My Guide to Bedrest

Bedrest stinks! Don't let anyone else tell you any different. My girlfriend, Kathleen, lives in Alabama so she spent a lot of time on the phone listening to my complains of boredom and frustration. She decided to try it out for herself. One Saturday morning, she told her husband she was on bedrest and he was on duty with their three girls. She snuggled in with the tv remote and stayed in bed until that afternoon. She said it was delightful and wouldn't hear any more of my complaints!



All kidding aside, bedrest stinks for everyone involved, but there are some things you can do to make it a little easier on yourself.

• Get some help - You are going to need someone despite your insistence you're fine. I had three older kids who needed attention and I couldn't manage more than a couple of hours with them alone. I was fortunate enough to have a husband who had some flexibility in his work schedule and in-laws who were there for us for four weeks. I never thought it would have to ask for so much help, but necessity breeds invention and we got creative with child care for a bit. We couldn't have done it without Phil and Joyce, my in-laws, but you will find some people who can help you.


• Change the scenery - I was fortunate enough to be able to do stairs once a day and reserved it for dinnertime so I could be with my family. By the time I was done, I was ready to get back in bed because I was so uncomfortable. Knowing I am the type of person who gets cabin fever, I made sure to change the room enough so it didn't seem like I was in bed all day. I got showered and got dressed, made my bed, and opened the blinds to let in the light. I didn't sleep much during the day, but was able to get a good night's sleep almost every night.


• Encourage visitors - I was fortunate enough many people wanted to come see me (maybe they were looking for the spectacle as people do when looking at a train wreck!). You are going to have to get over the fact people are coming up to your personal space and they are going to have to get over it as well. Our room is large enough we have a love seat in there where some people would sit, but most just sat or laid on the bed with me. The only person I met downstairs was my former boss, and you can make those exceptions too.


• Have fun - It may sound weird, but there are some fun things to do while on bedrest. I played a lot of games and read a lot of books with the kids. Steve brought picnic lunches up for us and Lance, they would spread out a blanket on the floor and picnic (Lance loved it). My friend, Chris, brought me lunch from my favorite place in town. The boys and I snuggled a lot and watched tv. It was nice to talk to them about their day since I couldn't be there.