Kicks & Flutters offers at home Non Stress Test (NST) pregnancy monitoring throughout Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. For many pregnant patients, NSTs become a regular part of the third trimester, with testing needed weekly, twice weekly, or more frequently depending on the pregnancy and the recommendations of their OB/GYN or Maternal Fetal Medicine provider.
The test itself is simple. Getting to the appointment is not always so simple.
Between work schedules, childcare, transportation, long drives, frequent medical appointments, and the physical demands of late pregnancy, repeated trips to a hospital or office for fetal monitoring can become exhausting.
Kicks & Flutters now offers another option: an at home Non-Stress Test throughout Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
How an At Home Non-Stress Test Works?
A Non-Stress Test, commonly called an NST, is a form of fetal surveillance used during pregnancy. It monitors the baby’s heart rate and uterine activity over a period of time while the baby is not under the stress of labor.
The fetal heart rate tracing is evaluated for characteristics including baseline heart rate, variability, accelerations, decelerations, and uterine activity.
NSTs are commonly ordered for pregnancies that require increased fetal surveillance, including certain high risk pregnancies and maternal or fetal conditions that warrant closer monitoring.
Instead of requiring every NST to take place inside a traditional office or hospital setting, Kicks & Flutters brings the monitoring to the patient’s home.
How At Home NST Testing Works
Kicks & Flutters uses an FDA cleared fetal monitoring system that allows Non Stress Testing to be completed from the comfort of home.
Patients can relax in their own space while fetal heart rate and uterine activity are recorded.
For patients using Kicks & Flutters’ interpretation service, the completed NST is interpreted by a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician.
This gives patients access to professional fetal surveillance without adding another trip to an already busy pregnancy schedule.
An Option for Patients Who Need Repeated NSTs
For patients who need ongoing testing, the monitoring belt can also be rented.
This can be especially valuable for patients who require frequent NSTs and want a more affordable and convenient way to complete repeated monitoring.
Once the patient has been instructed on proper use, NSTs can be completed from home without scheduling an in home visit from Kicks & Flutters for every test.
If the patient’s own OB/GYN provides NST interpretation, the tracing can be sent to that provider for interpretation.
Patients who do not have a provider available to interpret their NST can use Kicks & Flutters’ Maternal Fetal Medicine interpretation service.
An interpretation fee still applies whether the NST is interpreted through the patient’s own provider or through Kicks & Flutters’ MFM physician.
This gives patients and practices flexibility in deciding how ongoing fetal monitoring will be managed.
What If Additional Testing Is Needed?
Sometimes an NST is followed by additional fetal assessment.
Kicks & Flutters also offers medical pregnancy ultrasound, including Biophysical Profiles.
When a BPP is performed following an NST, it is available at a reduced cost. This was intentionally structured to help reduce the financial burden for self pay patients who need additional testing.
Instead of arranging another appointment at another location, the patient can have access to both fetal monitoring and ultrasound through Kicks & Flutters.
A New Option for OB/GYN and MFM Practices
At home NST testing is not only about patient convenience. It can also provide another resource for obstetric practices.
Patients who require frequent fetal surveillance can create additional scheduling demands for busy offices, especially when testing is needed once or twice each week.
Kicks & Flutters can provide the at home monitoring portion of that care while allowing the patient’s established provider to remain involved.
Practices that interpret their own NSTs can receive the patient’s tracing for review. Practices that do not want to provide the interpretation can have the NST interpreted through Kicks & Flutters’ MFM physician.
The goal is not to replace the patient’s obstetric provider. It is to make prescribed fetal surveillance easier to access and easier to complete.
Self Pay With Superbill Available
Kicks & Flutters is a self-pay service that also accepts HSA/FSA if available to the patient.
A superbill can be provided for patients who would like to submit their services to their insurance company for possible out of network reimbursement when their individual plan allows.
This model also allows patients to access testing without waiting for Kicks & Flutters to obtain insurance authorization or participate with a specific insurance network.
Fetal Monitoring Without Another Waiting Room
Pregnancy can involve a lot of appointments, particularly when additional fetal surveillance becomes necessary.
The monitoring still matters.
Where it happens can be more flexible.
At Home Non Stress Testing gives patients another way to complete important fetal surveillance while remaining connected with their OB/GYN or Maternal Fetal Medicine provider.
Kicks & Flutters provides At Home Non-Stress Testing throughout Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, with options for individual NST appointments, ongoing home monitoring, MFM interpretation, and medical pregnancy ultrasound when additional fetal assessment is needed.
To learn more about At Home Non Stress Testing or discuss options for your patients, contact Kicks & Flutters At Home Ultrasound.
