Take one of the thousands of free online courses from top universities and organizations. Dive into an online foreign language course. Plan weekly menus, balance the checkbook, overhaul your budget and get a head start on your tax preparation. Tackle all of those projects you’ve been putting off: overdue correspondence, scrapbooking, photo albums, recipe updating, bill paying. Keep a cooler within easy reach filled with water and healthy snacks, have your phone and electronic devices nearby, and assemble other items like tissues, remote controls, reading and writing materials, extra pillows and warm blankets. Stock up with everything you need close by your bed or couch. This helps break up the day, prevents boredom and gives you a feeling of accomplishment. Schedule your day using a to-do list that you can check off as you go. Here are some tips from other women who’ve experienced prolonged periods of bed rest during pregnancy: Help yourself sail through this part of your pregnancy as gracefully and comfortably as possible by retaining as much control as you can over how you spend your time. Studies show that these undesirable side effects are the most challenging for women on the strictest form of bed rest. Child care and finances can be sources of stress if you’re unable to work or care for your household in the way you are accustomed. Some women feel isolated, lonely, anxious, guilty or depressed. Bones and muscles may weaken, and the cardiovascular deconditioning can slow your ability to get back to your usual activities after you give birth.īed rest can take an emotional toll not only on you, but on the rest of the family as well. Many women experience joint pain and muscle aches during bed rest, and the inactivity can increase the risk of blood clots, especially in the veins in your legs. Will the restrictions be lifted if my symptoms improve?.Is it safe to perform gentle stretching or other types of exercise?.Is sexual activity OK? If so, what kinds and how much? Are orgasms safe?.Do I need to lie on one side or stay in a certain position?.Can I get up to shower or use the bathroom?.Can I do normal household chores and take care of my other kids?.Once your doctor has explained why you need bed rest and for how long, be sure you ask clarifying questions to learn exactly what this means for you: In stricter cases, women may have to lie on their sides at all times and make do with bedpans and sponge baths. “Bed rest” can mean anything from a slight decrease in your activity level to only being allowed to sit or recline for most of the time except while toileting and showering. What does “bed rest” actually mean for you? History of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.High blood pressure, such as preeclampsia or eclampsia.Signs, symptoms or test results indicating poor fetal development.Contractions and other advanced signs of preterm labor.Cervical changes, such as incompetent cervix or cervical effacement that might cause the cervix to dilate prematurely.Placenta complications, such as placental abruption, placenta previa and placenta accreta.What are some of the circumstances and conditions that might lead your OB/GYN to feel that bed rest is a valuable safeguard and a good option at some point in your pregnancy? Some reasons include: The Mayo Clinic advises that bed rest does increase blood flow to the placenta and can slightly increase a baby’s birth weight. Most studies on bed rest have not found evidence that it lowers the risk of complications or preterm birth, and although doctors are recommending it less frequently today, almost “one out of five women is on restricted activity or bed rest at some point during her pregnancy,” according to WebMD. But if bed rest is new for you, you’re probably wondering how you’ll make it through the challenges posed by bed rest during pregnancy. Women with previous high-risk pregnancies may expect to be prescribed prolonged bed rest at some point in their pregnancy. Although bed rest sounds like a ticket to heaven for some pregnant women, it can feel like a sentence to jail for others.
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