An Overachiever Like Mama

This morning was my first non-stress test (NST, if you are trying to keep track of the MANY acronyms involved in prenatal appointments). From here on out (32 weeks today!) I will have one per week to monitor Baby G's heart rate and uterine movement.

8:45 AM is not usually Baby's super active time--although truth be told, Baby is not 100% consistent in when it is time to move and groove (and practice karate, swimming, and whatever else goes on in there), but since I am able to sleep without too many interruptions, and overall the movement is consistent throughout the day, I'm all good with that--so I was a bit worried that we might fail.

This, of course, is worry that stems less, I think, from thinking something is wrong with Baby and more from my overachieving past of failure on a test being an unacceptable and never-to-be-experienced outcome. 

I was strapped in, with one monitor on baby's heartbeat and one on my uterus. (This is not me, but this is what it was like.)

Baby is, it seems, a bit of an overachiever like Mama, because it took all of 2 minutes before he/she/they was performing just as needed. That heart rate was spiking consistently (a good thing) and there were so many wriggles and kicks that the nurse didn't even wait for the doctor to finish his consult to assure me that all was good and I was free to leave.

I had brought some dried fruit (to inspire movement) and a book just in case I had to stay for a long time, but I barely managed 5 pages between chatting with the nurse and the speed at which the little nugget aced his/her/their first test!

(Not our actual results, but it looked somewhat like this. I had to hit a button every time I felt the baby move and it made those little black notches--I had way more...remember: A+🤓Couldn't tell you what the music notes mean here.)

Of note: I apparently had a contraction while being monitored, but I felt nothing. Either baby was moving and distracted me, or I just didn't feel it. The nurse said this is normal and actually a good thing. My body is practicing. (We just don't want the real thing to happen any time too soon!)