Coping with Complete Bed Rest

The Burden of Complete Bed Rest

You probably feel that to stay on complete bed rest is the best instruction any doctor could ever give to his patients. Some people think that it's almost like a mini-vacation - not having to do anything and just lying back and taking a rest. And it is, for the first week or so. Then you realize that you can't stay still any longer and it's becoming more and more of a burden each day.

You miss going out with your friends and socializing. You miss your schoolmates and your workmates, your colleagues, even your boss. But the worst part ever is missing your independence - your ability to get yourself some food when you're hungry, to go to the toilet when you need to, and even doing self-care activities by yourself.

You're constantly depending on someone else to cook your food for you and help you get cleaned up. And you hate it so much because you're supposed to be able to do all these things by yourself. Worse, you know you're being a burden to your significant others, because you know they have better things to do than being at your every beck and call.

But then you have to make a choice between these two things - maintaining your self-reliance, or giving your unborn baby the best chance of survival. In a heartbeat, I would choose the latter, and I'm quite sure you would, too. But it's really difficult to keep your spirits up, especially when you're already on prolonged bed rest and really really sick and tired of it.

Dealing with Bed Rest

It would help if you have some diversional activities that you could do. If you have a hobby that doesn't involve moving around too much, say cross-stitch or crocheting, then you could keep yourself occupied. If not, it would also be a good idea to learn now. Keep novels and magazines by your bedside, aside from the basic food and water. Have the remote controls within reach.

You could also make use of your time by working online. There are many freelancing sites out there, such as oDesk or Freelancer. You can find just about any type of work there - from data entry, to article writing, to programming and web design.

Another thing you could do to while your time away is to go online baby shopping, or to read up on pregnancy and motherhood books. This way, you're actually hitting two birds with one stone. You're getting yourself prepared for the upcoming labor and delivery and for the new baby, and you're also making time go seemingly faster by keeping yourself busy.

Just take it day by day, and eventually, the days will turn into weeks, and weeks into months. Before you know it, you'll be taken off strict bed rest or you've reached full-term with your pregnancy. Just remember, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.