Bedrest

Why would a doctor prescribe bedrest?

Bedrest During Pregnancy
Bedrest is a common practice during pregnancy to help control or prevent some pregnancy complications. Bedrest can differ from woman to woman. Some conditions require longer bedrest than others. The amount of bedrest may range from simple resting at home to full bedrest and monitoring in a hospital. Occasionally, doctors will recommend bedrest for the duration of a woman's pregnancy. It is hard to be excited when you need to be getting things ready for the new baby and can't because of bedrest. Bedrest may prevent you from going to work or taking care of daily tasks at home. It is normal and common to be worried about your health and your baby's health. With careful monitoring and doctor supervision, your bedrest should help prevent any possible complications.

Try to greet each day with a smile, follow a routine and make the best of your time. The day can seem lengthy and boring if you do not have anything to keep you occupied. Here are some ideas to help you get through the day:

Take a brief shower or bath-ask your doctor first
If possible, put on regular clothes
Eat three balanced meals and two snacks
Engage in activities
Take a short nap

You need to keep a few things near you during the day. Bedrest will lose its benefit if you continuously have to get up to get needed items. If you need something that you do not have, ask for help:

a few comfortable clothes or robes/gowns
bras and underwear
slippers
telephone and phone numbers
paper, pencils, and address book.
any necessary medications
watch or clockdeodorant, shampoo, makeup, etc.
brush,comb and mirror
magazines, books, puzzles, calendar, and craft projects
laptop computer, if possible

Things To Do While On Bedrest:

Small craft items. If you are in the hospital, they may have an activities therapist that can visit you. If your hospital does not offer this service, ask family members of friends to bring you something that interests you.
Read. Most hospitals have libraries that you can borrow books from. Use your time in the hospital to finish up a book that you have been wanting to read. Have friends or family bring you parenting and baby magazines, or other magazines that you like.
Mail. Use this time to write to friends and family that you have not talked to in awhile. Put your cards and letters up in your room. Encourage friends and family to use an email service if your hospital offers it.
Keep a journal. More than likely, you will forget details of your pregnancy. Write down your feelings, thoughts and anything special that occurs. Work in the baby's book.
Music/movies: Many hospitals have a patient library that you can borrow from. Ask if the patient library has cassette tapes, videos and VCR's to reserve. Your nurse may be able to provide you with educational videos about birth, pregnancy and premature babies.
Learn: Ask your nurse for information about being on bedrest. If there is a particular reason for your bedrest, ask to see literature on that subject.
Crosswords puzzles and other brain teasers: These can be a fun, challenging way of passing away the hours.
Organize photo albums, recipe books, update address books, etc..

Family And Friends Can Help:

Calling your room throughout the week to see how you are and if you need anything.
Helping in the house with chores, cooking, paying bills, and childcare.
Visitation is an important way that friends or family can help you. You won't feel so lonely if you have visitors from time to time.

Your Other Children:

As long as your children are not sick, they should visit you as often as possible. When they can not visit, talk to them on the phone.
Keep pictures of your children near your bed. You may want to post pictures they have drawn for you also.
Encourage your children to talk about how they feel. It is hard having mom out of the picture for awhile.
If on bedrest at home, you should have someone that can help out with the children and household duties.

It is important that you help the nurses and doctors help you. They will probably want you to keep track of baby's movements, contractions and any changes in how you physically feel. You should be recording how much you drink and eat. If you are not catheterized, you should also keep track of your urine output. Watch for signs of illness and notify your nurse or doctor if you are not feeling well.

Your doctor may prescribe bed est for any number of reasons. Normally he or she has found a complication that bedrest will help with. It is in the best interest of you and your growing baby to cooperate with the doctor's decision and rest to ensure a healthy pregnancy. If you are experiencing high blood pressure, vaginal bleeding, premature labor, poor fetal movement or have gestational diabetes you may be a candidate for bedrest. Bedrest may also help you if you are having multiples or have a history of pregnancy loss, stillbirth or premature birth. An incompetent cervix, early dilation and any type of placenta problem may also require bedrest.

In most cases, you will be asked to sleep or rest on your side, preferably the left side, with your knees or hips bent. The best position for bedrest will depend on your situation and what complication your healthcare provider is trying to address or prevent. You may be asked to lie on your back while being propped up with pillows or lying on your back with your hips or legs elevated higher than your shoulders.

