Surviving Hospital Bed Rest

As I near the end of my hospital bedrest stay (*fingers crossed*) I have been thinking about what the experience is like.  For anyone who ends up in the hospital on bed rest like me (not that I wish it upon anyone), I thought it would be helpful to write a post about the things that have helped me get through my time.  I have found it extremely helpful to read other stories of ladies who have been through similar situations.  Somehow it gives me the strength to keep on going on those days when it is especially tough.  At the end of this blog, I gave some links of some of the stories that helped me through.  So far, I have spent just under 6 weeks on hospital bedrest.  The one nice thing I should mention is that I live in Canada, so healthcare is provided and I did not have to pay out of pocket for my mandatory time here.

These are some of the things I would suggest to get you through the time.  Eventually, it will all feel like a blur as the days roll into each other, but this does provide you a sense of normalcy in an otherwise not normal situation:

1. Create some sort of a daily routine.  Getting up at the same time, getting ready, and having a "plan" of how you will spend your day helps create a rhythm for your day.  The plan could be as simple as reading a chapter in a specific book, or going for an ultrasound in the afternoon.  Something about having a routine makes you feel more human, and less like a blob in the bed.
2. Get "ready" every day.  If you are able, take the time to shower, get dressed, and get yourself ready (hair, makeup) for the day.  I understand you may not be able to get up and out of bed, but you can still brush your hair and put it up, wash up, or do something to make yourself feel ready.  I made a point to shower every day, even when I didn't need to.  For one thing, this kills time, and for another, it provides a breaking point between days and, again, makes you feel more human.
3. Develop a good relationship with the nurses.  At the hospital I am in, there are 70 nurses who work on this unit and L&D.  Usually I meet a new nurse every day but there are a few who have been around more that I have gotten to know.  I found that if I was friendly to them, they were friendly right back, and willing to help me out and give me privileges when able to.  I even spent some time making a little gift for them.  I took a glass jar and used magazine clippings to make a thank you collage on the jar.  Then I filled it with hard wrapped candies and left it for the nurses.  They loved it, and it definitely got me in the "good books."  
4. Use a sleeping mask/ear plugs at night to get a good sleep.  I had a much easier time sleeping in a private room, but I would definitely recommend whatever sleep aids you need to get you through the night.  If you are up in the night, the next day seems that much longer as the day/night kind of blur together.  Getting a good night's sleep sets you up to enjoy the next day much more.  
5. Take up something crafty to do with your hands.  Reading and watching TV occupies the mind, but sometimes it is just nice to DO something.  Knitting, crotcheting, scrapbooking... anything that engages the mind and the hands is great.  
6. Call in as many visitors as you can (and ask them to bring you food!).  At first I was overwhelmed by the amount of people visiting, but it really does help the time go by.  There were only a handful of days that nobody came to see me (when DH was back at home), and these were the longest days.  
7. If you can't have a lot of visitors, make sure to sign up for an online support group.  There are some great sites where you can connect with other moms on bed rest (Check out www.mamasonbedrest.com to start).  I didn't have internet available for the first month, so I didn't get plugged in, but I could see how this would be an invaluable resource!  
8. Be sure to keep your body healthy and happy as much as you can.  I was given bed rest exercises to do (every hour, which I didn't follow).  I did a good stretch a few times throughout the day and moved my leg muscles whenever I remembered.  I also took a jam-like substance called Fruitlax every day to keep those bowels moving.  You will get so sick of the nurses asking you about your bowels, but it is best to do what you can to keep them in action, because the alternate is not very fun.  
9. Keep a journal of your time.  I did not explicitly keep a journal (apart from these blog posts), but I had a notebook I used.  Every day I wrote down the date and put down anything that happened that day...ultrasounds, baby growth information, blood levels, etc.  This helped me to remember details (in case the nurses asked me later) and keep track of my time in the hospital.
10. Make the room your own.  In whatever way you can, bring touches of your world and yourself into the room.  Plants work great to bring life to boring hospital colours.  Bring in pictures of family, pets, your house... things that you will miss seeing on a daily basis.  Use your own pillow and/or blanket.  My dear mother-in-law, bought me a beautiful bamboo humidifier that you could put essential oils into.  I didn't want to overwhelm the ward with the scent, but I'd put a slight drop into the water just to bring a pleasant small.  It also became the talk of the town and every one who visited my room would comment on it (that, and the collection of baby clothes I had hanging from the shelf).  
11. When you have a bad day, just get through it.  Some days will be especially tough, and you may be grumpy and cry all day.  But the next day always starts fresh!  Even when you think you can't make it through any longer... you DO.  You don't really have a choice.  This helped me gain perspective when I felt I was losing it.
12. If possible, have benchmarks to look forward to and celebrate them when you reach them.  For me, these were the two week increments of pregnancy (28, 30, 32, 34 weeks, etc.).  DH and I would always celebrate with some treat. One week my dog came to visit and I got to go outside and see her.  One week I was given a pass to go out for dinner.  Even when I had to stay in, some days I would dress up, get myself ready, and DH would bring in fast-food.  Anything to provide a break from the monotony helps.  

Remember, you WILL make it through!  What you are doing IS the best for your baby(babies), even when it feels like it is the worst for you.  Once you get to the end, you will be happy you stuck it out and put the health of your baby first.  

Here are a few other blogs with tips:

http://www.modernmom.com/blogs/lori-bregman/how-to-survive-bed-rest

http://broadwaybabies.wordpress.com/2011/12/

http://futuresupermom.wordpress.com/tag/hospital-bed-rest/

Glucose test and Perinatology Referral

I just had my OB appointment, following my testing and.... I PASSED!  No gestational diabetes for me. 

Also, my hemoglobin is apparently pretty great (132).  I didn't ask my ferritin level, which has traditionally been low, but I figure she would have mentioned if something was off.  Blood pressure and babies heartbeats were fine, as usual.  And, I am measuring (drum roll please)...  34 weeks large!  That's almost full-term!  I had mentioned a bit about the aches and pains I was feeling this past week, and she said that was the reason why.  She also said that I have tight muscles and skin on my belly, which is why I might feel the pressure of expanding babies more than others. 

From now on, I will see her every 2 weeks until the last two months, when visits will be weekly.  I will also have growth scans every 3-4 weeks.  Which brings me to my next point... I have been referred to the perinatologist for my next growth scan.  My OB said that the technicians in our small town are good, but she would feel more comfortable having an expert look at Baby A's placenta and the hematoma to find out what is really going on.  She said she felt uncomfortable at this point in the game not knowing, and they will be able to help us decide whether c-section is necessary, and help assess the risk of pre-term labour or hemmoraging.  If there is risk, she talked about admitting me to a full-care facility for tertiary care until the babies arrive.  Wow!  I have been aware that is a possibility, but I'm not going to worry about it until we do have more information.  So, hopefully within the next week or two, I will make the 3-hour trek to the next big city for an ultrasound and a consultation immediately following. 

I feel grateful that I am in good hands, and that my doctor is ensuring I receive the proper care.  Meanwhile, I have completed my hours for maternity leave, and applied for funding today.  I have another week or two filling in at our church office till the receptionist is back from holidays, and then I'll be fully on medical maternity leave.  Holy moley!  I don't know what else I'll do to keep myself busy once September hits, but I'm open to suggestions...