The Non-Stress Test

A non-stress test is a simple and painless procedure done by your doctor, a technician or a nurse. It monitors your babies’ heartbeat at rest and while they are moving in order to assess their state of health. They are generally done about 1 month prior to your due date. They may be done earlier if you are considered to have a high-risk pregnancy. Some of reasons to have them done earlier are if you are having multiples, gestational diabetes, the babies’ are growing slowly, had a recent amniocentesis, concern about a drop in the rate of the babies’ activity, low amniotic levels, high blood pressure. They are often done weekly until delivery. Two or more belts, similar to an ace bandage, will be wrapped around you and held in place with three round discs that are attached by a cord to a monitor. One belt monitors any contractions you are having. The other monitors the heartbeats so if you are having twins, you will have two heart monitors, one for each heartbeat. You will be lying down either on your back or your side during the duration of the test. They may need to move the heart monitors around if the babies move around a lot and the monitor cannot pick up the heartbeats in that position on your belly. The test can take anywhere between 20 and 60 minutes. Their heart rates should go up when they are moving around. It often helps to eat prior to the test in order to encourage the babies to be active. The reason for the difference in the length in time is contingent on the babies’ activity levels. The doctor is looking to see that the babies’ heart rates go up for at least 20 seconds while they are moving around. If this does not happen, it does not necessarily signal that there is something wrong. You may just need to give the babies’ more time to get moving. So either they will have you lie there for a while longer or let you get up and move around, have something to drink, and then try again. However, if one or more of the babies’ heart rates do not go up, they are considered to be non-reactive. This could be a result of a problem with the placenta or lack of sufficient oxygen to the babies’. At this point your doctor will decide that everything is actually fine or the doctor may possibly want to monitor you and the babies more closely with more tests to see they should deliver your babies’ now. Your contractions are also monitored during this time. You may not experience any contractions at all during this test. But if you are contracting the doctor will want to know so that they can either try to stop the contractions with medicine and check to see if you are dilating or they may want to whisk you off to delivery. If you are contracting, it is also important to see how those contractions affect the babies’ heart rates because if the heart rates drop during the contractions it can be a sign of stress.