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.

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.

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.

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.

Happy Holidays everyone

I have been busy with the family but I promise I have not forgotten about my blog. Its a hard subject to blog about. I will be posting soon with a longer post but I wanted to wish everyone happy healthy holidays. May your bedrest keep baby cooking as long as possible. May your husbands/friends/family be helpful through this tough time. As always lots of prayers to all the babies cooking away in the baby oven- keep cooking babies.

The Guilt Complex...

Being labeled high risk often comes with a fair amount of guilt. I felt guilty for not being able to maintain my pregnancy, for putting my child in harms way. I worried with every trip to a doctors appointment. I feared that they would tell me I had dilated even more, or my cervix had shortened more then it already had. I worried I had done something to put myself in PTL. I constantly sought out the risk factors to see what it was that I did wrong. I timed my constant contractions and often had my cell phone in hand ready to call the Dr.

I felt overwhelmed with guilt at times. I just couldn't believe that my body would let my baby down like it did. Then after I had a healthy Little man in my arms I felt a sense of relief. At last I had him! Soon after he was born the nurse asked if I wanted to breastfeed him. I did. From the start Little man had it down, the perfect latch, he was a natural!

At his 1st Dr's appointment he had lost too much weight and I was told to supplement him with formula. It was disappointing but not the worst thing in the world. The plan was I would pump to build my supply and I figured my boobs would regulate it somehow. I had thought he would back to exclusively drinking breast milk in no time. This was not to be.

Despite many efforts to power pump, drinking Mothers Milk tea, and a few other things suggested to me, my supply tanked. This brought on guilt complex number two - my body is a disaster. At a little over 3 months I can't even pump a drop of breast milk for my baby. Formula isn't the worst thing in the world for a baby and I know that. Its just a feeling that I am failing as a mother, an overwhelming guilt.

This guilt happens to all of us. If it is ever a problem for you seek help. There is no shame in asking for help. I am lucky to have a wonderful husband who helps me see everyday that we have a beautiful happy healthy son and there is nothing that matters beyond that.

I'd like to share a few letters that I wrote while on bedrest...

Dear Irritable Uterus,

Here we are on the 4th of July in the hospital. Awesome.Whats the matter Uterus? I can see from the monitors we are hooked to that you look pretty upset. Why don't you calm the $#%! down so we can go home.

Love,
The rest of body your attached to.
______

Dear Cervix,

Bedrest? Really? Because this is where I wanted to spend my summer. Between you and my irritable uterus I'm on a first name basis with the entire L&D department. Please stop dilating so I can stop stressing out.

Love,
Irritable uterus and the rest of the body.

Sharing our stories

After a hard fought battle (oops I mean pregnancy) with my incompetent cervix I felt the need to blog. I needed to let others know they aren't alone. I'd like to provide anyone who is following this blog with two more blogs doing the same. This first one is following a mom through her second pregnancy after being high risk and having a preemie. Her blog Confessions of a High Risk Mom is one I am following for sure! The other blog I'd like to recommend is hopefully one that not many will need. The Preemie Resource Blog is an amazing gathering of several stories including NICU journeys, breastfeeding advice and many other useful tips and info. I must say that this blog has been particularly useful to me a few times as well even though LittleMan was full term.

My "day out"

While I was on bedrest my favorite day of the week was the day I had an appointment. It seems sad and pathetic now- and it seemed just as bad back then but it was a change! I looked forward to getting dressed for a reason. It was a change instead of staying in my pj's or sweatpants (which were about the only things that fit). It was a reason for putting on makeup. I always looked forward to the drive because I would go through the Dunkin Donuts drive thru and get myself a decaf iced coffee and a donut. Just something to break the monotony of bedrest.

I remember there was one week after I had been on bedrest for quite a while and they were talking to me about possibly taking me off some of my restrictions. I was so excited to go in and hear what I would be allowed to do. I remember getting there and they took my blood pressure and of course, it was high. They made me lie down and took it again- still high. After they took it a 3rd time it was clear I was still on strict bed rest and now subject to even more testing.

I was angry. Angry at my body for failing to maintain a healthy pregnancy, angry with the Dr, the nurses, with life, with well everything at that point! If I was going home to more strict bedrest there was no way I was going home without a treat for myself. I wanted subway. It was the one thing I could do that would make my day a little better.

I remember driving across the street for my sandwich. I pulled up in front of subway and there was a sign that said "Closed for construction". That set it off. I was an emotional wreck! I started sobbing in my car in the middle of the road. Subway was located in a complex so there wasn't a ton of traffic but people did have to go around me, lol. People were looking at me like I was a lunatic. If anyone had asked me why I was crying they probably would have called the police to have my mental health evaluated. I'm sure the only thing I would have told them at point was that I was hysterical because "Suh-Suh-Suuuhbwaaay is CLOSED!!!" Never-mind that there was one a block away, I was inconsolable.

