The words no expectant mom wants to hear from her prenatal caregiver, “you need to stay on complete bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy”. Immediately you wonder how on earth you are expected to be on complete bed rest and yet still finish everything that needs to be done before the baby arrives. Remember there is a very good reason for the doctor to put you on bed rest, the health and wellbeing of both you and your growing baby. Even with that in mind, being told to remain on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy is not news you want to hear, and it will not be easy.

A co-worker and friend of mine was the recipient of that delightful news from her own doctor in her 7th month of pregnancy. For two months she was on strict bed rest, she could get up only for very short periods for things like going to the bathroom, having a quick shower, and changing from the bed to the couch. I chatted with her about her experience so I could pass on her words of wisdom about how to best handle this trying time. Here is her advice for other mothers who are stuck on bed rest.

  • Keep a daily routine of changing from your PJs into regular clothes, shower, and do your hair. You will find that this will help keep you from feeling down about yourself and not quite so restricted.
  • Don’t take bed rest to mean you have to stay in bed. The whole idea is that you rest and that can just as easily be done on the couch during the day. You will quickly tire of the look of the four walls of your bedroom if you don’t opt for a change of scenery during the day.
  • If your bedroom is upstairs and you can’t climb stairs, work with your spouse to set up a sleeping area on the main floor of the house, but again be sure you arrange to have a change of scenery during the day.
  • Be sure you have all the things you will need during the day close by. Your partner can help make sure all the necessities are close at hand. You will need things like the phone, the TV remote, books and magazines, food and drinks, and anything else you think might be helpful to cure the boredom.
  • Invest in a good cooler to help keep your drinks and cold snacks cold, and something to keep the hot stuff, like soup, hot. You will certainly get sick of drinking lukewarm water or juice everyday if you can’t keep it cold.
  • Find a few friends and family members who are willing to take a little time out of their day to entertain you. Having someone drop by every so often to chat will definitely help cure the boredom you will most certainly feel during this time. They can also help with a few chores that need to be done while they are there. You will be surprised by how willing those around you are willing to lend a helping hand.
  • Think of all the things you can do while “laying around”, things like crafts such as knitting or needlepoint, organize photos, or whatever it is that you like to do. Be sure you have the stuff you need for these actives close at hand so you can include them in your day.
  • Since you will have so much time on your hands it is a great chance to make yourself read all those baby books you didn’t have time to read before. By the time the baby arrives you will be an expert!!

Bed rest is not a fun experience for anyone. It will be boring. Be sure you get very detailed instructions from your doctor of what you can and cannot do while on bedrest. They may even be able to provide you with some ideas on how to cure the boredom based on what their other patients have told them. Try to talk with other women who are currently in or have been in a similar situation. If you don’t personally know anyone there is a national support group called Sidelines that helps women get in touch with other women who have had a similar experience.

As I was chatting with my friend about her advice for other bedridden moms she kept saying over and over again how important it is to remember why you are in this situation in the first place. We all want to provide our child with the best start to life. If there are complications in your pregnancy, bed rest can help make sure the pregnancy goes full term, or at least as long as possible, and that both you and the baby are healthy. You are doing this for your baby it will help to keep that in mind when you are so bored you want to scream.