What happens during a non stress test?
A non stress test lasts about one hour. During the test, the pregnant woman is hooked up to fetal monitors. These monitors are similar to the bands you can expect to see during labor. The pregnant woman is also given a device that she will use to record movements. Each time the woman feels the baby move or kick, she should push the device. The object of the non stress test is to monitor and evaluate the fetal heart rate during periods of rest and activity. In a healthy situation, the fetal heart rate will increase when the baby begins moving and starts kicking. These results show the doctor that the fetus is receiving proper amounts of oxygen and is in no fetal distress.
