A week ago, my gynecologist “sentenced” me to absolute bed rest during pregnancy – at least for the next 15 days. I say sentenced because bed rest – proper bed rest – literally means you get up to pee and take a shower. That’s it! And while I wasn’t super active to begin with, I still had my daily routine. Work from home (from bed – so that didn’t change much), do some yoga, meditate, go for a driving lesson, get the dishwasher going, prepare lunch. Occasionally I would go out with my friends, or go shopping with my husband. But now, all I’m allowed to do is lie down. That’s it!
So naturally, yesterday I had a nervous breakdown. My friend was supposed to come over, the house was a mess, and there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing! I am slowly coming to terms of it, trying to enjoy the extra free time, and trying not to feel guilty that my husband now has to take over everything. After all, what’s most important is keeping our baby healthy and safely tucked in there.
If you came here desperate for ideas on what to do during bed rest in pregnancy, I’ll be glad to share some ideas with you.
What to Do During Bed Rest in Pregnancy (So You Don’t Go Mad)
1. Pick up a good book.
One of the best things that have come out of this bed rest for me is the amount of time I have for reading. I love reading but there always seems to be something more important. But now that I finish my job at 2:30pm and have nothing smarter to do until my husband comes home, reading a good book has become one of my favorite bed rest in pregnancy activities. I am currently reading the second installment of Cherringham: Mystery Shorts. Can’t help it, I love a good murder mystery!
2. Get Into Knitting.
If this makes me sound like I’m 80 years old, so be it! I took up knitting some months back with the idea of knitting a few cute socks and hats for when my baby comes. To my surprise, I found it really enjoyable! Plus, I can easily do it while lying down and even watching a good show, which is my next idea.
3. Netflix and bed rest.
The obvious answer would be to find a good TV show to binge. Just a couple days back I was looking for some good shows for us pregnant ladies, and I stumbled upon Workin’ Moms. It deals with so many important issues – parenting, postpartum depression, straight and gay relationships… I wholeheartedly recommend it!
4. Video Games.
If you have a joystick and a video game you like, this could be just the thing. I’m not that big on gaming, but my husband and I love playing Lego games. They are so adorable, plus there’s a game for virtually all of our favorite franchises. After tackling Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and part of the Star Wars franchise, we’re now fighting against Marvel villains in Marvel Superheroes!
5. Start a blog.
This may sound way out there, but if you’ve ever had a similar idea – starting a blog, getting a website going, or even taking up some online lessons, when’s a better time than when you’re bed-bound? Sure beats wondering what to do during bed rest in pregnancy and having nervous breakdowns!
6. Meditate.
I’ve mentioned before how much I love the concept of the law of attraction, affirmations, gratitude… But when days are busy I find it hard to find the time to practice any of those. Since I’ve been on bed rest, reading my affirmations, writing down gratitude lists, and even practicing mindfulness has become so much easier. Bed rest during pregnancy does have its benefts. I recommend you get started on some simple meditations and see if you like it.
Making Bed Rest Bearable
And that’s pretty much all I have for you, because that’s all I’ve been doing. I don’t want to list like 20 ideas none of which I’ve personally tried out. So when I say that these do help get your mind off the fact you’re pretty much stuck in bed, I really mean it.
Let me know how you’re doing and if you’ve figured out how to survive bed rest during pregnancy. I’d love to get some more ideas, and I’m sure others would, too!
12 responses to “What to Do During Bed Rest in Pregnancy? [6 Ideas]”
[…] writing this after a crying fit, and I just feel so tired, sad, and miserable. I’ve been on bed rest for almost 20 days, and it’ll last for at least two more months. I feel so useless, just […]
[…] be needing extra rest these days, even if you’re not so unlucky to be prescribed bed rest. I suggest you get a comfortable couch, comfortable pillows you can place behind your back, below […]
[…] able to exercise regularly during the first 5 months, in my sixth month of pregnancy I was sent to bed rest. That means I could have gotten so much excess weight then – yet I didn’t. It just […]
[…] hair is somehow super dangerous. Having had a nervous breakdown a couple of hours earlier (thanks, bed rest), and having felt all kinds of sad and angry this morning, I got so pissed off I can’t even […]
[…] used to do it regularly all up until I had to go on bed rest. And yet, I’m now stuck in bed, figuring out what to do and how not to gain too much […]
[…] throw one for the mom-to-be of the clique, I decided to throw one myself. For one, due to my bed rest situation, I knew I’d have to have it at home. The pandemic didn’t help either, so I needed […]
[…] hasn’t ripened yet. The first part of my frustration has to do with the fact I was placed on bed rest for 2 and a half miserable months – no walking, no getting up, no yoga, no going anywhere […]
[…] than I intended to during my pregnancy. Despite having a great second trimester diet, I ended up being on bed rest and barely moving, and that contributed to my sudden weight gain. Having 30 extra pounds to burn […]
[…] And just as my instructor was signing me up for the driving test, the doctors declared my pregnancy high-risk and I was put to bed rest. […]
[…] isn’t. I struggled so much when I was pregnant — first with migraines, then sciatica, then bed rest. Then, my labor took forever. My breastfeeding journey was less than […]
[…] means that one day will be filled with symptoms that make you want to puke, cry, and stay in bed all at the same time, and the next day you’d be feeling all joyous and full of energy. My […]
[…] postpartum journey hasn’t been an easy one. From having gained almost 30lbs due to bed rest and feeling ugly in my own body, to struggling with breastfeeding and suffering from a whole lot of […]