Bed rest presents many challenges — and the opportunity to focus on your baby. Here's help making the best of it.
A prescription to stay in bed for days, weeks or even months may seem like a welcome break from real life. You can daydream while someone else handles the chores.
Then reality sets in. You can't go to work, shop for groceries or meet friends for a movie. If you're on complete bed rest, you may not even be able to shower or eat sitting up.
Your health care provider knows how difficult bed rest is — and won't ask you to alter your life so profoundly unless he or she is convinced there's no other choice. To make the best of the situation, focus on the fact that you're doing what's best for both you and your baby.
When it's needed
Most women are able to maintain their normal activities throughout pregnancy. Sometimes, however, it's better to slow down. A period of bed rest may be recommended at any point during pregnancy if:
- You have high blood pressure
- You're bleeding or having problems with the placenta
- You have an incompetent cervix, a condition in which the cervix is likely to open, or dilate, prematurely
- You have signs of preterm labor
- You're carrying twins or higher order multiples
- Your membranes have ruptured
What it means
Sometimes bed rest simply means decreasing your activity level for a period of time. You may be free to move about the house, as long as you avoid lifting children and doing heavy housework. Depending on the demands of your job, you may even be able to continue working.
In other cases, the guidelines are stricter. You may need to remain in a sitting or reclining position most of the time, only getting up to use the toilet or shower. You may not be allowed to work or do even light household chores until the baby is born.
If your health care provider prescribes total bed rest, you may need to lie on your side at all times — including when you eat. Personal hygiene may be limited to sponge baths and a bed pan.
Consider the benefits
Although bed rest isn't a proven remedy for preventing preterm birth or boosting infant birth weight, it may have various benefits:
- Decreased pressure on the cervix. Reclining decreases the pressure of the baby on your cervix, which may help stop preterm contractions or vaginal bleeding.
- Increased oxygen and nutrients to the baby. Bed rest increases blood flow to the placenta, which can boost your baby's growth.
- Improved maternal organ function. Bed rest can help your heart and kidneys work more efficiently.
Understand the side effects
Muscle aches and joint pain are common. You may feel weak, dizzy or short of breath when you stand up. Make sure someone's there to help you.
Emotionally, you may feel confined and isolated. Mood changes, guilt, anxiety and depression are common — and your partner may feel the same way. Child care is often a source of stress. If you're not able to work, finances may become a concern as well.
What you need to know
Just as every pregnancy is unique, every woman's experience with bed rest is unique — even from one pregnancy to the next. If your health care provider recommends bed rest, ask plenty of questions to make sure you understand the rules.
- Background. Why do I need bed rest? Are there any other options?
- Timing. How long will I be on bed rest? When will it begin? Will the restrictions be lifted if my symptoms improve?
- Position. Can I sit up? For how long? Can I move around the house for a change of scenery? Can I climb the stairs? When I lie down, do I need to use a certain position?
- Activity. May I eat dinner at the table? Work at the computer? Fold laundry or do other light chores? Drive a car? Take care of my kids? Do gentle stretching or other types of exercise?
- Sex. Can my partner and I have intercourse? Is oral sex OK? What about orgasms?
- Personal hygiene. May I get up to use the toilet? Take a shower? Wash my hair?
Making the best of it
Bed rest will be tough — but you can do it. Remember that each day of bed rest brings you one day closer to delivery. In the meantime, consider these tips:
- Get organized. Make sure everything you need is within reach — the telephone, your address book, a computer, a cooler stocked with bottles of water and healthy snacks, tissues, lip balm, hand wipes, the remote control, books and magazines, writing material, extra pillows, and so on.
- Schedule your day. Change into fresh clothes every morning. Plan specific times to connect with your partner, hang out with your kids, phone the office, read the newspaper and watch favorite shows.
- Beat boredom. E-mail your friends or write letters the old-fashioned way. Organize photos or start a scrapbook. Knit the baby a sweater. Read your way through the best-seller list. Learn relaxation techniques for labor. Plan weekly menus and grocery lists. Balance the checkbook, pay the bills and update your family's budget. Shop for baby goods online or from catalogs.
- Accept help. When friends and loved ones ask what they can do, be prepared with a list of specific tasks — mowing the lawn, shopping for groceries, picking up videos or library books, cleaning the bathroom, taking the kids to the park or simply keeping you company.
- Help older kids adjust. Kids often worry when the routine changes. Provide as much stability as you can, whether it's a regular baby sitter in the morning, a favorite aunt to pick them up from school or weekend visits from grandma and grandpa. Remind them why you must stay in bed — so the baby will be healthy when he or she is born. Do quiet activities together, such as reading books, coloring or watching movies.
- Seek support. Some days will be better than others. To help maintain a positive attitude, connect with other moms-to-be on bed rest or those who've lived to tell about it. Check for support groups, bulletin boards and chat rooms online.
- Face your finances. If bed rest becomes a financial burden, think creatively. Ask your mortgage holder and credit card companies if you can arrange for reduced interest or skipped payments while you're confined to bed.
- Expect emotional challenges. Share your fears, hopes and concerns with your partner. Let each other vent if needed. If sex is off limits, look for other ways to maintain intimacy. Take time to kiss, hug and caress.
If the isolation or frustration of bed rest is more than you can handle, consult your health care provider or a mental health professional for additional support. Look toward the future with your baby in your arms.
Last Updated: 05/23/2005
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