Hospitalized Bed Rest Help...

tiffy81

Hello everyone :-) I'm 11 weeks with identical twins, so same sac sharing a placenta and considered high risk.  My MFM told me I will go on hospitalized bed rest between 26-28 weeks so the babies can be monitored consistently. My DH thinks I'm crazy but I have a million questions and I guess its too early to ask the doctors so I'm hoping you ladies can help me!! So here goes...

Can I wear my own pajamas?

Am I able to shower and walk around at all?

Can my friends and family bring me food or am I stuck eating hospital food?

Any ideas how to pass the time?

Can I have a mini fridge? Sounds ridiculous I know but I like to juice and need somewhere for fresh fruits and veggies and I don't want to eat too unhealthy while I'm laying there with my muscle mass dwindling away!! :-)

I'm sure there's a tv but if there's a dvd player and I do prenatal exercise dvds?

How comfortable are the baby monitors and will they on 24/7 or just most of the day?

Sorry so many questions :-) I'm just trying to prepare myself to be in the hospital for 6-8 weeks!! Please tell me how you ladies did it!! I'm thinking about learning Spanish during that time :-)

Thanks so much ladies!!!

g8trbaby01

What great questions to ask! I'll be checking back for sure to see what others write!

LucyRicardo3

With my HBR experience, I was there for preterm labor and cervical shortening so "excessive" physical movement was discouraged because my contractions would start up again. (my babies were di/di)
I was allowed to wear my own clothing. I was allowed to shower (with a safety stool) and simple hygiene (blow dry hair, brush teeth), and if I'd had a good few days in a row, I was allowed to take a wheelchair ride with my DH or whichever sweet nurse would offer.
DH spent nights with me when he could and food and drinks were pretty much whatever I wanted since they were encouraging me to get as many calories and protein as I could. Even delivery from local restaurants were ok.
I had daily NST's which consisted of being monitored about 30 minutes, depending on how busy my nurse was, and how many contractions I may have been having. It varied, but at that stage you are describing, it took longer because the babies were small and didn't stay still so the nurse had to constantly adjust the monitors so we could get enough reliable readings for the dr's to review.
It does vary depending on your dr and what you are being treated for, as to what freedoms you may have.
To pass the time, I read books, Netflix, Kindle, painted my nails, chatted up with the nurses,, and DH bought a cheapie universal remote for the room tv because the buttons for the tv were on the bedrail and you could only go through the entire channels, then off/on, then start at the top of the list again. And to change the volume you had to get up because that button was broken on the bed, lol..
Best wishes to you.

10-4LilBuddy

Hello. I've been in the hospital on bed rest for 7 weeks so far and have just under 3 weeks left since they are releasing me at 34 weeks. I did not plan to go on bedrest, so it was a complete surprise. I have a shortened cervix and consistent contractions.

You can wear your own clothes. They will also provide a gown and underwear. I wear their gowns but my own undies. I like the convenience of just tossing the gowns in the bin here and not making my husband carry around laundry. He does bring my undies home and does that as part of the household laundry.

You should be able to use the restroom and shower as long as your membranes and cervix are stable. I even have wheelchair privileges where I can get in a wheelchair and be wheeled around for an hour a day. I've used it twice bc I am too paranoid.

Yes, they can bring you food. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes so it just became easier to eat the hospital food. It really isn't bad. I actually prefer it to all the fast food people kept bringing me. I would also keep a store of food - protein bars are a mainstay for me.

I am still working so that takes up a portion of my day. I also read and catch up on tv. I really thought I'd watch more Netflix but I haven't been interested. I am also knitting a blanket. There's always the Bump! The High Risk board has a daily bed rest check in.

The mini-fridge depends on your hospital. I have one but rarely use it.

I seriously doubt you can do exercise DVDs, but I'd ask your doctor. My hospital had a PT visit me and give me exercises to do. I also have breathing exercises to keep my lungs from being in one place so long.

