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Are pregnant and going through a litany of tests that your doctor has recommended? You worry that you're never sure what the tests are, and even if it can not lead to side effects in your unborn child? Do you want to learn more about some of the tests that your doctor has recommended in the near future? Your doctor has asked you to do something known as a stress test contraction and you have no idea what it is?
If you are looking for more information on a stress test contraction during pregnancy, scroll and read it all here.
What is one Contraction stress Test?
A contraction stress test or stress test or oxytocin challenge test usually occurs during pregnancy. The doctor asks you to take a test to measure the heart rate of the baby while you have uterine contractions. The test helps the doctor and his medical team response and your baby's health check does not even born when there is a decrease in oxygen levels at the time of your labor contractions. In most cases, your doctor will ask you to take the test when you are at least 34 weeks pregnant or more. It includes external fetal heart rate for the monitoring as well.
When you have a uterine contraction, your body will experience a decrease in blood and oxygen that your unborn child receives. In most cases, does not cause any problem in your child. Sometimes, however, it may cause a decrease in heart rate of some children. To measure change, the doctor and the medical team will monitor the fetal heart rate using the external fetal monitoring device
[Read: Types of contractions during pregnancy ]
Why Is made the contraction stress test?
And 'possible that your doctor asks you to go for more than a contraction stress test during pregnancy. Your doctor may ask you to go for a contraction stress test to check the following situations:
- to see if the unborn child will be able to stay healthy when there is a decrease in levels of oxygen at the time of contractions that occur during labor.
- to see if your placenta is healthy and whether or not it will be able to support your child properly.
In some cases, if you are already subjected to a non-stress test or biophysical profile, your doctor may ask you to go for a contraction stress test procedure. In a biophysical profile test, the doctor or technician will use ultrasound during a non-stress test. It will help to measure various physical characteristics of the child.
The reason for this is probably the fact that the results of the other two tests were not conclusive enough, and the contraction stress tests will help your doctor to get a clearer picture of
[Read: essential tests to take during pregnancy ].?
How should you prepare for the shrinkage stress testing
once the doctor tells you that you have to go for the stress test of contraction, here are some ways you can get yourself ready for the same:
- Check your doctor or the medical team if you have to stop eating for a couple of hours before the test. Usually, you will have to eat or drink for about four to eight hours before the test takes place. You may also be asked to empty your bladder before you can begin testing.
- The medical team will ask you to sign a consent form that says you understand the risks that are associated with the test, and not agree to go ahead with it.
If you are concerned about the test and what it entails, be sure to talk to your doctor before you go for the same.
How is the contraction stress test Done?
A contraction stress test is usually done in the doctor's office or hospital you visit. Sometimes, it can also be done by a gynecologist or a qualified lab technician or a registered nurse. In most cases and if not absolutely necessary, there is no need to stay at the facility for the night. Depending on how you and your unborn child react to the test, contraction stress test may take about two hours to complete
Here's a look at what happens during a stress test contraction :.
- will first have to lie down comfortably on a bed and lift your back slightly. The doctor, nurse or staff will gently help you skew a bit 'to the left. It will help to avoid any pressure on the blood vessels that lie on your stomach.
- Once you are comfortable, the staff or the doctor will place two straps around your belly. The belts will be equipped with sensors that will help physicians to verify the reading. A tape will have a sensor to record the baby's heartbeat while the sensor in a tape help you measure uterine contractions.
- The doctor may choose to use the gel on your skin while you are using the sensor that monitors the baby's heart rate.
- once set, the staff will attach the sensors to a recording device. If your child changes its position, the doctors can change the position of the monitor heart rate as well.
- The doctor and the team records the baby's heart rate and contractions for at least ten minutes. During this period, they will be recorded other important data such as blood pressure and vital signs.
- The doctor will administer a dose of oxytocin. Initially, the doctor will give you a lower dose, but will gradually increase the dose until you get at least three contractions in a span of ten minutes.
- Like the progress contraction, each contraction will last longer from the previous 45 seconds.
- If the contractions do not take place, the doctor will ask you to massage the nipple using a single hand. If you still do not have a drop within the next two minutes of your first contraction, the doctor will ask you to again massage the nipple. In case you do not get a contraction, even in the next 15 minutes, the doctor will ask you to massage both nipples.
