More testing!

So I’ve started a weekly regimen of non-stress tests(NSTs). As far as tests go, I suppose they aren’t that stressful. However, I still  dread the day when, for whatever reason, they become stressful. But there’s nothing I can do about that day until it happens, so in the mean time I will tell you about my new friend the NST. My high-risk doctor friend recommended we start NST-time “at the time of your last loss,” and since I am now the most pregnant I have ever been we commence.

Basically, you lie down in an exam room and you get a giant elastic belt strapped around your ever-expanding belly. Then someone lubes up a big paddle which looks for the baby’s heartbeat. Said paddle is strapped underneath the aforementioned elastic. Baby’s heartbeat hopefully fills the room like a wild stallion stampede. You can zone out or listen, whatever you like. But you do have to push a button when you feel Baby move. If you see a doctor who has updated his equipment in the past 20 years then you a) probably have more high tech gadgets than I do and b) might even have an ultrasound do the button-pushing for you by visualizing the actual movements. A chart is automatically filled out which shows Baby’s movements and heartrate (it should go up as the nugget moves, naturally). If you are lucky, like me, Hubby comes and plays on his smartphone in the corner so you are not alone with the stallions and computer that reminds you of playing “Chopper” on a floppy-disk in 1^st grade. The doctor will check the chart after 10 minutes or so, and hopefully you can be on your way because all is well. Since Nugget passed its first test, this was our experience. I hope we can keep it up for 11 more weeks. At least this baby will get some practice and be able to own other babies at NSTs by then.