Today we went to get my NST (Non-Stress Test) and also had our potentially last doctor's visit before Rosalie comes.
NST Update
Rosalie passed the NST with flying colors once again. Or
you can say with baby pink and baby blue colors. The pink band measures contractions
and the blue band measures her heart rate. To pass the 20 minute test, her
heart rate has to be 15 beats per minute (bpm) above baseline for at least 15 seconds
and that needs to happen two times during the 20 minutes. Her baseline is 140 bpm, so we needed to see 155 bpm for 15 seconds at least twice. And she easily passed. The monitoring did not register any contractions.
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| NST Fun |
Doctor Visit Update
Meanwhile, at the
doctor I learned that I am 1.5 cm dilated, 60% effaced and baby is in station
-1. What does that all mean you ask? Well, as far as I understand it and
according to WebMD,
"effacement and dilatation need to occur for a baby to be born through the
birth canal. Effacement means that the cervix stretches and gets thinner.
Dilatation means that the cervix opens." The baby is ready to come out
when the cervix is 10 cm dilated, 100% effaced, and the baby has dropped down
into the pelvis. According to the web,
"If your baby has dropped, but has not yet settled into your pelvis to
begin her decent, it is measured in centimeters as a negative station. This
negative measurement goes from -3 to -1. Once your baby has settled into your
pelvis, but before she starts her descent to the birth canal, it is referred to
as a zero (0) station. Once your baby starts heading towards the cervix, it is
referred to as a positive station from 1 to 3." Here's a good photo of
that station idea.
That's all for now! Til the next NST on Tuesday or an announcement of her birth...whichever comes first. :)