May your 'day out' where ever it be too, always go better then my trip to subway. :)

Freebies

Here is another list of freebies from the MoneySavingMom blog! I love this blog so much I can't even tell you. Every time I sign up for freebies I get awesome coupons.

Helpful links

Sorry for not posting for a few days. We had an eventful few days. My sister came to visit (we live far from each other so it was a big deal). Then little man had an allergic reaction to something- but we still have no clue what it was. Thankfully that wasn't that big of a deal and he recovered very quickly.

Today I wanted to share some links that may be helpful.
Sidelines Non-profit for complicated pregnancies and premature births
Bedrest Checklist- (from Sidelines)Take this to your Dr as a guide for your activity level on bedrest
17P info (from Sidelines)
Gestational Diabetes (from Sidelines)
Preterm Labor (from Sidelines)
Pregnant with multiples (from Sidelines)
March of Dimes
ADA Gestational Diabetes page
Baby Center Gestational Diabetes page
Baby Center Bedrest page
Baby Center Preclampsia page
Baby Center Preterm labor page
Baby Center IUGR page
Baby Center Placenta Previa Page
Baby Center Placental Abruption page
Baby Center Excessive Amniotic Fluid Page
Baby Center Cervical Insufficiency page
Preeclampsia Foundation

Quick Meals

I will not claim you can "cook" while on bedrest. I am suggesting you can make a meal for your family.
Buy precooked meats, or cuts that can be cooked in the crock pot. Use microwavable meals, I personally loved Hormel Refrigerated entrees which cook in about 4 minutes. Take advantage of your grocery store's bakery for things like dinner rolls. Keep your ingredients to a minimum. It means less time standing in your kitchen assembling. Use canned soups and precut fruit and veggies as shortcuts. They make frozen vegetable's in steamable bags that cook in about 4-6 minutes. There are even complete meals that will cook like the steamable veggies.

I should mention that my wonderful husband usually cleaned up after the meals. There are several things I did to keep cleaning as easy as possible. We used paper plates and disposable utensils. I am normally more Eco-friendly but this was a situation where I didn't mind being a little wasteful. They also make slow cooker liners which I highly suggest using. These are just a few ideas I hope you find helpful.

When bedrest gets depressing

I struggled with my emotions while I was on bedrest. A lot.

I felt like a failure as a woman because I couldn't keep my baby baking without medical intervention. I was so upset at the thought of him being early. I agonized over the health issues that he could face. I cried because I felt useless and trapped. I was upset because I thought my husband could never find me attractive on days when I couldn't stand up long enough to put on make up or do my hair, or even change out of my pj's. I was miserable because my house was a mess and I couldn't clean it. I wanted food but I couldn't cook. I was sick of TV but I couldn't leave the house.

At some points I was just plain angry. Why was this happening to me? I waited to get pregnant until I had finished school and had a decent job. I felt I had done virtually everything right (not that there is a right way or wrong way). To add insult to injury I had trouble getting pregnant in the first place, and now I can't even handle carrying my child to term? I had taken so many pregnancy tests that came back negative that I didn't bother to try another until my husband suspected I might be pregnant. I was shocked when I saw a positive. So shocked I took two more tests and then went to the OB before we both actually believed it. That was the part about being high risk that hurt the most. It was how incredibly bad I had wanted Little Man, how I didn't think we would ever have him, and then to face so many uncertainties. It was heart-wrenching.

Pregnancy hormones certainly don't help the situation. The worst part is the isolation though. Lucky for our generation we are more connected then ever. Take advantage of this- Skype, Facebook, Tweet, go on message boards, or call someone.

Bedrest can definitely leave you depressed. That's precisely why I wanted to start my blog. Don't be afraid to reach out, don't feel alone. You are not alone, there are plenty who have been there or are there right now.

Are you staying hydrated?

Dehydration can cause contractions. Its important to stay hydrated especially while pregnant. When I was pregnant I became dehydrated and ended up in the emergency room. I found it hard to drink water all day so I ate a ton of watermelon and cantaloupe as snack foods. I also ate cereal for breakfast and soups for lunch.

A big help to me was to have a container of whatever I wanted to drink (usually a gallon jug- although be careful to set it where you don't have to lift it to drink from it if you do this- use a straw) and mark it in 3rds. Then I set my cell phone's alarm to go off every so often and made it a goal to have 1/3 gone in say for example 3 hrs. If you keep track of your progress its much easier to stay ahead of the dehydration.

Anyone else have useful tips to keep dehydration at bay?

My friend the DVR

Why is it there is never anything good on TV when all you can do is watch TV, surf the internet or read a book. Daytime TV is awful, I mean AWFUL. There was nothing that I wanted to watch besides Rachel Ray's talk show in the morning. For a few days I became obsessed with CNN (partly because I couldn't figure out how Don Lemon was in his 40's, he looks like he's 22 years old) but that quickly wore off.

