There's one main reason that most mamas are told they need to go on bed rest during pregnancy - to...
There's one main reason that most mamas are told they need to go on bed rest during pregnancy - to prevent preterm labor. However, you could be put on bed rest for other reasons as well such as first trimester bleeding. Bed rest can be a few days, a few weeks, and sometimes longer. Bed rest can also be light or extreme. By light, I mean you may be allowed to get up once in a while, say, to use the restroom or shower. Extreme (or strict) bed rest means no getting up ever (yup bedpans and sponge baths) and you may even have to carry out this bed rest in a hospital. Obviously, bed rest is not the ideal situation. While lazing about in bed can sound really cool, it's actually very dull and tiring after a while, plus some reseach suggests that bed rest may not even help as much as some doctors think. If you are put on bed rest you can make the time a little better by doing the following... Have your prenatal provider or a physical therapist show you the correct way to use your muscles. Sitting in bed can be hard on your body, especially since you'll likely be moving about to read, use the laptop, or watch TV. All these activities use your muscles and keeping them supple is important. Get busy with some low-key activities. Bed rest doesn't offer much in entertainment, but most women can still do things like keep a pregnancy journal, knit baby blankets, fill out baby shower thank you cards, or do things like crossword puzzles. Keep a stash of DVDs, books, magazines, your laptop, and other low-key activities close by, maybe in a basket near your bed. Keep in touch. Your laptop may be your saving grace if you're on bed rest. You can join a forum with other women on bed rest, start a blog, chat with pals via instant messaging, and more. PLUS you can even shop for all that baby gear you need online. Were you on bed rest? How did you handle it?
