This is a way we check how much your baby's heart rate changes when your baby moves inside your uterus. We do this test with simple, safe monitoring devices we place on your skin. There is no risk of harm to you or your baby.
Why do you need this test? Well, we may recommend it for one of several different reasons. We may use it to check on your baby if you don't feel your baby moving as much as it usually does. We may give you this test if you're past your due date, or if you're pregnant with more than one baby. And we may use it if you have certain medical conditions, or if you've had complications during a past pregnancy.
How is it done? You lie down and we put a gel on the skin of your abdomen. Then, we put a belt around your belly area. The belt holds a monitor that listens to your baby's heartbeat through your skin. We may also put on another belt with a monitor that checks for contractions of your uterus. During the test, you may be asked to press a button on a device each time you feel your baby move. Sometimes, babies are asleep during the test. So we may use a noisemaker to wake them up.
After the test, we take off the belts and look at the data recorded by the monitors. Your healthcare provider will talk to you about the results of the test, what they mean, and any next steps we need to take.