what are your thoughts on bedrest?

tootlebug · February 2012

i think about it sometimes as i wonder if i will be put on it during this pregnancy (im almost 29 weeks).

it seems that there are serveral here that were put on bedrest and it seemed to help. Then i read some other info on the internet where OBs think that bedrest "does no good.". how can it not do any good? i would think laying down all day, not straining, pulling, pushing, standing, etc would be very beneficial to not further straining the cervix/uterus, etc.

my thoughts are that i definitely think it is beneficial - no question. but i was just wondering if anyone out there has an OB or MFM that for some reason, doesnt think it is. just curious. just a pondering post.

pea-kay · February 2012

I have a hard time understanding how it couldn't help in necessary situations too. Who knows.

I was on for 9 days prior to the boys being born for pre-e. So unrelated to my cervix or preterm labor, but like PP, just to conserve energy and keep my BP down.

atlantic · February 2012

Between weeks 24 and 26 my cervix went from 3.2 to 1.2. I've been on bed rest for two weeks now with no change. I have no scientific proof of what's going on but I do feel like it helps to tsk gravity out of the equation!

Kimmy08 · February 2012

I absolutely believe bedrest saved my girls. I was in PTL and had a cervix of 0.8 at 22wks5days. I was on such strict hospital bedrest that I wasn't allowed to sit up (not even to eat) and could only lay on my sides, since laying on my back would cause contractions. There is no way possible if I had gone about my business and kept working that my girls would be here today. Granted, I had a severe case and not every twin pregnancy is as hard as mine, but bedrest was absolutely crucial in my circumstance.

E&RMommy · February 2012

There are apparently no good randomized controlled trials to study bedrest vs. not in multiples. Many OBs do not believe in a certain therapy if there is no black & white proof. Plus there are risks/downfalls to bedrest - deconditioning, loss of income, and most importantly blood clots. For that reason, some are reactive and want to fix a problem after it has already started/occurred. Others are more pro-active (like my MFM was) and will pull you at the first sign of something brewing.

I know bedrest kept my kids in. Without a doubt. My job is too physically demanding. I started intermittently contracting and my cervix dropped 1 cm in a week. Rather to be safe than sorry, I was pulled from work at 23 weeks. If not for that move, I know I would have delivered under 30 weeks from preterm labor or my severe pre-e would have shown its ugly face much earlier than 35 weeks.

So there you have it. I am a 100% absolute believer both personally and professionally. But I know many who do not believe it. I just shake my head and wonder if they've ever had a preterm baby personally.

MrsLoos · February 2012

My OB told me early on that there have been no studies that show bed rest helps delay or stop PTL. At 26 weeks I went into PTL and guess what? That same OB put me on bed rest. I had contractions starting around 18 weeks and I absolutely noticed that when I was more active my contractions would pick up, and when I say more active I mean just being on my feet for 30 minutes. At 33w4d my OB told me I could start increasing my activity. I Delivered my babies 2 days later. I absolutely think bed rest helped me get to 34 weeks, and I wish I had stayed on bed rest for a couple more weeks, I think I could have kept them inside longer!

huntertwin · February 2012

I think the main problem with bed rest generally is the muscular atrophy that occurs. Unless there's a serious problem, I would avoid it at all costs. Here?s an article that goes through the challenges and remedies:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/fashion/22Fitness.html?pagewanted=all

Temp6313048411121614 · February 2012

I don't know how BR couldn't help, but either way it's not going to make anything worse. I was on BR from 32w4d until 36w.

TeacherTiff · February 2012

I was just released from 12 days of hospital bed rest after which my OB (well, not MINE but another from the practice) said that bed rest has not proven to make a difference and neither has procardia which I was on to stop PTL. *shrug* Kind of makes you wonder why they put me through that then, huh?

mmoravec · February 2012

When my doctor put me on bedrest it went like this "I don't know that it will help, but I recommend that you be on bedrest until your next check." That was at 21 weeks and I never came off of bedrest. I don't think that I would have made it as far as I did without it, because by 19 weeks my cervix was only 1.9 cm.

kthappy76 · February 2012

It depends what you are dealing with. Routine br for multiples is probably not useful, but after I dilated and needed a cerclage to save my twins, unfortunately four months of br is the only thing (beside the stitch) that kept them cooking. I of course am paying for it now as physically after the atrophy and major surgery of a CS, I'm a mess. Before I got my cerc, I was told by multiple OB's and MFM's that br has mixed results, but it obviously did what it needed to for my situation.

melissajo2011 · February 2012

My neontologist said that BR is not proven to help. But he also said that if I didn't rest and something happened, I would always blame it on not resting. In other words, better safe than sorry. I was only on modified bed rest for a week, due to shortening cervix at 32 weeks. I didn't deliver until 36 weeks.

