The words "bed rest" sound inviting, in theory -- at least until you're held captive between the sheets for weeks, even months at a time. If you're one of the multitudes of pregnant women who is confined to the bed, here's a guide to making the most of your "time out."
At a prenatal visit, your doctor utters two words that will dramatically change your lifestyle for a while: bed rest. For those of us tired of the daily grind, the two words conjure up blissful images of days spent snuggled cozily between the sheets in our comfiest pajamas, sleeping and eating and lounging. Few things sound better than having an actual, legitimate excuse to be as lazy as possible, and it’s an assignment you’re more than willing to take lying down.
After a couple of days, though, your glorious idea of what bed rest was going to be is quickly crumbling. You are bored. You are cranky. You’re achy as a result of your limited movements. Things around the house may not be getting done they way you want them – or worse, they may not be getting done at all, leaving you to agonize over whether your living conditions will ever get back to normal.
Sleeping during the day is making it hard to stay asleep at night, so you toss and turn restlessly while the rest of your family slumbers in the darkness. You have plenty of time for your fidgety brain to agonize, analyze, worry, and stew about everything under the sun. To top it off, you’re getting sick of people saying how much they envy you … how they’d love to be on bed rest and how they would gladly take your place any day.
Oh, if they only knew! You’d trade them in a heartbeat! Luckily, like most other situations you’ll find yourself in, bed rest isn’t forever. You won’t be confined for a lifetime, so read on for a few tips to follow so that it doesn’t feel like one.