It depends what type of monitoring they are doing. If I'm on some of the stronger meds, I would be monitored 24/7. Right now, I am being monitored 30 mins twice a day for contractions and checking NSTs (measurement of babies' health). If I feel an increase, they will put me on monitors to check again. They are not the most comfortable. I have a problem with them putting them on too tight. It irritates my kids and they will kick and roll away from the monitor which makes the session longer. You also have to stay still in order for the monitors to pick up activity correctly.

Good luck. Try to track milestones. I use an app on my phone to help me countdown to the next milestone and show me how long it has been since I reached each one. Bedrest is a huge mental and physical challenge. The days are endless but they start passing quickly. Establish a schedule to help you break down the day.

tiffy81

Thanks so much ladies!! I feel the need to plan things to do and books to read and all that good stuff!! I appreciate all the advice and sharing your experiences!! And I'll be sure to check in on the bed test board when it's time!! and maybe learn to knit!!

LegallyBlonde217

Can I wear my own pajamas?  Absolutely.  I never wore the gown after I was admitted.

Am I able to shower and walk around at all?  I was able to shower 2 - 3 times a week and walk around my room as much as I wanted.  I was actually encouraged to walk around my room to prevent blood clots. I could also walk down the hall to the ice machine.  After the first week I got wheelchair privileges and was able to have guests wheel me around the hospital for up to an hour a day. 

Can my friends and family bring me food or am I stuck eating hospital food?  Yes.  I had DH bring me food every day because I was so sick of the same food 3 times a day.  And when my mom visited, we would order food from restaurants and have it delivered to my room.

Any ideas how to pass the time?  I spent a lot of time reading and playing on the internet.

Can I have a mini fridge? Sounds ridiculous I know but I like to juice and need somewhere for fresh fruits and veggies and I don't want to eat too unhealthy while I'm laying there with my muscle mass dwindling away!! :-)  Not sure.  Never thought to ask.  Nor did I really need one. 

I'm sure there's a tv but if there's a dvd player and I do prenatal exercise dvds? I didn't have a DVD player, though I probably could have brought one in.  I don't think my OB would have allowed me to do prenatal exercises, though, as I had a ruptured water.
 
How comfortable are the baby monitors and will they on 24/7 or just most of the day?  I was checked for heartbeats every 4 hours, and had NSTs every 4 days.  Other than that, I was monitor free. 

I was on HBR because Baby A's water ruptured.  I'm sure all hospitals are different, and all OBs/MFMs have different rules based on the reason you're there.  Good luck!
.

tiffy81

Wheelchair privileges....that sounds like something I'll eventually look forward to!! Lol I definitely will want to wear my own pjs. I'm glad that's ok...and I love food so having people bring me my favorites will be comforting.

bitsytripmom

Hi there! So what the other ladies said.. Plus a few things as a momo (same placenta/same sac) mom hospitalized for monitoring the last five weeks and scheduled for c section next week... This is probably a bit premature but ill put it out there for you and anyone else who might need it as I don't know how active I'll be after triplet newborns arrive next week!

If you make it to 26 to 28 with no other complications and are admitted (like my case) you will be unusual in any antepartum ward. My MFMs were adamant that I was not on bedrest and should walk, shower etc daily to prevent clots. That said, they took me off any exercise outside of a pool at 13 weeks to allow proper blood flow to get to the kids and strongly recommended I take it easy otherwise ... Sort of "stay moving, but not active". You'll want to work gently with your nurses to get them to understand that you are not on bedrest so they don't tackle you when you try to go to lunch in the cafeteria or something...

Some doctors will recommend 24:7 monitoring for momos. A lot will not because the psychological and physiological effects of being strapped to a monitor for what will be 6-8 weeks are not insignificant - and my particular practice noted they had not seen any good evidence that 24:7 does anything but desensitize them to the real problems that could be going on. Work with your doctors and figure out a plan together.

I'm on 4x daily for an hour (every six - so off at 11 and back on at 5am) and now that we're closer bpps (ultrasound to check for movement, breathing and other markers) daily.

