Bed rest was one of the hardest things I’ve been through in my life. Not because I’m whiny and bored (ok, maybe a little) or one of those people who claim to need physical activity to maintain sanity. No, I’m actually quite content with lounging around and watching all four Twilight movies in a day.
My hospital bed rest was made exponentially more upsetting because I was leaving my 20-month-old son behind. I had barely spent a night away from him, and suddenly I was only seeing him every other day for a couple of hours. I was really depressed and I had a hard time focusing on the goal of a healthy baby girl.
Surviving Bed Rest
It seems like just a distant memory now, but still very vivid in my mind. If you’re sitting in a hospital room right now looking for some encouragement, try these tips.
Openly Accept Visitors
Make it very clear to all of your friends, family and coworkers (the ones you like) that this isn’t necessarily a time for peace and quiet and solitude. You would adore their company and they do not need to feel intrusive by stopping by. Having company is a fantastic way to break up your days and that social interaction is much needed.
Keep yourself feeling productive and your brain engaged. I spent a lot of my time on my computer working on this blog. I also wrote lots of updates on what was happening with my pregnancy. Giving people a place to hear my story and send me encouraging messages was a gift.
I also picked out several projects and crafts I found from Pinterest, made a list of the items I needed, and had my mom or husband pick them up/bring them from home. Find something you love to do or learn something new. It sounds silly, but even a coloring book and crayons is a fun activity.
It’s obvious that you are going to get bored and it will happen fast. Daytime television is crappy and there are only so many reruns of Friends you can watch. At the hospital I stayed in, they sent someone in to help teach us how to knit. It was a sweet gesture and I was excited for a minute to learn until I realized I just didn’t have the patience for it.
I ordered a Netflix subscription (the kind where the DVD’s come in the mail) and had them delivered to me in the hospital. I chose television shows I hadn’t seen before and started with season one. I also ordered a lot of movies.
Books and magazines are really great to have around as well. You’ve got to fill your entire day from sun up to sun down, sitting in a bed, so having several different things to do is good.
If you’re trapped in the hospital for your stint on bed rest like I was, you are going to become so disgusted by the hospital food. There was only a handful of things I liked on their menu so that meant I was rotating the same four meals for lunch and dinner every day. It got old fast. Give yourself a budget or choose a day each week that you get to spoil your pregnant tummy with your favorite foods.
Take A Shower, Put On A Little Make-up
You’ve got to make yourself feel human and not like a lazy lump of coal. I had a little routine every day where I would take a shower around 10am and then sit in the bed and slowly put on make-up, dried my hair and painted my nails. Plus, it’s something to occupy your time, and you need that.
Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.
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