Bedrest Discomforts
Even though you are resting in the bed, you will probably experiene some discomforts. Because you are going to be lying down for long periods of time, bedrest will likely cause your muscles to loose tone and make some of your joints ache. Changing from side to side will help stimulate your muscles and relieve pressure. Your blood circulation will also be poor and if your doctor agrees, mild exercise would ensure better circulation. Turning your feet and arms in circles, pressing your hands and feet against the bed, tensing or tightening your arms and leg muscles and massages can help relieve some discomfort. If your doctor allows, a nice bath may do the trick as well.

You should ask your doctor if you have any questions about what exactly bedrest means. Some women can do light activities, while others can not. Some activities that many women question are: cooking, light chores, walking, bathing, driving, exercise and sexual intercourse. It is very important that you not overdo your activities.

There are many support groups that you can be involved in even when you are on bedrest. If you belong to a church, see if they can arrange for a weekly prayer and communion visit. Take advantage of the many internet sites that offer support and advice for other women who are also on bedrest. If you are in the hospital, ask your nurse if there are any programs set up for women to gather and share their feelings and friendship with one another.

Comments: Bedrest

Comments 176 to 199 of about 199.
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cosita - 374 days ago.
Hello lovely powerful ladies of bedrest. I am attaching a link for a Petition for Preemies. We are all on this site for information and support. More importantly the bedrest forum is here especially for that. We, you are on bedrest to avoid having a preemie, so please check out the sight. Thanks and may you all go on to have FULL-TERM HEALTHY BABIES!

elliel - 377 days ago.
rebneter - poor you - sounds horrid. HOpe you are holding up o.k....how much longer do you have stay in hospital? EVERYONE - I'm still having such trouble sleeping. Got just 2 hours last night and I feel horrid. But I dont want to catch up during the day as I know I will send my body clock loopy. Is everyone else having teh same problem?

rebneter - 380 days ago.
bedrest wasn't so bad when i was at home but it really sucks in the hospital... they all but have tied me to the bed!!

elliel - 380 days ago.
Ladies - BESTREST ROCKS! My cervix has grown even more and is now at 31mm. My previously skeptical dr. is now saying that everything I've been doing is right...so to keep on with it . So more bedrest but I don't care because it's working. HAPPYHAYLEY - my dr. is similar so I have to do a lot of my own research (it can be scary cause you get all the worse case scenerios - but at least you know what's possible and what isn't)....then I bombard him with questions and scenerios he has to answer!

happyhayley - 381 days ago.
she's good about that being on the case but she explains nothing. Like I have a fibroid and I'm like well how does that effect the baby and she's just like oh nothing to worry about till it gets bigger. she tells me what i have and what I need to do to fix it like high blood pressure and bed rest but never tells me what is the reason what happens if i am not put on bed rest. not that it matters but its always nice to know. Like in high school where you want to know why you need to learn calculus...still haven't found out why in my life.

elliel - 381 days ago.
happyhayley - your dr. should really tell you...but I assume it's because high blood pressure can be an early sign of pre-eclampsia (ladies correct me if I'm wrong!)....which if untreated can be dangerous for you and the baby.... I really don't know much about it so hopefully someone will post here that does! But I do know that bedrest can bring down high blood pressure so maybe that's why he's suggesting it as possibility. Good luck with it - sounds like your dr. is on the case which is a good thing!

sdonbedrest - 381 days ago.
Thanks Elliel, I hope you make it though his moods. My DH has quite atleast 6 times for a week each time and I know how the moods are.. Normally I just try and work as much as possible to avoid him, but that would be impossible now..

happyhayley - 381 days ago.
My blood pressure is high apparently. My dr. says if this continues I will be put on bed rest. Why? What will that do? If I don't stay in bed what will happen?

