Reasons for a BPP

Your doctor or midwife will use the numbers given, along with other factors to decide what to do, if anything with your treatment. This may include doing nothing, waiting and repeating the test, inducing labor, or a cesarean.

Amniotic fluid levelsBody movementsBreathing movementsHeart rateMuscle tone

Here are some reasons that you may have a Biophysical Profile (BPP) ordered for your baby:

Other pregnancy complications that your practitioner thinks deserve a better look You are carrying multiples (twins or more) You are experiencing a complication of amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios) You have diabetes or gestational diabetes You have had a previous pregnancy loss (stillbirth) You have preeclampsia or other hypertensive disorder in pregnancy Your baby has intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) Your pregnancy has gone past your due date or past 40 weeks gestation

This may be a test that you have done once in your pregnancy, once a month or some other regularly scheduled timing. You can discuss what your practitioner is looking for and what the expected outcomes may be depending on what the numbers say. This explanation will also take into consideration other factors in your prenatal care.