Pregnancy and Chronic Pain
Bed Rest
Women with high-risk pregnancies are sometimes advised by their health care providers to stay in bed until the baby’s delivery. Bed rest is most often prescribed for women who have complications, including preeclampsia, contractions, high blood pressure, vaginal bleeding and premature labor, but can also be recommended for women who are pregnant with multiple children, who have a history of pregnancy complications or who suffer from another chronic disease or condition. If the baby is determined to be struggling or is not developing in the way he or she should be, the health care provider may also put an otherwise perfectly healthy woman on bed rest to protect the fetus.
Health care providers can recommend bed rest at any point during the pregnancy to lessen the physical and emotional stress of daily living and allow the woman’s body the time and energy to focus on the baby within. Depending on the condition, the health care provider may allow limited movement within the house (without exertion of any kind) or ask that the woman remain in bed except for quick trips to the bathroom. In serious cases, the health care provider will admit the woman to the hospital so that medical professionals can monitor her and the baby more closely. The time recommended for bed rest can range from a week or two to the duration of the pregnancy.
If your health care provider wants you to go on bed rest, try to get as many details as possible about what you can and cannot do. A good place to start is by thinking about your daily life, and the activities your pursue, and asking about each of them. For instance, good questions to ask might be, “Can I take a shower?” or “Can I eat my meals sitting up?” Get the details in writing, and make sure the health care provider is available on the phone or by e-mail to address concerns as they arise. Be sure to bring your partner with you to the health care provider’s appointment so that they can ask questions as well.
No matter how devastating a “sentence” of bed rest might sound, try to remain positive and remind yourself that it’s only for a limited time at the end of which, hopefully, you’ll have a healthy and happy baby.
Bed Rest, a novel by Sarah Bilston
Days in Waiting: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Bedrest by Mary Ann McCann
Mommy Has To Stay In Bedby Annette Rivlin-Gutman
Pregnancy Bedrest: A Journey of Love by Wanda Hale
The Pregnancy Bed Rest Book: A Survival Guide for Expectant Mothers and Their Families by Amy E. Tracy
The Pregnant Woman's Companion: Nine Strategies That Work to Keep Your Peace of Mind Through Pregnancy and Into Parenthood by Christine D'Amico
Bedrest Fitness
Health care providers can recommend bed rest at any point during the pregnancy to lessen the physical and emotional stress of daily living and allow the woman’s body the time and energy to focus on the baby within. Depending on the condition, the health care provider may allow limited movement within the house (without exertion of any kind) or ask that the woman remain in bed except for quick trips to the bathroom. In serious cases, the health care provider will admit the woman to the hospital so that medical professionals can monitor her and the baby more closely. The time recommended for bed rest can range from a week or two to the duration of the pregnancy.
If your health care provider wants you to go on bed rest, try to get as many details as possible about what you can and cannot do. A good place to start is by thinking about your daily life, and the activities your pursue, and asking about each of them. For instance, good questions to ask might be, “Can I take a shower?” or “Can I eat my meals sitting up?” Get the details in writing, and make sure the health care provider is available on the phone or by e-mail to address concerns as they arise. Be sure to bring your partner with you to the health care provider’s appointment so that they can ask questions as well.
No matter how devastating a “sentence” of bed rest might sound, try to remain positive and remind yourself that it’s only for a limited time at the end of which, hopefully, you’ll have a healthy and happy baby.
Passing the Time on Bed Rest
- Check a stack of thrillers, romances or other quickly paced novels out of the library and read up! If you’re feeling motivated, get baby care guides and become an expert on your new addition. Set up a filing system to organize all the information so that it’s “at the ready” when the baby comes.
- Go shopping on the Internet or via catalog to get items for your baby and your post-pregnancy wardrobe.
- Use a laptop computer to find an online community or chat room of other women on bed rest to chat with and trade advice and tips. Click here to access the Sidelines.org chat schedule.
- Tackle all the pesky paperwork you’ve been putting off, such as drafting a new will, adding your child to your health insurance, setting up a new savings account and determining legal guardianship.
- Exercise (with your health care provider’s permission) to avoid blood clots, improve circulation and build strength. Click here for some exercise ideas from ehow.com, but remember: ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW ROUTINE.
- Take up (or perfect) a craft or skill such as knitting, scrapbooking or drawing. Show your appreciation for your loved ones and other helpers by creating little “thank you” gifts.
- Talk with your health care provider about working from home while on bed rest. If he or she approves it, speak with your employer and see if you can at least take on part-time responsibilities. The work will pass the time and make you feel more productive at the end of the day.
- Pick a genre of movies (such as Hitchcock thrillers or romantic comedies) that you are interested in and try to watch as many as you can. Another good idea is to work your way through the American Film Institute’s top 100 American movies. If you haven’t already heard, Netflix will deliver a huge selection of DVD’s to your door for a reasonable price.
- Schedule visits with your family and friends. Though it may feel like you’re being burdensome, your loved ones will likely savor the opportunity to enjoy you uninterrupted! Invite them over for popcorn or movies or just to read through the latest trashy magazines together.
Books
Bed Rest, a novel by Sarah Bilston
Days in Waiting: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Bedrest by Mary Ann McCann
Mommy Has To Stay In Bedby Annette Rivlin-Gutman
Pregnancy Bedrest: A Journey of Love by Wanda Hale
The Pregnancy Bed Rest Book: A Survival Guide for Expectant Mothers and Their Families by Amy E. Tracy
The Pregnant Woman's Companion: Nine Strategies That Work to Keep Your Peace of Mind Through Pregnancy and Into Parenthood by Christine D'Amico
DVDs
Bedrest Fitness