NST+BPP= 10/10

That's the text message I sent to my husband (who was trapped in policeman training) this morning after I left my OB appointment.
His response was, "Sounds good? You can explain it later."

It occurred to me, looking back, that it probably looked like an algebra problem.

In plain English, it means that we added 2 more points to Parker's biophysical profile score (click HERE if you missed the post explaining that) today, thus putting him at a perfect 10 out of 10 for the week.

Amniotic fluid level = 2/2
Fetal muscle tone = 2/2
Fetal movement count = 2/2
"Practice breathing"= 2/2
Non-stress test (fetal heart rate spikes in relation to fetal movement) = 2/2

Week 1 of 5= perfection!

My non-stress test today was like watching a comedy show. It was the best example I have seen in a while of a doctor realizing he relies on his nurses for a whole heck of a lot.

I go to a tiny tiny tiny OB-GYN practice. It is only one doctor and approximately 5 nurses (this is essentially unheard of in Atlanta. I, however, would never have it any other way! They are like family there). Dr. Sermons worked with my mom at Shallowford Hospital when she was a NICU nurse. He's been my doctor since I was 18. He is the kindest, dearest, most wonderful man. He might weigh 87 pounds and he wears black loafer dress shoes with his blue scrubs. He is also a doctor of pharmacy. He ALWAYS smells good. When other doctors find out I am a patient of his, they say, "You are a lucky lady." ER and L&D nurses squeal "WE LOVE HIM!" when they read my charts. There's nobody in this whole world I would trust more to care for me and my babies.

He is a brilliant doctor.

Today, I learned that he hasn't had to set up a fetal monitor in... ummm.. quite a while.

Because his office is so tiny, the need to administer non-stress tests is pretty small. He had a nurse, Maggie, who was in charge of getting the whole thing set up before he came in to read the results. Maggie recently left his office (DEVASTATED), and today he decided he could get me all hooked up for NST #1 with no problem.

There was much cursing under his breath. "Where am I supposed to plug this thing in?" At one point he was crawling around on the floor, but he was bound and determined to get that thing set up himself. I laughed until I cried.

He did, however, use it as a teachable moment. I had all the new nurses crammed in my room while he got the manual and some textbooks and held a little seminar on hooking up the monitor and reading the results. At least I will be giving them 4 more practice runs at it in the coming month.

Parker performed beautifully-- Dr. Sermons had told me to have a Coke on my way down to the office so he'd be awake. Within 10 minutes we had more than enough heart rate spikes due to fetal movement, and I went on my merry way. Donut for the P-nut and a happy mama!

Back to the perinatologist Friday. Jiminy crickets.