OB Appointment (37.5 Weeks)
Today I saw someone I have never seen before - Kristen Little, ARNP. This appointment time was the best for my schedule, as it is the week of parent-teacher conferences, and I didn't really care which practitioner my appointment was scheduled with. Next week I will see Dr. Gabel and we can schedule an induction date for the 39th week. And that will likely be my last OB appointment until my post-partum follow-up (also scheduled with Dr. Gabel)!
Today we went straight to the NST room. I sat in the lounger and the nurse got me all set up with the heart rate monitor (for baby) and the contraction monitor. After a few minutes, I noticed that the baby's heart rate was only 101-105 bpm. Around the same time, the nurse came back to get my blood pressure, and she noticed the same thing. She held the monitor to my belly to make sure it was getting an accurate reading. After a few more minutes, she checked with the doctor and they were unhappy with the lack of accelerations (increases) in the baby's heart rate. So we moved to the ultrasound room to have a biophysical profile (BPP) ultrasound.
The BPP has four categories: Baby's breathing, Baby's heart rate, Baby's movement, and fluid level. Each category is worth 2 points, for a total of 8 points. In order to pass the BPP, the baby needs to earn all 8 points. The nonstress test is also worth 2 points, so we had a total of 10 points available.
We easily saw Chocolate Chip's diaphragm moving up and down, so the first two points came quickly. Then the ultrasound tech measured the baby's heart rate, and it was 125 bpm (which is totally acceptable). So the next two points were earned. Then she measured my fluid level and added two more points. It took a little bit of wiggling and jiggling, but she was able to get Chocolate Chip to move his or her arm and leg enough to earn the last two points. Since we scored 8/8 on the BPP and 0/2 on the NST, our final score was 8/10. We were sent home with instructions to call the office with any concerns about decreased fetal movement or other symptoms such as leaking fluid or bleeding.
My next appointment is next Tuesday with Dr. Gabel. We know that the ultrasound showed that everything is fine, but that seems like a long time to wait before we see a doctor again, or have a NST. We will be anxiously awaiting that appointment. I think we're both hoping that my water breaks or I have super intense contractions before then so that we know something is happening and we can get it checked out - or deliver the baby safely.
I was hoping that we might at least get a better ultrasound photo out of this whole experience. But Chocolate Chip was hiding underneath his or her arm the whole time, so no such luck. We'll have to wait to see this baby in person!