- Once the test is over, and the doctor is happy with the way it has progressed, the medical team will keep under surveillance until the contractions slow down or go away completely. The contractions will come down to what they were before starting the test before you can leave (1).
does Stress Test contraction feel uncomfortable or painful?
The contraction stress test helps doctor and medical team to assess the risk to your unborn baby when labor contractions occur. While it may feel uncomfortable for a while, the discomfort will soon be over
Here are some situations that can make you feel uncomfortable during the test :.
- During the test, you need to lie down on her left side. Sometimes, the location might be a little 'difficult or uncomfortable for you, especially during your last trimester or final weeks of pregnancy. Lie on your left side may also feel uncomfortable if you start having labor contractions.
- Sometimes, having the belt around your stomach can also be quite uncomfortable. The belts are equipped with sensors that help monitor the child's response to labor contractions. While most women feel that the belt sensors and devices are uncomfortable, there are usually complaints about any pain or other side effects.
There are risks of contraction stress test during pregnancy?
While most doctors feel the contraction stress test is safe during pregnancy, there may be some risks or side effects. Here's a look at some of the test side effects that you can keep in mind:
- During the stress test of contraction, doctors check for monitoring fetal heart rate. In some cases, fetal heart monitoring tends to indicate that the fetus is having some difficulty. However, in reality, it may be possible that the unborn child is well and is not experiencing any discomfort. It is a disadvantage of the fetal heart rate monitoring process that is done as part of the stress test contraction during pregnancy.
- Another disadvantage of the fetal heart monitoring process is that it is unable to raise any issues, such as birth defects, that your unborn child can have. This means that while you can only control the heart rate of your unborn child, does nothing to detect any health problems or your unborn baby may be going through.
- while you go through the stress test contraction during pregnancy, you are given a shot of oxytocin to help you get into labor contractions that are required as part of the test. In some cases, it may be a cause for concern, because it can start working procedure to start earlier than the expiry date.
- Oxytocin which administers the stress test contraction helps start the contractions of labor that will help the doctor and the medical team to check your child's response unborn. Sometimes, oxytocin can prolong the contractions that occur during the test, and cause trouble for her unborn child. In some cases, it can also lead to problems for your unborn child. In most cases, the labor contractions stop when the shots of oxytocin stop. Sometimes if labor contractions are longer than you intended, your doctor may give you some counter medication that will help stop the decline. In a rare case, if it does not help and the contractions of labor that occur do not stop, the doctor can go in for an emergency delivery to help take the baby out (2).
[Read: What is the Rh factor test ]
There are all cases where the contraction stress test is not recommended
As a pregnant stress test may lead to prolonged times? the contractions that may require immediate birth, your doctor may instead ask to go for the biophysical profile.
- A biophysical tests will check the health of your baby while still inside the womb. It is mostly done using the electronic fetal heart monitoring and ultrasound of the fetus. The biophysical tests, or BPP, will measure the heart rate of the unborn child, the child's muscle tone, respiration, movement as well as the amount of amniotic fluid that is present in your child.
- A biophysical test is very likely to occur during the last trimester of pregnancy. In case your doctor confirms that you have a high-risk pregnancy, in which the child may have some complications during pregnancy, the BPP test will take place from 32 ND or 34 [di1945034] week. In some cases, it may happen earlier. If you are in an extremely high risk case of a high-risk pregnancy, your doctor may ask you to make a BPP test done at least once every week, and at least twice each week during the third quarter.
BPP test is carried out with the aid of a non-stress tests and with the help of fetal ultrasound. Here's how both tests are carried out as part of the BPP test:
[read: is ultrasound safe during pregnancy ]
1. The non-stress test:
in the non-stress test, a fetal heart monitoring system will record the details of your unborn child, while the child moves in the womb, and while the baby is not moving
.- a non-stress test will most likely occur just before going in for a fetal ultrasound.
- for external control, two sensors are attached to the elastic belts that will be placed around your stomach.
- A sensor will use reflected sound waves to check the baby's heart rate. The other sensor will measure how long the contractions lasted.
