You have heard the words that every pregnant woman dreads – you need to go on bed rest – and so, with much reluctance, you climb into your queen-sized bed and wait for the day when your baby will arrive. Bed rest offers some benefits to you and your baby but it may also lead to other issues that you did not know about.
More than the Baby Blues
Your friends will probably tell you how lucky you are to be lying around all day as if you are enjoying an in-house vacation, but nothing could be further from the truth. Staying cooped up in bed or on your couch will be fun for the first day but after that, you might dread the thought of spending another hour lying down. You may feel anxious and stressed as you imagine all of the things you should be doing to prepare for the arrival of your baby – fixing up the nursery, washing baby clothes, stockpiling the freezer with meals, and shopping for diapers and burp cloths.
You might also feel depressed as a result of being in the house all day long, isolated from co-workers, friends, and family members. Many women experience depression, added stress, and anxiety resulting from prescribed bed rest. If this is how you are feeling, please get in touch with your obstetrician for assistanc
If your depression is considered minor, be creative in finding ways to boost your moods. Have friends drop by regularly for short visits. Get in touch by phone for long chats with other friends who live far away. Catch up on letter writing either by e-mail or the old-fashioned way with pretty stationary. Treat yourself to a day of all of your favorite movies on the DVD player.
Blood Clots
You probably have heard of people on long airline flights who have suffered from a very serious condition known as deep vein thrombosis or blood clots. When a person is immobile for an extended period of time, life-threatening blood clots can occur. This condition can also affect pregnant women due to the fact that uterus growth presses down on the bodily organs and blood vessels, preventing the blood from moving as freely as it normally would.
One way to combat a possible blood clot is to ask your doctor if there are any exercises you can do from the sofa or your bed. Yes, you are on bed rest and should not be working out on an elliptical machine, but there may be some exercises that your doctor recommends to prevent a serious blood clot.
My Poor Muscles!
Along the same path as deep vein thrombosis, bed rest can lead to decreased muscle tone making pregnant women feel weak. Before your pregnancy, you might have been physically fit with abs to die for, but as the weeks creep by your body feels less strong. It’s not all in your head. Experts say that long periods in bed may leave women with less muscle tone.
Notice that your back is aching? Yes, that can happen from prolonged bed rest. Try using lots of pillows for support and relief. Place pillows around your abdomen and between your knees to relieve the pain.
If your doctor allows it, there are some strengthening exercises that can be done right from your bed. Ask him or her for guidance on what you can do for increased strength. And remember, you will need all the strength you can get once those 3:00 AM feedings are underway!
Added Weight Gain
Every pregnant woman knows that she will gain a significant amount of weight during the nine months until her child arrives. Yet, prescribed bed rest can result in gaining weight because of the lack of movement and exercise. Be aware that your time in bed does not give you the go ahead to nosh on Boston cream pie, candy bars, and bags of potato chips.
Continue to eat a healthy diet that includes lean meats and fish, whole grain cereals and breads, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Avoid foods with empty calories and lots of simple carbohydrates like white bread as these will make you feel bloated and uncomfortable. Plus, they provide little nutrition to you or your unborn baby. And make sure you drink plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated.
Heavy meals will make you feel more uncomfortable so instead of choosing three squares a day, opt for smaller meals like a half of a turkey sandwich here or a bowl of oatmeal there. Eat around the clock in smaller portions and you will aid your digestion and be less full.
Be Alert
Because you are at home on bed rest, you should have a heightened awareness of anything that might seem out of place with your body. Are you noticing any weird twinges that could be contractions? Do your feet seem unusually swollen? Are you experiencing back pain that you didn’t have yesterday? Are you leaking any fluids?
If you sense that something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. You should immediately contact your obstetrician for help in such a situation. It might be something very serious or it may end up being nothing at all. But it is important that you always are aware of what is going on with your body.
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