Irenemow - 381 days ago.
Elliel, thank you for welcoming me! I am still here :) The drs cannot say anything for sure, they hope for the best, but prepare me for the worst. I had an u/s today, the techician said that the fluid level has decreased since the last week, I am a bit concern...

elliel - 381 days ago.
sdonbedrest....to be honest it's not the best time for him to do it as he's already feeling grumpy and stressed and this is making it worse :-( The inhaler things are funny. they are supposed to look a bit like cigarettes...and you sort of suck on them...but in reality they look like tampax (sorry tmi!!) so he can only use them at home or at work! I think the only real tip is he just got in the right frame of mind. He's tried before becuase 'he thought he should' and it didn't work...but this time my 5 year old has been going on about how dangerous smoking is (he doesn't know DH smokes but is very anti other people who smoke) and he's thinking about the baby...so he's doing it cause the time is right. Not sure if that makes sense...but I suppose what I mean is its always failed when he's felt pressured into it and now he's decided himself I think he'll do it! God help us get through the moods though!

sdonbedrest - 382 days ago.
Elliel- that is great that your DH quit smoking. Mine has tried everything to quit, Zyban, patch, gum, hypnotist, Chantix.. he always quits for a bit and then goes back. How do the inhaler things work? I know he just has to really want it and he will be able to do it.. He was all ready to quit- pre bedrest and now with him doing everything I feel bad. I really hope he quits before the baby comes though. Do you have any tips?

elliel - 382 days ago.
I know - it's the mental stress as well as the physical. You have so much time to dwell (and internet surf) on the worst cases...which we all know we mustn't do but sometimes can't help ourselves. My hubby has just given up smoking and along with that and looking after us all he's having hard time. He is usually really not a moaner but he just rung at lunchtime saying he was scared as he had heart palpations and a pain in his chest. Sent me into a frenzy of panic...but upon further discussion I discovered he'd had a 4 shot coffee followed by another double shot, he had on his nicotine patch plus he'd been puffing on those plastic nicotine dispensers...no wonder he's got palpatations! He's feeling better now and my internet researching managed to set him at ease too as I found quite a few people saying the same thing. I do wish we could have a few weeks/months of no panics though! Mrs Denney - great to have you checking in....and we look forward to hearing how your little man progresses. My DH is taking my little boy to the local firework display tonight. I love doing that with him and it does make me sad missing out on being with them....I'm hoping it'll be safe by the time he's in his school play for me to go watch that....I'll have to see what my cervix is doing! Hope you are all holding up o.k....

mrsdenney - 382 days ago.
hey ladies! for those of you having problems with people thinking bedrest is easy....tell them where they can stick their opinions. its one of the hardest things you will have to do. and its so important you dont even know. i gave birth to my 30 week premie on sunday morning and the only thing that helped us last that long was bedrest. otherwise i would have lost him. they want to talk about how its a vacation? let them go through the horrors of thinking you are going to lose your precious child!

jennllewis - 383 days ago.
I hve to say just for the record I HATE BEDREST!!! I thought that I would never say that...All I want to do is go outside..or to work. I have been on bedrest for 2 weeks for preeclampsia..

kimmeym - 383 days ago.
Oh and Ellie i have the same problem as you. My friends and hubby keeps telling me I'm on vacation. I always tell him try having a baby growing in you and then tell me this is vacation. Besides that bedrest is not the best for someone who loves moving around. I wanted to work right down to the end and now it looks like I'm going to have to start maternity early. But my son is so worth it. I just have some weak moments when bedrest gets to me.

kimmeym - 383 days ago.
I love being pregnant everyone that knows me, knows that but wow I'm miserable right now. I'm so uncomfortable and because I'm bedrest I have to stay in bed and no spot on this bed feels comfortable. Isn't it too early to feel this way? I'm only in week 27 and my body feels so cramped. The baby feels like he is right under my ribs. anyone else having this problem. I guess i just want company sorry ladies.

sdonbedrest - 383 days ago.
LOL!! That is so funny Elliel! I have another friend who is pregnant right now, not on bedrest, and she thought 'why couldn't it have been me'. Funny, I kindof thought the same thing for her.. She has a job that would have paid her for 5 months and she LOVES to sleep and LOVES tv!! I honestly think she would be enjoying it.. For those of us never sit still it is hard... I think my DH would kindof enjoy it too. He would get caught up on every movie and book... I miss work and not being breathless when I get the mail, but it is getting more tolerable especially now that it is cooling down outside.. I imagine when winter arrives I will be happy I don't have to go into my cold work and wait for the heater to warm up..