There are some great threads on momos and bedrest on both this and the high risk board - do a search and youll find more of the same and/or pm me for any other questions. Good luck and best wishes for a happy and healthy 7-8 months! You and your LOs can do it!

bitsytripmom

Oh - and another language is a great idea! Something you can fit into two to three hour chunks works well... Keep the mind active!

SWA80

Congratulations! I was on HBR for 2 weeks, so not too long. Food was a huge deal to me. The hospital food was awful but I had a mini fridge and lots of snacks, which made it bearable. I got up each morning, showered and put on my own clothes. This helped me to feel more normal and have a routine. I slept in gowns at night.

I watched Netflix on my laptop and read a good bit. I was surprised by how quickly time passed. There was what felt like an endless parade of people coming by each day.

The nurses were fantastic and a huge help, so much better than the ones I had after delivery.

I was only on the monitors for 2-3 hours a day unless they found a reason to keep me on longer.

tiffy81

Thanks so much @bitsytripmom
My DH thought I was crazy for asking questions so early but I feel the need to prepare and have a plan for the 6 weeks. That's a long time to be in a hospital! I really appreciate your advice and I'll check out those other boards

tiffy81

Thanks SWA80 for the mini fridge info! I'm definitely bringing one with me :-) 

daisy19782011

I could have written this myself! I am headed to the hospital at 26 weeks and have the same types of questions...I will surely be following this post!

SWA80

@tiffy81, The hospital actually provided. My room did not initially have one but the nurses found one somewhere for me. Be really good to the nurses, they make all of the difference!

xoexpat

I was lucky enough that I didn't really have to be on bedrest.  But, I know someone who was and she wrote an ebook about it.  It would be perfect for you to read, it has lots of resources, tips and anecdotes.  Here is a link to an interview I did with her (Angela Bickford).  The book is called Beating Bed Rest and it's a quick read: https://projectprocrastinot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/on-bed-rest-during-pregnancy-new-e-book.html

TheDairyQueenx3

My hospital provides a mini fridge. I'm at a hospital that is basically set up for long term stays for moms. The food here is excellent with an extensive menu and the dietitions will go shopping for you which is nice if you have a craving! and we can wear our own cloths but they have robes underwear and gowns if you want. They have lots for us to do wether it's in the common room or if your on strict bed rest. they have sewing machines and fabric if you want to make a baby blanket or yarn an crochet/knitting supplies and if you don't know how someone will come and teach you. We have DVD players and lots of movie choices and laptops to use and small printers to print out photos for your bullitin board and if babies do come then to print photos for family. but I don't know about the exercising that really depends on your condition cervical length etc. I can get up to shower daily for 10 mins but must be sitting and can be wheeled in my chair for an hour or so a day. I have monitors on every 4 hours for 30 minutes and they are wireless so I can still move. But some have it all day some have it just once. A physical therapist comes a few times a week to help keep muscle mass and prevent blood clots. It really just depends on the hospital, the OB, and condition. Some hospitals are more comfortable than others. I personally love my bed here i want to take it home with me haha and I have a lazy boy in my room so I can get up and lay in that too if I want. But it really just depends on the hospital. I am tied down with mag. Sulfate and IV fluids so it does make moving around a bit hard and at night I have a bedsit toilet I have to use but I can walk across the hall once a day to get ice or something from the little snack bar thing. Just talk with your OB and see what yours has to offer. Some hospitals suck but mine is really like home away from home I don't mind it.

tiffy81

Hey ladies thank you all for your response. I really appreciate them. After our doctor's appointment yesterday, we found out that our babies are in separate sacs!! Which is great news because our MFM doc now says there is NO scheduled bed rest and we will see how things go :-) It was definitely a surprise seeing as many ultrasounds as we've had!! Yesterday was our 12 week scan and we saw the barely there line separating the babies. I'm still on an emotional high after hearing the news. The babies are still sharing a placenta and they are still identical but this eliminates the risk of their cords getting tangled and causing any stress on them. It was a wonderful appointment and even more good news is we found out we are having boys!!! We are so excited to have two little guys added to our family!! Our MFM doc said there is still a chance I will go on bed rest but that's if something happens so for right now I may be able to carry these little miracles to term!! 

:-)