Non Stress Tests

For the past week my extremities and face have been swelling to epic proportions. I have posted several entries of Facebook detailing my case of prego fat face and cankles; however, now I can also proudly add that I have man hands. Well, while swelling is somewhat expected and normal, I was a bit concerned since I am right at the point where I was diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypertension when I was pregnant with Luke. At 37 weeks I was given the diagnosis and that very next day Luke was delivered. As a precaution I decided to contact my doctor, who thought it would be best if I began twice weekly non stress tests (NST). I had no clue what that meant, but I dutifully drove myself down to the Northwest Women's Center.

I checked in and was told that there would be a short wait until I would be admitted. Like any pregnant woman, my main concern was whether or not I could use the restroom or if I would have to wait so that a "sample" could be taken. (P.S. The word sample now creeps me out beyond words.) The receptionist who checked me in told me that she had no clue if I would need to give a sample, so she suggested I take a sample cup and save "it" in my purse until I was called in. I have imagined that in an emergency situation I could possibly puke in my purse, but urine was one thing that I never imagined placing into my Coach bag.

Ten minutes later and it was time to go to triage for my NST. Upon entering, I told the nurse about the special something extra I had in my purse. She laughed and told me to chuck it. I was officially the creepy lady with pee in her bag.

Next I got to lay on a fairly comfy bed with two fetal heart rate monitors and a blood pressure cuff all hooked up to me. I was still not entirely sure what this test entailed, so I asked the nurse if this was to measure my stress or the baby's. She laughed (this is now the second time) and told me that nobody had asked her that before. I felt like telling her right then that I was actually a very well educated person that normally did not carry my own bodily waste in my purse, but I thought that would only add to my creepy factor. She told me that the test would be 30 minutes of monitoring the baby's heart rate. It would also measure my blood pressure three times throughout the 30 minutes.

I laid in bed, armed with Nook and found myself enjoying this whole NST thing. It was relaxing, and all of my numbers came back great. The baby's heart beat was perfect too, but in my head I thought, "Duh, what does he have to be stressed about?" I was brought ice water, with the good ice that they have at Sonic, and the nurses were full of good conversation. Thirty minutes later, and I was done.

I will now go to the women's center for twice weekly tests. This is being done as a preventative measure to watch for hypertension, which makes me feel great. Hypertension in pregnancy can happen with very little warning, so I feel a great deal of relief knowing that I am being proactive. Actually, I think that everyone should have NSTs, prego or not. Who doesn't want to sit in bed with ice water and no interruptions for 30 minutes?