is sick, you must stay home. You'll reschedule or just come in next week. They can't induce you yet...especially if they can't see you!
