Who's been on bedrest?

[AKL_Megs]

What do you do to occupy your time?

I have a pregnant friend, and she had a scare and was ordered to spend her last 4 months on STRICT bedrest.

I would go insane in bed for 4 months! Maybe I will pass along your suggestions!!!

 

[mamajoan]

I have been on bedrest several times... and most of it was before PC's!

I read, knitted, lots of tv, games, latch hooked some rugs, did allowed exercises, gathered recipes and did photo albums. and I prayed the rosary... my husband, kids and friends were Godsends and a very patient bunch.

Forced bedrest is tough on the forcee.. but sometimes tougher on the caregivers
It is good to know that whining does not help anyone.

some fun things my friends and family did for me...
movie night.. popcorn, video etc
facials and manicures
game night..
book group .. did it bedside
Best wishes for your friend

 

[rie'smom]

Introduce her to the DIS!

Read

Embroidered

Taught my self to crochet

Bought beaded ornament kits from the Cracker Box and have gone on to make dozens all in silver and gold on white. She might like these because Christmas is right around the corner.:
http://www.crackerboxkits.com/products.cfm

 

[Green Tea]

www.sidelines.org An organization for bedresting mothers in high risk pregnancies. They will even find her a advisor in her area that has been in a similar situation.

 

[HonnyDipp]

I was on bedrest for an entire year due to a muscle disease. I read ALOT and TV shows on DVD got me through and God bless the iPod!

 

[McKelly]

I was on bedrest with my first for 4 months, it was terrible, horrible, but I made it. Gained a lot of weight, must have been all of the Big Macs.

Anyway, I read a lot of baby/parenting books, tried to learn how to cross-stitch, watched movies and talked on the phone a lot. I would suggest lots of visits, that helped having someone to talk to.

If I was on bedrest nowadays, I would request Suduko books, a Nintendo DS with a couple of games and of course there is the internet. It may sound strange, but I am an adult and I am addicted to those Webkinz games, Pizza Parlor, and Quizzy's Word Challenge. Some of the games are difficult and challenging and will help pass the time. And mom will have a new stuffed animal for the baby's room.

 

[MScott1851]

I don't know how you guys do it. I've been put on bedrest for a few days twice this pregnancy, and I went stark raving MAD! There is only so much TV you can watch, so many books you can read, and I tend to start spending money if I'm online, since I can't go shop on bedrest.


I was completely non-compliant,anyway, because I rationalized it by thinking, 'if I can get up and walk to the bathroom, then I can stand up and cook supper. Or I can throw a load of laundry in while I'm up. Or I can just rearrange some stuff in the baby's closet.'

 

[rie'smom]

I don't know how you guys do it. I've been put on bedrest for a few days twice this pregnancy, and I went stark raving MAD! There is only so much TV you can watch, so many books you can read, and I tend to start spending money if I'm online, since I can't go shop on bedrest.


I was completely non-compliant,anyway, because I rationalized it by thinking, 'if I can get up and walk to the bathroom, then I can stand up and cook supper. Or I can throw a load of laundry in while I'm up. Or I can just rearrange some stuff in the baby's closet.'

The thing that kept me on bed rest was knowing that if I did not comply, I might lose my baby.

 

[Michelina]

The thing that kept me on bed rest was knowing that if I did not comply, I might lose my baby.

Yeah, that was it for me too. I had to drink so much water that I was always up to pee and that scared me cause I thought it was too much. I was on bed rest for 8 weeks, my little one ended up coming 7 weeks early.

I would have lost my mind without my laptop. I did tons of online shopping for the baby since I wasn't able to go out and shop and also missed out on my showers. My family was out of town but maybe if your friends are all nearby, you could have a mini-shower in her bedroom? That would have really lifted my spirits.
I played a lot of Nintendo DS and watched loads of bad daytime tv. My husband got me a Learn to Crochet book and needles but I never got around to it.

It helped having a breakfast in bed tray to eat on (although depending on how strict her bedrest is, she might not be allowed to sit up) and also I had a little trolley like you would have in the bathroom stocked with snacks and vitamins and beverages for when I was alone during the day and DH was at work.

Best wishes to her! Bed rest was a very scary and isolating time for me. She'll need lots of good support.

 

[mom2rb]

Bedrest sucks! There is no other way to put it. I had healthy twin boys so it was worth it.

I couldn't read while I was pregnant, I couldn't focus. I watched the game show network all day. I remember calling DH at work to tell him about a person's stupid bid on Price is Right. I was so bored.