Kristen61607 · February 2012

I 100% believe that bed rest was beneficial for me. I mean, it's so simple. My dr. put it perfectly - after I went into PTL at 31 weeks and was 3 cm's dilated - gravity was simply NOT my friend! I took strict bedrest very seriously and made it to 37w4d!!!

JosiePosy · February 2012

I had PTL at 26 weeks, and I very much believe that bedrest is what got me to 29 weeks.

snoangel79 · February 2012

Not on bed rest but I got out of work at 23 weeks and just generally take it easy. Light housework, meals, some trips to the market etc. I want to keep them cooking as long as possible and also not burn a ton of calories due to my twins being IUGR. I watch a lot of tv and relax basically. I do some light yoga/stretching to keep things moving also. If I was still working I think I would have been in more trouble considering all my issues (90% of time I'm on my feet with my job).

Mrs. Alice · February 2012

I'm in the party that modified bed rest aka "couch potato" can't hurt and stricter bed rest with cervical changes/PTL. When we were diagnosed TTTS at 22 weeks my MFM wasn't like okay you are confined to the bed now. Since I was working 12 hour hospital shifts, I had to stop working and just take it easy at home, lay down on my side as much as possible and drink boost. As big as a burden as it was, we all agreed it was just not worth the risk to have me working at that point. I can't say for sure if it helped, but with the bed rest and hospitalization I was able to carry them much longer than anyone expected.

CaliDutchGrl · February 2012

snoangel79:
Not on bed rest but I got out of work at 23 weeks and just generally take it easy. Light housework, meals, some trips to the market etc. I want to keep them cooking as long as possible and also not burn a ton of calories due to my twins being IUGR. I watch a lot of tv and relax basically. I do some light yoga/stretching to keep things moving also. If I was still working I think I would have been in more trouble considering all my issues (90% of time I'm on my feet with my job).

This was me.

My Drs wouldn't put me on BR unless there was a reason. However, at around 12 weeks I started to work part time. At 28 weeks, I quit altogether. I listened to my body and what it needed (basically lots of ice cream and sleep).

allisonmarie22 · February 2012

A lot of people look at me like I'm ridiculous or lazy, but I pretty much put myself on modified bedrest at 20 weeks. I don't work, and when I finished up with school I figured I didn't have anything in my life that was more pressing or important than growing my babies.

I still get up every day, shower, walk or do yoga, cook meals go on quick shopping runs and do some light housework, but in total I probably am not on my feet for more than 1-1.5 hours a day.

I don't know for sure that it's helping, and I have no doubt that I'll have a good bit of work ahead of me when the babies arrive getting myself back into decent shape, but so far I've had an incredibly easy pregnancy. Even my OB and MFM told me last week how amazed they were at how well I'm doing.

I know I could be up and doing more, but whenever I think about it the thing I have to ask myself is "why would I?" Also, this is probably the last time I'll get to sit on my fanny, read books, watch TV and surf the internet in peace for a loooong while.

volgirl123 · February 2012

I was on hospital bed rest for 9 weeks. I was put there because I was 2 cm dilated, had contractions & a + FFN. I ended up with healthy, breastfeeding, take home babies at 36 weeks. I 100% beleive it works.

MuseumMaven · February 2012

As others said, I don't think that bed rest should be standard for all multiple pregnancies. I was never had complications during my pregnancy and was never on bed rest. I was induced at 37w 1d.

That said, a good friend had her water break on twin A at 22 weeks. I am certain that hospital bed rest got her to 25 weeks, when her little ones were born. They are fighting now, but if they had been born at 22 weeks there was no chance.

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