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May 2016 Moms
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Bed Rest - What do you do?

TinaThoTinaTho member
in May 2016 Moms
Of course despite all of my positive thinking (and trying to take it easy)... I've now been put on bed rest at 27 weeks until further notice. My daughter is registering as less than 10th percentile in size and I have VCI (ventral cord insertion- umbilical cord defect). So at this point I'm being monitored weekly and at any point they can put me in the hospital or call it and say it's time for a c-section (if they think she's completely not able to grow- she went from being 2 days behind 3 weeks ago to now being 2 weeks behind as of yesterday). I'm also now going through the stress of setting up appointments with a new set of doctors as my regular OB can't oversee us anymore and I need to have a doctor affiliated with a hospital with a Level IV NICU unit since they are telling me it is a 90% chance at this point that I will need to deliver her early (how early is up in the air- it takes a lot for them to willingly take out a baby before 30 weeks). :'(

I realize in seeing posts on this board that I am one of many currently on bed rest.

My question is this, for those of whom are currently also on bed rest or have been in the past- what have you been doing to keep busy/occupied? I am completely drawing a blank and don't feel like doing anything I usually do. And everyone keeps insisting on being calm and keeping busy. With what?!?

Any good books? Crafts for baby that are easy? Movies? Other distractions?


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Re: Bed Rest - What do you do?

  • kp90kp90 member

    Haven't been on bed rest but knowing from people that have or just things I do when not feeling well and cooped up at home here are my suggestions... stock up with some good books to read, get a collection of movies, Netflix! (orange is the new black was my favorite), adult coloring books if you enjoy art/coloring, learn to knit, create or check out pinterest (lots of great ideas for crafts, decorating, cooking, etc. I can waste an hour or more on pinterest) Hope some of those help!

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  • mrstmoosemrstmoose member
    I'm not technically on bed rest but I've been in the hospital for a week now and I may be on modified bed rest the rest of the pregnancy. It's honestly been awful. I'm with @kp90 I think Netflix is a great idea along with everything else. Having people come visit really makes my day better too. I know it sucks, trust me. 
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  • MsIanMsIan member
    I have a ton of books that I bought over Christmas. Various subjects and genres. I have Netflix and cable in the bedroom. Depending on how long I have to stay home, my fiancé and I are going to get a girly PS4 game for me to play. I have an adult coloring book. And then just the usual social media sites--Pinterest, Twitter, FB. 

    It does suck. I've only been on it for one day, but I'm waiting on a determination right now. I have another 45 minutes to wait. Either way, I'm not allowed to go back to work until at least Wednesday. 
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  • amberraysofdawnamberraysofdawn member
    If you like to read and have a tablet/smartphone/laptop/etc, get a membership at your local library (if you don't already have one), and look into their e-reader apps. Most libraries have OverDrive at the very least. Hoopla is also pretty cool if it's available at yours - it's like Netflix but also has movies/tv shows/comic books/etc (I loooooove Hoopla). 

    The selections aren't as wide as Amazon's Kindle stuff or Netflix, but they are free with a library membership.
    Pregnancy Ticker

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  • kwrightnbkwrightnb member
    Sorry your in this situation :( I had a preterm labor threat a couple weeks ago and was on hospital bed rest for over a week, by day two all my visitors stopped coming in and I was getting pretty emotional from being alone and not moving. SO as dorky as some might think I taught myself how to crochet ! It's surprisingly easy and I've started to make my lo a blanket :) next I'm going to do a hat and socks to match. It REALLY passes the time. 
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  • seasalt123seasalt123 member
    I'm sorry to hear you are having challenges with your pregnancy! I've been in bed rest, majority in the hospital, for over ten weeks now and it definitely sucks. I can tell you that it drags at first and then after a while the time blends together and goes more quickly. 

    Here is some stuff I used to pass the time:

    1) Netflix when I have wifi (some hospitals don't), portable DVD player when there is no wifi (DVDs are super cheap to get second hand or at Walmart on discount right now)

    2) books - I definitely have read when I'm on bed rest at home but I do find it hard to concentrate when I'm in the hospital. I do find it easier to read about things I need to LEARN about in the hospital. Like breastfeeding for example. But I tend to do that research via my phone and YouTube. 

    3) chatting with people online! I always have my messenger app fired up and started volunteering with some animal welfare work with a group of people I know. That feels constructive and distracting but they are also aware that I sometimes I have to go MIA due to medical circumstances. Make sure if you are in the hospital you get an upgraded data plan if you don't have wifi. 

    4) colouring books. I usually begin my day by having a cup of tea, playing some music and colouring in my book for twenty or thirty minutes. It helps to start the day off calmly. I don't knit or crochet or I would try that as well though my SO's sister got me this crocheting loom contraption and some yarn which I may experiment with soon.
     
    5) if you are at home, put yourself on a schedule to break up the day. For example, the morning on the sofa and the afternoon in bed and then the evening back out on the sofa. It helps to have some structure. If you have a patio you can sit out on when it's sunny, do that. Vitamin D is important. 

    6) I am sometimes (not currently) allowed two smallish walks per day to get the blood flowing. I have to just walk around the block though which can be a bit boring. Some days I just like to pay attention to my surroundings to listen to music. Other days, I listen to one of my podcasts. If you haven't done Serial yet, I highly recommend. It's also great for listening to while lying in bed. The first season is my favorite but I'm now enjoying the second as well. 

    7) for me, finding something to control when I couldn't control my body or what I was doing was helpful. So I really like to log my food to see what I'm doing in terms of nutrient goals. As I've lost a portion of my placenta, the part that's left has to work extra hard to feed the baby. So ensuring I get all the nutrients I need to per day has become a hobby of mine. I use the cronometer app even though the nutrient goals are not for pregnant women. I just adjust the important nutrients manually. 

    8) puzzles. They have these here at the hospital I am currently in and it's mind numbing and entertaining. Not something I would do if I were not stranded but it also passes time. 

    Good of luck and I will post again if I think of anything else. 
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  • TinaThoTinaTho member
    Thank you so much for all of the tips! I'll definitively be using some of these this coming week. In the interim I've been inundated by well meaning but overbearing family. 

    @sealsalt123 I'll definitely be using your tips re:schedules and I'll be sure to break out my coloring books - I forgot I had a few laying around. I also want/need to take extra care to get the right kind of nutrients to my baby as well, so I may start tracking. Best wishes to you and your family on getting through this.
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