 

[mickeyboat]

I was on bedrest for less than 3 weeks, but I was in the hospital. I could shower and pee and that's it. I watched a lot of tv, did some cross-stitch, crossword puzzles and word searches, wrote thank you notes and cuddled with DH in the evenings. For about a week I had a roommate, which I thought I would hate, but I actually loved having someone to talk to.

Good luck to your friend. Visit her as often as you can.

 

[taylor3297]

I was on bedrest for two weeks (the last two weeks) during my pregnacy with dd. I wasn't allowed to sit up! I could only lay down. When going to the bathroom I was told to be quick. So, I read a lot, watched tv, had dh pick up movies, talked on the phone, and I was a teacher at the time, my sub brought me my grades and I entered them on my laptop while laying on my side (this was so much fun). It wasn't fun, but made it through. Now if I was able to sit up, I would have wanted to learn a new craft like knitting or something.

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

I have a friend that was on bed rest after surgery for 6 months. She ended up getting involved in family history. She bought the software and a subscription to Ancestry.com and after the six months had a keepsake. I have also done family research and it can take a lot of time and is very addictive!

Pixie dust for your friend!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The thing that kept me on bed rest was knowing that if I did not comply, I might lose my baby.

Ditto.

I spent 3+ months on bedrest at home for pre-term labor on the Brethine & home monitoring. Ugh.

The last 3 weeks in the hospital on bedrest on the mag sulfate. They do not allow you to get up except for the potty chair and that is it.

When I was at home, since I am a video gamer, my DH bought me a Playstation or it may have been a Super Nintendo, now that I think about it. I can't remember.

So I played alot a couple of RPG games which can last me months.

Today with the computer and all the others gadgets like SKYPE, cell phones, DVD's, NetFlix, etc...the possibilities of being entertained are endless.

 

[rcraw45425]

I was on bedrest for two weeks (the last two weeks) during my pregnacy with dd. I wasn't allowed to sit up! I could only lay down. When going to the bathroom I was told to be quick. So, I read a lot, watched tv, had dh pick up movies, talked on the phone, and I was a teacher at the time, my sub brought me my grades and I entered them on my laptop while laying on my side (this was so much fun). It wasn't fun, but made it through. Now if I was able to sit up, I would have wanted to learn a new craft like knitting or something.

Bet you were pre eclamptic too, huh? That left side crap is the pits, especially if, like me, you're a right side sleeper. I had 4 weeks of it, what was really bad was we had a 2 story house, master upstairs. I got up when DH did (he was in private practice then). I'd shower quickly and then go back to bed. He'd fix me a small playmate cooler with juice, water & diet soda and some snacks and I'd either go back to bed or downstairs to the daybed he set up in the great room. He'd bring me lunch from the doctor's lounge at the hospital and fix me a plate from there for dinner (they had great cooks then). As a PP menitoned, the only thing that keeps you doing it is knowing that the baby is depending on you. I did it again with my second pregnancy, but only for two weeks. Back then we had cable, no internet like now, and no KIndle/ereaders. Also no iPods, so I watched a lot of daytime TV, lol. I"m saying a prayer for your friend OP!

 

[taylor3297]

Bet you were pre eclamptic too, huh? That left side crap is the pits, especially if, like me, you're a right side sleeper. I had 4 weeks of it, what was really bad was we had a 2 story house, master upstairs. I got up when DH did (he was in private practice then). I'd shower quickly and then go back to bed. He'd fix me a small playmate cooler with juice, water & diet soda and some snacks and I'd either go back to bed or downstairs to the daybed he set up in the great room. He'd bring me lunch from the doctor's lounge at the hospital and fix me a plate from there for dinner (they had great cooks then). As a PP menitoned, the only thing that keeps you doing it is knowing that the baby is depending on you. I did it again with my second pregnancy, but only for two weeks. Back then we had cable, no internet like now, and no KIndle/ereaders. Also no iPods, so I watched a lot of daytime TV, lol. I"m saying a prayer for your friend OP!

You were right on the money. I was pre eclamptic. If I sat up my blood pressure went throught the roof, if I was on my left side it was normal. If I was on my right side or my back, it would go up just a bit but nothing to worry about. We had a small frigde in our bedroom for when I was upstairs, and the sofa downstairs was pretty comfy.

