Tuesday
Life After Bed Rest
I was on bedrest for a quite a while and I won't lie I needed help the first two weeks after Lo was born. Do not exert yourself, take your time getting used to walking around. For me standing was hard on my back. I had trouble getting out of the sitting position and lifting was hard to do at first, as well. I had to lay/sit down a lot. I know that is not something you want to hear when your on bedrest. All I wanted to do was leave my bed and see the rest of my house. It does get easier though. You have to ease back into your normal activity levels. .
Hospital bedrest with a child
I have often thought about what I might have to go through if I decide to get pregnant again. My biggest fear is I will end up in the hospital and be without my husband and my son. If I end up back in the hospital I have preemptively planned to write letters to my son every day so he can read them each morning. I also plan to get him a few recordable books so he can hear my voice reading to him when he misses me. I will ask him to draw me pictures and have him write me notes (if he is able to, if not I will ask my husband to help him). I plan to keep his favorite candy at the hospital to give him as a treat when he comes to see me since the hospital can be a scary place to a young child. I also plan to have a photo album of my family with me. If by some stroke of luck my hospital has WiFi I also hope to use Skype to talk to him everyday.
Good luck and I hope these suggestions help.
Good luck and I hope these suggestions help.
Once baby is home.
Bringing baby home is going to be different to every high risker. I know many have spend days or even months in the NICU. Some blessed parents only need a few hours in the NICU or not at all.
In my case Little Man and I both had a short hospital stay with far fewer problems then most. Little Man had issues with jaundice which is not totally uncommon. We had to bring him back into the hospital quite a few times to draw blood and keep everything in check but the problem eventually went away.
The other issue we had was weight. Little man was born a long and lean baby. He was 21 3/4 inches long and when we left the hospital a meager 6 lbs (and to be honest I forget the oz). He had frequent weight checks. He measured small at all his check ups sometimes not even charting. Our pediatrician had expressed concern for his size. Its frustrating but not uncommon. Babies tend to pack on the lbs at the end of pregnancy. Little man short-changed himself of a few weeks- he was eager to meet Momma!
I wasn't prepared in the beginning for everyone's comments and concern over Little Man's size. He had no rolls, no Buddha belly. He was not the plump little baby everyone expects to see. 3 months later he has begun to develop little possible leg rolls but we have yet to see a baby Buddha belly.
Today in particular though, it hit me how hard it can be. When you see other babies the same age, talk to mom's with babies the same age and realize that your baby might not be where they should be. Little man has just started wearing size 1 diapers. I happened into a message board discussion about babies his age and younger who were in size 2 and 3's. The little flaps on his size 1's still overlap!
Its a little thing but it can be very frustrating. Don't forget to continue to reach out after baby arrives.
In my case Little Man and I both had a short hospital stay with far fewer problems then most. Little Man had issues with jaundice which is not totally uncommon. We had to bring him back into the hospital quite a few times to draw blood and keep everything in check but the problem eventually went away.
The other issue we had was weight. Little man was born a long and lean baby. He was 21 3/4 inches long and when we left the hospital a meager 6 lbs (and to be honest I forget the oz). He had frequent weight checks. He measured small at all his check ups sometimes not even charting. Our pediatrician had expressed concern for his size. Its frustrating but not uncommon. Babies tend to pack on the lbs at the end of pregnancy. Little man short-changed himself of a few weeks- he was eager to meet Momma!
I wasn't prepared in the beginning for everyone's comments and concern over Little Man's size. He had no rolls, no Buddha belly. He was not the plump little baby everyone expects to see. 3 months later he has begun to develop little possible leg rolls but we have yet to see a baby Buddha belly.
Today in particular though, it hit me how hard it can be. When you see other babies the same age, talk to mom's with babies the same age and realize that your baby might not be where they should be. Little man has just started wearing size 1 diapers. I happened into a message board discussion about babies his age and younger who were in size 2 and 3's. The little flaps on his size 1's still overlap!
Its a little thing but it can be very frustrating. Don't forget to continue to reach out after baby arrives.
Friday
Gestational Diabetes and Fast Food?
You can do it, just follow the rules!
Rule #1 is Know your ingredients
Find the nutritional information either in the restaurant itself or on the website.
Rule #2 Beware of the bread (or batter)
Avoid breaded or battered options in chicken and fish. If you chose a hamburger or hotdog remove the bun.
Rule #3 Forget Fried
Opt instead for something that has been steamed grilled or baked rather then fried.
Rule #4 Skip the French Fries
Or any potato for that matter. Chose a salad instead.
Fast food guide
Everyday Health Article on dining out.
Rule #1 is Know your ingredients
Find the nutritional information either in the restaurant itself or on the website.
Rule #2 Beware of the bread (or batter)
Avoid breaded or battered options in chicken and fish. If you chose a hamburger or hotdog remove the bun.
Rule #3 Forget Fried
Opt instead for something that has been steamed grilled or baked rather then fried.
Rule #4 Skip the French Fries
Or any potato for that matter. Chose a salad instead.
Rule #5 Simplfy the Salad-
Take off those croutons/tortilla chips/fried noodles. Also watch your dressing choice. (I've seen Light or Fat Free Ranch recommended most often. Raspberry vinaigrette and Italian have also been suggested on multiple sites)
Rule #6 Sauce on the side
Do not go overboard on sauces. Less is more. Ok less is less, but its healthier. :)
Fast food guide
Everyday Health Article on dining out.
More suggestions for your time on bedrest
- Break out that E-reader! I did not have one when I was on bedrest but I will make sure I have one if I am ever on bedrest again.
- Try Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu Plus (Regular Hulu is of course the cheapest option at free though)
- Pinterest. I am dying for an invite but I have been browsing pins for a week. I would have been in heaven if I had this on bedrest.
-Swagbucks- I had personally been doing the surveys to earn amazon GC's to buy groceries and diapers. Every bit helps. I'll put a link in, please note that it is a referral link (I don't want to hide the fact that I will make points when you click and create an account).
- Sandwiches get old. Buy premade salads, steam-able/microwavable meals (Birdseye makes 1 person portions that are sooo good!) and crock pot cans of soup.
- Try Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu Plus (Regular Hulu is of course the cheapest option at free though)
- Pinterest. I am dying for an invite but I have been browsing pins for a week. I would have been in heaven if I had this on bedrest.
-Swagbucks- I had personally been doing the surveys to earn amazon GC's to buy groceries and diapers. Every bit helps. I'll put a link in, please note that it is a referral link (I don't want to hide the fact that I will make points when you click and create an account).
- Sandwiches get old. Buy premade salads, steam-able/microwavable meals (Birdseye makes 1 person portions that are sooo good!) and crock pot cans of soup.
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