If you’re out of work, or not doing any, bed rest can be a great time to do all the things you’ve always wished you had the idle time to do. A few ideas …
Knit, crochet, sew by hand, or cross-stitch. It’s an ideal time to learn how to make baby blankets and booties!
Write letters. In this day and age, it’s a pleasant surprise to receive an actual hand-written letter. Or if you’re stubbornly caught up in the 21st century, you can always take the time to catch up on your e-mails.
Organize! There are so many things that become unorganized from day-to-day use: recipe boxes, photographs, and address books are just a few examples. Or have someone bring you random drawers so that you can go through the contents and throw out the things you don’t need or use any more.
Save time (and, eventually, money) by preparing complete dinner menus for later use. That way when you go grocery shopping, you only buy what you need and don’t spend a lot of cash on impulse items.
Shop, either online or from catalogs! Stick with things you absolutely have to have, such as things you need for the nursery, so you aren’t tempted to just waste money on stuff that looks good. (Unless you’re excessively wealthy – in which case, shop to your heart’s content!) And the bonus: since you have so much time on your hands, you can do a lot of comparison-shopping to get the lowest price.
Start a journal – it’s a great way to record the details of your pregnancy, and your oh-so-exciting bedridden life! Or if you have a computer handy, start an online blog or webpage. There are many places to do it for free.
Read. This is an obvious one, but many of us don’t normally have the time to completely immerse ourselves in a good book. Keep a list of books you want to read and then ask someone to run to the library for you (or, like we just talked about, order them off the Internet).
Mend clothes, if you know how. Sew on buttons.
Take an online college course (this is really best for people who are on months of prolonged bed rest).