The Emotional Aspect of Bedrest

by Laura Dana, LCCE, CD (DONA), CAPD

When the pains in her abdomen made her sit up suddenly out of a deep sleep, she never realized that today would be a day different from the rest. She left her job and took the afternoon off because of the trip to the to see the OB/Gyn,, but planned like every day, to return in the morning.

However, that was not going to be the case this time around. During the visit with her physician, she was told that not only was her cervix changing, but also it was "dangerously" close to opening. Bedrest was going to be the prescription and she was going to have to remain in bed, only up for trips to the bathroom and to get something to eat, and that was it.

All traveling would have to be suspended, invitations would have to be declined, and shopping trips would have to be done without her. She was going to have to sit this pregnancy out, like a football player injured during the big game. And this had to be the way because she was only 26 weeks along and not ready to deliver the baby growing inside her.

It sounds like a script from a movie, but bedrest is how many women land up spending part of their pregnancy. The story does not end at the time the bedresting begins, just the opposite, it continues on while changing the pregnancy's course completely. Bedrest during a pregnancy can vary from "pull back your hours at work" to being admitted to the hospital, bladder catheterized, Magnesium sulfate being pumped into your veins, and having your bed put in a Trendelenberg position.

It is a very subjective term and can even change over the course of time to become more strict or lifted completely. Although, however subjective it is physically, the one constant is the havoc it can play with the emotional aspect of pregnancy.

For many women, bedrest is where they stay until they either go into labor naturally, are induced, or schedule their Cesarean section. Depending during which week of pregnancy bedrest occurs, they might or might not be able to attend childbirth classes or finish them, they might or might not qualify for disability from personal insurance plans, they might or might not lose their income -- and that doesn't even take into account the women who bedrest while having small children at home. It usually comes at an inopportune time in one's life regardless of the circumstances.

I commonly hear "I wish I had been given bedrest during my pregnancy. I could have used the sleep." It's a nice thought in theory, but being in bed does not necessarily provide a woman with any more sleep than she would normally get. In fact, it can negatively affect the amount of sleep because her internal clock can be readjusted by not moving around constantly.

That inactivity can reduce the amount of blood flow in her body and can impact her body's muscles to respond appropriately. She may find that her feet up to her hips are sore from "sitting around" and that joints may pop and crack more than normal. Getting good blood flow to her lower extremities is important in keeping any muscle atrophy to a minimum.

Emotionally, on the other hand, not having a pregnancy that is physically fit can lead her to believe that she is unlucky and those feelings only work to destroy her energy level.

Loneliness also can certainly affect a pregnant woman's feelings about her pregnancy. When she is isolated by being in bed during what is supposed to be the "happiest time of her life," she can feel inadequate, like she has done something wrong, like she has been robbed of something that other women take for granted.

It is important for the people who she surrounds herself with to keep positive thoughts and supportive words coming her way, that they treat her like she is doing her utmost to care for herself and her baby, and that they not dwell on the negative aspects of bedrest, but find the bedresting mom ways to occupy her time in a positive way.