What is a non-stress test??

i had them from week 32 on, but i had gestational diabetes, nst (non stress test) is when you get a belt strapped around ur belly and a little cycle thing snaps on it and it records the babies heartbeat, if you ever went to the hospital during your pregnancy that is what they strapped around your belly

and it measures contractions as well

i got them for my blood pressure being high and the fact that i had a few m/c's before i had my daughter. you will be hooked up to a contraction monitor and a fetal heart rate monitor. you'll have a little button to push and you push it whenever you feel baby move. it will determine if movement puts the baby in stress, it was also sense any contractions and determine if the contractions put the baby in stress. they last 30 mins to an hour (depends on how much baby is kicking at the time, w/me they wanted at least 10 movements before completing the test). if baby isn't moving at all, they'll buzz him awake (its a little wand that vibrates and makes a loud noise, they just put it on your belly to wake up baby and get him moving, doesn't hurt actually tickles a bit) the point is to determine if you should be induced or if they can continue to wait til you go into labor naturally. hope that helps a bit.

They're not painful to you, don't worry. It's nothing like the cardiac stress tests. I went for them twice a week for months. It's cool to hear the heartbeat. Everyone else covered what happens, I just wanted to reassure you that it doesn't hurt. Oh, they can see if you're contracting too.

Thank you for your answers ladies! You gave me the info I wanted & also put my mind at ease!!

Oh man I used to LOVE mine. I had to go in twice a week. I got to sit in a recliner with my feet up. THey'd hook up the heart and contraction monitors, and hand me the clicker to press when I felt a kick. I also got to have a shoulder massage thingy (those things you drape over your seat) while I did it. I usually only got to heart DS's heart beat. THe little goober wouldn't sit still so the nurses had to chase him with the monitor. HE actually kicked it off a couple of times. DD was no problem, although she gave DS a few kicks back LOL!