I wanted to give examples of what I have done to occupy my
time on week one of bed rest.
After the initial shock of having to stay off your feet for
an extended period of time has worn off, the first and foremost thing to do is
be thankful that your healthcare providers are aware of the problem and that
this entire ordeal is for the safety and health of your precious little
peanut. I know it can seem difficult to
focus on the positives, especially when you have months of confinement ahead of
you and I’m sure I will not always have such a cheery disposition but in the
end I think about the life that is growing inside and how much I already love
this little person and would do anything to protect the little guy. One friend of mine that was on bed rest from
26 weeks until her twin boys were born, said it best “every hour, day, week and
month was a small victory for me and the boys”.
Contact your family and friends with the news so that they
can help you and pray for you. I cannot
say enough about how supportive our friends and family have been, we are truly
blessed.
The next thing to do is to schedule any doctor appointments
that you need to make. For me it was
weekly visits with my Maternal & Fetal Medicine specialist physician for
ultrasounds to monitor my cervix and the baby.
Contact your HR department to discuss your leave options and
coverage. The whole legal jargon can be
a little intimidating, so if you do not understand at first ask again until you
are clear about your leave options. I
think I spoke with my HR dept. for an hour, with two separate representatives,
until I felt comfortable with my knowledge of my leave and how it would affect
my actual maternity leave once the little guy makes his debut.
Contact your work to let them know what is going on and that
you will be out for an indeterminable amount of time so that they can work on
your coverage. Or if you are one of the
lucky few, manage something to work from home.
Plan weekly meals/dinners and create a shopping list for the
hubs or family and friends willing to grocery shop for you.
Create a “honey do list” for the hubby on things that need
to be done each day.
Make an accessible “work station” near your bed rest site
that has the things you will need each day.
Currently mine consists of my iphone, lap top, a copy of Mitch Alboms
“The Time Keeper”, water, healthy snacks, the tv remotes and my Dad’s ipad
(thanks Dad!)
Make a daily schedule.
Maybe it’s the OCD dietitian in me but I thrive off of schedules. And even though I don’t technically have
anything that I HAVE to do, I like to keep a daily schedule that I can tick off
in my head once I have accomplished said tasks.
For example, items on my schedule today are
wTake a quick
shower wMake my daily pilgrimage
down the stairs to my living room couch wEat
Breakfast wPray the rosary wCheck emails w Watch the Today show and catch up on the “news” wResearch Christmas card ideas wRead through lesson one of “how to
crochet” w Eat lunch wTake a nap wFill
out baby book wPlay with my 18 month
old son when he gets home from daycare wHang
out with the hubs
So, they are not essential things that need to be done but I
feel better once I have fulfilled something on my list. Again, slightly OCD J
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