elliel - 383 days ago.
goodness - does everyone else get annoyed with non bedrester's comments about bedrest. If I hear one more time from someone that 'it must be nice just being able to relax all day' I think I'll shoot someone. I do understand that if we were all on bedrest for 1 week only and able to get up - do nice things then go back to bed it would be a bit of a laugh...but truely does anyone rational really think it's fun to be in bed all day for weeks on end...urghhh....rant over. It's just that I had 4 people email me today (work contacts) saying 'enjoy the break etc etc' -

elliel - 384 days ago.
irenemow - welcome to the bedrest forum! Poor you stuck in hospital. We have a few other ladies in here also doing that. It is so scary but there are so many positive stories out there too...have the drs given you any idea how long they are aiming for with you (though they are often wrong...Mrs Denney I'm sure will tell you that her drs get saying every week she was about to give birth and she's proved them all wrong and is now at 30 weeks). Quite a few of us are just taking it a week at a time as each week makes such a difference. I hope you know that at 26 weeks your litttle is well within viability - but each day and week we can all hold out makes such a difference. do let us know how you get on.

Irenemow - 384 days ago.
Hi ladies, I have been on the bedrest in the hospital for a week. My water broke at 25 weeks, a week ago. It is my first and probably the last child! I am so scared. Good luck to all of you.

JT1228 - 384 days ago.
Thank you ladies...it's good to have someone who can relate and give positive feedback.

sdonbedrest - 385 days ago.
Hi JT- Yes, it is hard, but will all be worth it in the end. I just completed my first 4 weeks of bedrest, with a min of 10 more left. It gets easier as it goes. Elliel had some great suggestions. I am lucky to be able to do lots of my work from home so I try and get it 6 or 7 hours a day and take breaks on this blog.. I have a lawn chair set up outside that I go lay on for about 1/2 hour a day. I am in CA so it is warm here, but even if you are somewhere cold you could go out with a blanket. It is just nice to get out for a bit. I also have a routine that I do every day and it makes the day go very fast. I always set aside a little time in the morning for a 'workout' which alternates every other day on which arm exercises I do and 180 ankle rolls on each side. It helps me feel like I am doing something productive. I never had enough time to do anything before so I am taking advantage of this like organizing my computer, filing for my office (box set up), paying bills, working on tax stuff, and many other projects that I have put off for years. I am also reading lots of baby books when I finish my work. Once the baby comes you won't have much time so try and think all the things you normally can't get to. I strongly dislike not going to work and laying around all day, but I am amazed with how much I am getting accomplished! My mom, sis, and a friend all brought me knitting needles, yarn, how to videos, ect. I haven't had the time to learn yet, but my goal is to make things will all of the yarn that people brought before bedrest ends. Knitting is something I would have NEVER considering doing before and frankly have never had the time for. I look forward to learning this new skill that I probably never would have tried without bedrest. Try to think of something you have always wanted to learn! I am also taking two online classes that will further me with my business. I had the materials for months, but again never any time. That is one satisfying aspect of bedrest.. Hope this helps..

elliel - 385 days ago.
Jt - I have found that getting a schedule is sort of helping (not much though!)....I make sure I do change my clothes in the morning so that I'm not in PJ's all day and do a a couple of hours work in the morning on the laptop (my brain shuts down after that for some reason). Have you got all teh baby stuff you need? Once I hit 28 weeks I think I'm going to be spending quite a lot of time sorting out stuff like that online. Also I've already started buying christmas presents online...I just make sure they are delivered to my DH's work so I don't have to go downstairs and answer the door... My sidelines lady told me she got all her christmas cards done - sort of thing I'd never normally do - but I suppose it makes sense as who knows what will be happening at christmas?! My brother got me the 24 DVD set so I end up watching a few hours of that....and then it's a book...some internet research (usually scaring myself with Incompetenet cervix info research). I'm lucky in that my Mum comes over 2 x a week and my little boy gets back from school at 4ish so he comes up and keeps me company while we do his homework then play games and watch TV together. I don't think there is a magic solution - it is so so boring...but I keep reminding myself that it is massively better than sitting in NICU....

JT1228 - 386 days ago.
I am going crazy...This is my 3rd week of bed rest and I don't know how I am going to keep doing this. I am finally bored with reading, movies, cross words... I just want to go somewhere. I want to be outside. I want to be able to see more than these 4 walls...I could use some ideas, ladies. All of my friends and family work during hte day and I understand their lives haven't stopped just because mine has. I just want to cry