Ways To Cope With Activity Restrictions And Bed Rest During Pregnancy

Bed rest and activity restrictions are often prescribed during pregnancy to treat certain issues and alleviate the risk of complications.

Bed rest during pregnancy can usually be done at home. But if yours is a high-risk pregnancy, then you may be required to complete the bed rest in a hospital.

On the plus side, bed rest is a well-meaning practice that could significantly improve the outcome of your pregnancy.

Unfortunately, it can also become a source of stress, boredom, and frustration — like it did for me.

 

My Experience With Bed Rest

When my doctor placed me on activity restrictions (and bed rest soon after), I cried, threw tantrums and resented everyone I saw walking around my home.

I knew that my bed rest during pregnancy was prescribed for a good reason, but that didn’t stop me from not liking it — because I’m always on the go!

After the second day of absolute boredom and depression, I decided to make the best of the situation.

 

Things You Can Do While On Bed Rest

In addition to working from home, I used the opportunity to do things I normally didn’t have time for — like binging on Netflix, eating more of my favorite healthy snacks, and reacquainting myself with sleep.

If your physician or doula places you on bed rest or activity restrictions, here are some ways you can cope so you won’t lose your mind:

#1 – Knit or crochet.

Think of all of the cute knit clothing and blankets you see everywhere. Guess what, many of those items are not hard to make. And since you’re on bed rest, you now have plenty of time to learn how to make them! All you need is some yarn, instructional videos or books, and crochet or knitting needles.

 

#2 – Watch your favorite TV shows or movies.

If you have cable, browse through the channels for something good to watch. You can catch up on missed episodes via On Demand. If you don’t have cable, invest into a movie and TV streaming service — like Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, or Amazon Prime Video — so you can watch your fill of movies and TV shows. You can catch up on shows you were previously too busy to watch, or watch some of your favorite shows from when you were growing up. It’s like having a personal movie theater in your bedroom or living room! The best part: you don’t have to pay movie theater prices.

 

#3 – Start a new novel or book series.

I like to read and can easily lose several hours once I’ve escaped from reality into a really good book. Pick up that book you’ve been reading for several months, finish it, and start another.

 

#4 – Get some much-needed rest.

No matter what trimester you are in, your body is doing a lot of work to grow a new life. At some point, you may start to feel a fatigued or have low energy from all of the hard work your body is doing. Use this time to sleep as much as you can. Trust me — get sleep now! Once the baby arrives, you’ll experience a new kind of tired and you’ll regret not catching up on sleep when you had the chance.

 

Here are 20 fun things to do when you’re on bed rest during pregnancy.

 

What NOT To Do…

It’s common to feel useless or upset when you’re on bed rest or activity restrictions — especially when you’re used to doing certain things or always being on the go.

Just keep in mind that the reward at the end of it all is your healthy baby.

• Don’t hesitate to ask loved ones and friends for help — they’ll understand. Talk to your friends and family about how you feel and don’t keep things bottled up inside.
• Don’t do like I did. I kept silent about how I felt for a long time until my feelings exploded out in a mass of words that partially made no sense to anyone, and those that did hurt some feelings. I later realized that had I kept everyone in the loop about how I was feeling about my bed rest, then it wouldn’t have been so hard for me to cope with it. I wouldn’t have been such a crabby monster to everyone, and I would have felt better about the bed rest much sooner than I did.

Even if you have things in place to help you to cope with the situation, make sure you are emotionally sound so it doesn’t feel like a time out.

 

More Ideas For Bed Rest During Pregnancy

• How Bed Rest During Pregnancy Affects Your Family
• The Bed Rest Controversy
• When Bed Rest Is Best… And Things You Can Do From Bed
• How Bed Rest During Pregnancy Helps