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Tips for Surviving Bed Rest
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make your bed rest enjoyable without becoming addicted to daytime TV. Try these tips:
Stick to a scheduleYou may have to stay in bed all day but you should do things to help you feel productive. Get up and get dressed. Choose pretty pajamas and take a shower with your favorite body wash and lotion. Make a plan for your day and stick to it, but don't feel bad if you don't get it all done. After all, you are in bed for a reason!
Catch up while you can. When you bring your baby home you will not have much time for anything except caring for your precious gift and catching sleep where ever you land. Doing some of the following my help to ease your mind after the big day.- Choose a doctorfor your child, find quality child care, or write up a birth plan (if you haven't already done these things).
- Start a journal chronicling your pregnancy -- and your bed rest.
- Start a family tree that you can share with your child someday.
- Firm up your baby-name choices; use books and websites for ideas. Get that trusty lap top and put it to good use while resting.
- Organize photo albums - you can place all your photos in pretty photo boxes and have them categorized and ready to go into an album.
- Read anything -- newspapers, magazines, classic novels, the latest bestsellers, compilations of fiction or poetry; you could even revisit some of your favorite childhood stories or try out some books from the library for your little one.
- Watch rented videos/DVDs or taped TV shows-- My hubby mounted a TV up on the wall during my first pregnancy for this very reason.
- Answer letters or correspondence-I purchased a box of blank cards with pretty pictures on the front and I made a box with all the months of the year labeled and divided. I wrote a short note to each of my nieces and nephews for each month of the year and I even put a stamp on the addressed envelope. It was just an encouraging note with a bible verse to let them know I was thinking of them. This would be a perfect time to do something like this that you would not ordinarily have time to do.
- Write thank-you cards if you've already had a baby shower; if not, start addressing the envelopes to people (friends and family) whom you know will probably give gifts.
- Build an email and phone list of people to call when the baby comes, if you haven't already done so.
- Start a calendar of important dates to remember (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).
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