32 Weeks Pregnant!

I am 32 weeks pregnant! Officially starting my 8th month of pregnancy. Right now I have only 6 or 7 weeks left...crazy to think! AND if they induce at 37 weeks that means only 5 weeks left. I can't wait! I just want this baby girl here safe and sound. She is constantly moving which is very reassuring to me.

Monday is my first Nonstress Test. I am looking forward to the monitoring. I will go twice weekly for the NST's. Here is a little blurb about what exactly a NST is:

What is a nonstress test? This simple, painless procedure is done during pregnancy to evaluate your baby's condition. During the test, your healthcare practitioner or a technician monitors the baby's heartbeat, first while the baby is resting and then while he's moving. Just as your heart beats fast when you're active, the baby's heart rate should go up when she's moving or kicking.

What's the procedure like? You may be advised to eat a meal just before the test in the hope that eating will stimulate your baby to move around more. Although there's no hard evidence that this works, it can't hurt. It's also a good idea to use the bathroom before the test, because you'll be lying strapped to a monitor for up to an hour. During the procedure, you lie on your left side, possibly with a wedge under your back that allows you to lean back. A technician straps two devices to your belly: One that monitors your baby's heartbeat and movement, the other records contractions in your uterus. The technician listens to and watches your baby's heartbeat on an electronic screen while your contractions are recorded on paper. If your baby's not moving, she could be asleep. You might be asked to drink some water, juice, or soda to get her going, or the technician might nudge him gently through your abdomen or try to wake him with a buzzer. In some cases, you'll be asked to press a button when you feel the baby move. The test usually takes 20 to 60 minutes.

What do the results mean? If your baby's heart beats faster (at least 15 beats per minute over his resting rate) while he's moving for at least 15 seconds on two seperate occasions during a 20-minute span, the result is normal, or "reactive." A normal result means that your baby is probably doing fine for now. Your practitioner may want to repeat the test every week (or more often) until your baby's born. If you baby's heart doesn't beat faster while he's moving or your baby doesn't move after about 90 minutes, the result is "nonreactive." A nonreactive result doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong. It just means that the test didn't provide enough information and you may need to take it again in an hour or take other tests such as a biophysical profile or contraction stress test. However, a nonreactive result could indicate that your baby isn't getting enough oxygen or that there are problems with the placenta. If your practioner thinks that your baby's no longer doing well in the womb, she'll probably decide to induce labor.

So that is a nonstress test in a nutshell according to BabyCenter.com. I will update again tomorrow after the test to let you all know how it went. I also have an OB appointment on Wednesday and I am going to discuss my options of inducing earlier than 39 weeks. I just feel that after 37 weeks this baby is no longer safe inside of me. I am hoping to get a lot of information from my OB about my options.

And as always, What's going on at 32 weeks according to BabyCenter.com:
By now, she weights around 3.75 lbs and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.