Lockrey - Bed rest mom: surviving pregnancy-related bed rest with your sanity and dignity intact

Welcome to the world of bed rest. You have likely purchased or been given this book after receiving word from your obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN)/doctor/midwife that you are being placed on bed rest. At first the idea of being given permission to rest, lie down, and relax seems pretty enticing. But depending on where you are in your pregnancy, your complications, whether you have other children to care for, and the restrictions placed on your bed rest, it can be a pretty daunting task.

The purpose of this book isnt to provide you with medical advice. Hopefully youve already established medical support to guide you through that portion of your pregnancy. Rather, this book is meant as a mom-to-mom resource to help guide you through your bed rest and provide you with some tips from moms who have been there.

Many women placed on bed rest have lots of questions and few people to talk to who understand their journey. Their friends all brag about how they worked until the day they delivered or tell stories of all the normal things they did during their pregnancy. This is not the case for women on bed rest. We are often left on our own to figure it out, with no one to talk to who truly understands what we are going through. It can be an isolating and lonely experience.

Hopefully the information contained in this book will help you prepare and make the best of your situation, whether at home or in the hospital.

The book is divided into two parts focusing on home-based bed rest and hospital-based bed rest. If you read the entire book, you will notice some duplication between the sections, as some information is the same regardless of where you spend your time. However, there are also many differences in resting at home versus being monitored in a hospital setting. Some women begin their bed rest at home but as their pregnancy progresses or complications arise, move into a hospital setting.

I encourage you to not only read the text but also complete the exercises in the book. These exercises are designed to get you thinking about some of the common challenges related to bed rest. They will help move you through this journey.

It is also important you write down and share any medical questions with your healthcare provider. Some of the information may get you thinking about what questions to ask, not only about your current situation, but also as you move closer to your due date and even after baby is born. Just as every pregnancy is different, each womans bed rest, restrictions, and health issues before, during, and after pregnancy are also different.

Hopefully this book will help you realize you arent alone. The stories from moms who have spent days and weeks on bed rest were written to help moms going through a similar journey as we all want our experiences to help other women. Please know there are many women who are cheering you on from the trenches. You are not alone.

Part One

Home-Based Bed Rest

Before we get started, I want to share some points to help you navigate through the information contained in this book. Dont worry about keeping this book in pristine condition. Rather, Id recommend you have a pen nearby so you can make notes, work through exercises, and jot down questions for both your medical and support teams.

You will notice there is some duplication of the information contained in the home-based and hospital-based bed rest sections (Parts I and II of this book). While it might be tempting to skip over the duplicated material, I would recommend taking the time to read the book in its entirety. There are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences between the two types of bed rest as the two forms are very different experiences.

As you read, take note of the information you need for your particular experience and ignore the rest.

Chapter 1

Be Your Own Advocate

While this entire book is about helping you care for yourself, both at home and in hospital, it begins with recognizing that as a person and as a patient you have rights. You have the right to know exactly what is happening to your body and details about your condition. You have the right to have this explained to you in a way that you will understand. You also have the right to ask questions and speak to someone else if you still are not satisfied with the information you are given. Your pregnancy is a time to advocate for yourself, and your baby, and not be a passive passenger in what can be a complex and emotional journey.