 

[mnrose]

It was a barrel of laughs. Not. I went into preterm labor at 19 weeks into a twin pregnancy, and was confined to bedrest. The best thing we did was rent a hospital bed that we set up in the great room of our house (family room/kitchen combo). The hospital bed had adjustments that made it easy to put the bed in trandelenburg position (feet up, head down), which I had to be in for much of the time, and also made it easy for me to get out of bed to use the bathroom, as I was supposed to exert little or no pressure on my abdominals. Also, because we set it up in the main room of the house, it was easy for me to feel like I was "part" of the action, and easier for my husband (primary caregiver) to get me snacks, etc.

I passed the day by establishing a schedule...I was on home uterine monitoring, so there were daily times for that, I set daily times to make calls to keep in touch with the outside world, set times for reading, watching TV, meals, snacks, etc. For me, having a schedule made the time go faster in a strange way.

I was on a terbutaline (brethine) pump, and that drugs makes you very jittery. Therefore, it was impossible for me to knit. I learned to read that way, but I could only do it for so long before I'd get nauseous...cause the book would jump. Books on tape were GREAT because I could just listen.

I didn't have internet access because we didn't have a laptop, but I did use a gameboy.

It was a lonely time for me, although friends would call everyday...they set up a schedule amongst themselves to make sure someone from the "outside" world would contact me daily...do that for her! The worst part was when I was hospitalized for 53 fun filled days in the middle of the 18 weeks. During that time, I was not permitted out of bed FOR ANY REASON (ugh). But, I survived even that.

What kept me going was keeping myself focused on the goal of delivering two healthy, and as close to term, babies. I made it to 37 weeks, which was nothing short of amazing. My twins are now incredibly normal nearly 10 year olds who drive me crazy, but whom I love more than life itself. I tried to keep my sense of humor intact, and found a reason to laugh and smile every day. The most important thing is not to take out frustrations on the caregivers...their job is often thankless.

That's not to say, however, that I was always happy and smiling. Far from it. My doctor, a wise man, "prescribed" a daily "good cry." I tried hard to follow his advice. It got all that frustration, and fear out of my system, and allowed me to refocus my energies on getting those babies to term.

Good luck and best wishes to your friend!

 

[FoundMyPrince]

I was on 10 weeks bedrest with our youngest. I thought I was going to go mad...we also had DS3 and DD5 at the time. The kids spent a lot of time with the grandparents that summer, when my parents weren't at the house with me during the week (DH worked a lot and was gone for three of the weeks).

Our church brought dinner over every night for most of the 10 weeks. Friends brought by word searches, Suduko puzzles, books. I read a lot - and I am not normally a reader. We had a television in the bedroom and I could have told you nearly every storyline of every television show Oprah and I bonded. The notebook computer was a pure treasure.

When DH would come home from work I had so much to tell him - every story that was a CNN or FoxNews headline, every dysfunctional family member on Oprah, etc.

It was difficult not getting up and around like normal. However, my dr threatening to admit me into the hospital and sedate me was enough to make me settle down. I was terrified something would happen to our baby.

All turned out well - DD just turned 4 last week. That said, I would be okay to never see another word search as long as I live.

 

[lilybrooke14]

I, like others, did a lot of TV watching. Netflix was helpful, because I could catch up on shows that I had wanted to watch, but hadn't gotten around to. I did Sudoku puzzles. I couldn't look at the computer for long because it made me nauseated, and we didn't have a laptop anyway, so that was pretty much out. I liked the funny pregnancy books to pass the time. Baby Laughs by Jenny McArthy was a funny read (albeit quick) and The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy was good to have around as well. Like others mentioned, Nintendo DS would be fun, I think a regular Wii would probably be fun too. Lots of titles to choose from, and you don't have to move around if you don't want to, but at least it's a little more interactive. The balance board is out though. I already knew how to crochet, so I made a bunch of scarves to give away as Christmas gifts, and I made DD a baby blanket as well. We were in a new city and didn't know very many people, so talking on the phone was a lifesaver. You're a nice friend to be trying to come up with ways to help her!

 

[robinb]

What do you do to occupy your time?

I have a pregnant friend, and she had a scare and was ordered to spend her last 4 months on STRICT bedrest.

I would go insane in bed for 4 months! Maybe I will pass along your suggestions!!!

I was on strict bedrest for about 4 months ... I could be on my feet or sitting up for no more than 15 minutes per day. I *could* recline in a chair so that's what I did. I sat back in my recliner and became a more active member of the DIS. I came off of bedrest at 36 weeks and waddled around for 5 more weeks before I had my baby! My DD is now 10, so everything turned out OK and I am still DISing.