If my babies dont pass the nst what could happen?

Question

I'm 34 weeks with twins and going for a nst tomorrow im worried they might not pass.

Answer 1

The nst is just to check on your babies heart rate and to see if you are having any contractions.  It's not really that big of a deal.  If they feel your babies are in danger they will take them out.  Most babies born at 34 weeks do pretty good. They spend some time in the NICU but they do ok.

Answer 2

It depends. They would probably follow up with an ultrasound and perform a Biophysical Profile (BPP) which looks for certain things like movement, muscle tone, breathing movements, and fluid levels.

If the BPP is ok, there is nothing to worry about and they will probably repeat the NST in another few days.

If the BPP isn't good, they would probably deliver the babies. If babies aren't thriving on the inside, it's time to deliver them, and at 34 weeks your babies would be just fine - just need a little extra time in the NICU or Special Care Nursery to feed and grow and stabilize.

**edited to add: The NST does not just check for contractions and check heart rate - there are specific things they need to see with the heart rate which show the baby is receiving enough oxygen through the placenta. There needs to be at least 2 accelerations above the baseline heart rate of 15 beats per minute, lasting for at least 15 seconds. There should also be variabilty in the heart rate, meaning it isn't a constant rate. There should also be no decelerations other than normal variability. If this criteria is not met, the NST is considered non-reactive, which will require the follow up BPP.