- Sometimes, the baby's heartbeat sound like an acoustic signal, while other times you might just be seen as a graph on a printed page.
[Read: not to stress test during pregnancy ]
2. Fetal Ultrasound :.
For a fetal ultrasound, you will have to run the prenatal stress tests, while the bladder is full
- You will have to lie on your back, and the coach put a little 'gel on the stomach. The doctor will use a small device called a transducer to move through the stomach and watching your baby on the screen.
How to read the results of a contraction stress test during pregnancy?
The main objective of a contraction stress test is to see how the unborn child will react to the moment when the true labor contractions start. The tests will help your doctor and your medical team to see if your child will be well when there is a drop in the flow of oxygen and blood at the time of labor contractions.
The results of the contraction stress tests only give doctors the result of the health of your baby for about a week. Your doctor may decide to perform the test again and even more times during pregnancy.
This is how you can read the contraction stress test results during pregnancy, and in the case of a normal or an abnormal reading:
1. Normal Test result :.
When a result of the contraction stress test comes out as normal, is known as a result of contraction of negative stress testing
- In this part of the result, it is seen that the heart rate child will not become slower or decelerate, or will remain slow after the contractions are over.
- During the tests, there may be a few times when your child does show a drop in heart rate. He will soon return to its normal pace and not cause any problems.
2. Abnormal Test result :.
When a result of the contraction stress test comes out as abnormal, is known as a result of contraction of the positive stress tests
- In this part of the result, it is seen that the heart rate the child will become slower or decelerate, and will remain slow after the contractions are over. The same will be true for more than half of the labor contractions that occur during the test.
- During the tests, when the child goes through a deceleration delay, it means that your child will also have difficulties and will face problems at the time of normal work (3)
[Read: genetic testing during pregnancy ].
Can something to influence the results of the contraction stress test?
Although it is not always the case, there may be situations that could prevent you from having the test, or if the test results may not be of any help. Here are some situations you can expect:
- If you had problems in your first pregnancy, may affect the test result. Some problems in a previous pregnancy that affect the test result include a Caesarean section with a midline incision (vertical), a detachment of the placenta or placenta previa.
- twins If you are carrying or more children in this pregnancy, doctors do not recommend the stress test contraction. You could have a negative impact on your unborn child and make the results inconclusive.
- If your doctor thinks that you are likely to suffer a premature rupture of membranes (PROM), will be asked not to go for the contraction stress test.
- The doctor will ask you to avoid the stress test of contraction, if you have been given magnesium sulfate, while you were pregnant, or if your doctor feels that you have an incompetent cervix.
- If you have had uterine surgery, in the past, there is a risk that the stress test contraction may cause uterine rupture. The doctor does not recommend a stress test contraction in this case.
- If you smoked during pregnancy, your doctor may want to stay out of the stress test contraction.
- If your child moves too much during the stress test of contraction, it will be difficult for the ribbon sensors to record the correct baby's heart rate, as well as information about the contractions. In this case, although you can take the test until the end, the results may come out erroneous or inconclusive.
- If you are overweight, you might have an incorrect reading in your contraction stress test results
. [Read: Cardiotocography during pregnancy ]
few to keep in mind the shrinkage stress tests:
Going through a stress test contraction can be an important thing during pregnancy, especially because it will tell how your unborn baby will cope when you have those real labor contractions. While you may be stretched during the test and worry more after the results are out, it is important to remember a few things about the test. Here are some points that you should keep in mind about the test and its result:
- A contraction stress test may sometimes give the result of a deceleration of the heartbeat of the unborn child, even when the child is comfortable and in no distress. When this happens, it is known as a false positive result.
- In some cases, doctors will only recommend to be administered oxytocin instead of going to the nipple stimulation process. And 'it made as a precautionary measure, as sometimes, stimulating the nipples could lead to longer contractions that may soon become uncontrolled and cause damage to the unborn child.
Be sure to check with your doctor about any questions or concerns you have before going for testing. Testing is not a hard and fast rule as every pregnancy is different. However, if your doctor recommends for a stress test contraction or oxytocin challenge test during pregnancy, you should go for one.
Have you had a stress test contraction during pregnancy? How was the experience? Tell us below
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