One of my smarter moves on bedrest was recording anything and everything that I would find interesting. I under normal circumstances didn't record a lot, only shows I really loved and I never recorded reruns. Once on bedrest that quickly changed. If something was on at 3 o'clock in the morning and I was sleeping usually I would assume it would play again. Now I would record anything so I'd have it when I could no longer take staring at my computer screen or I had finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the 4th time. Now in the morning when all that was on TV was QVC highlighting the latest fashions from the Quaker Factory and I was about to lose it *light bulb* THE DVR! Seriously, I loved that thing. I DVR'ed every Harry Potter movie that played on TV, Psych, Burn Notice, NCIS, and the Soup.

Strict Bedrest

Strict bedrest is awful. I was jealous of those allowed to go down stairs. I would have loved to do laundry- something I would have never ever said before bedrest. I was initally given the green light to do light shopping once a week when I first was in preterm labor. After I ended up in the hospital for several days though everything about my Dr's orders became much more strict. After I had little man this resulted in a two hour Target trip. I filled 2 shopping carts full of stuff I had been so eager to buy but didn't trust to my husband (Ex. nursing bras). My point is your sanity is even more likely to go out the door the more strict you have it.

Here are some things to consider:

Shop online for baby items you still need.
Check to see if your grocery store has a delivery service (Giant uses Peapod in my area)
Check out sites like DoortoDoorOrganics.com for delivery of fresh veggies and fruit
If you have the cash, hire a cleaning service to do a small cleaning of your house
Sign up for deal sites to see if a cleaning service in your area comes up
Try a new hobby- I picked up knitting using Youtube!
Learn a language- seriously the internet is vast and awesome
Have a career that requires continuing education?- try earning your CEU's online
Try watching some new shows
Have netflix? Search for movies, there are a lot that don't just pop up in the categories
Order take out- its nice to have warm food you didn't have to cook/when you can't cook
Have someone rent you some movies
Do your hair/make up/nails
Invite friends over
Have a 'virtual' baby shower if you need to- use skype!
Or bring your baby shower to you if you can
Sign up on all the baby formula and diaper websites- Hello coupons!
Have someone bring you trashy celeb magazines
Read a book before you can't because there is a screaming baby


Feel free to add suggestions in the comments.

Bedrest on a holiday.

 I know what a bummer it is to be stuck on bedrest during a holiday. The second time I was in PTL it was the 4th of July. It sucked. I sympathize I really do. I wanted to be outside at a picnic or at the very least just to be outside! I am sure you want to be anywhere but your bed.


My best advice is to keep your head held high and remember that you are doing this to keep your little one safe. Always take bed rest day by day, don't turn down visitors, ask for help when you need it, and remember the "I am keeping my baby safe" mantra!

Getting money back while shopping.

I'm going to keep it short and simple today. I shop at Target. Why? Because I earn gift cards for my purchases. I have a stash of gift cards in my wallet totaling $25 dollars from the last 6 weeks.

Shopping at Target is one of the easiest ways for me to save money. They have deals all the time where if you buy two products you can earn a $5 or $10 dollar gift card. Just look in this weeks flyer. The deals are usually on diapers and formula so it works out very well when you start to need that sort of stuff! You can also get rebates on various products (breast pumps are a big one for getting rebates) so watch for those.

Spending savy and finding freebies.

While on bedrest I had time to evaluate the way I was shopping. It was not effective. I never made lists. I bought on impulse. I never had a budget for the month or for my shopping trip. I had never considered coupons or sales. I knew though that I wanted things like paper towels, toilet paper, diapers, wipes, frozen meals all stock piled to last us the first few weeks after my son was born. I designated a place in our hall closet to house our 4-6 weeks worth stock of life's little essentials.

When I was first put on bedrest I started surfing the web. I stumbled onto message boards about budgeting. I found links to tools I never considered using to help me keep track of money, to help me plan meals, to create grocery lists, that listed sales prices ect.

I also found blogs to help me effectively take advantage of sales and coupons and often times links to freebies. I signed up for every free sample of formula and diaper and baby product I could. If I did it often meant a coupon or several coupons came with the item.

If your put on bedrest and worried about money I suggest you make a budget if you don't have one. I use Mint.com but there are several tools out there. Make sure that they are legitimate before you give any old website your information though. First consider how much you have spent on things like food, gas, utilities, over the last several months to determine the average. Then consider if your spending too much. If you are, see where you can cut back.

I make a food and shopping budget for the month. I divide that by four to give me a rough idea of what I want to spend weekly. While I was on bedrest I'd take (or later I'd send my husband) on 1 small shopping trip a week I have kept this habit up ever since- its easier because we always end up needing to make a weekly run for milk and eggs.

Every week on Sunday I had someone pick me up a paper. You don't need a paper but you get the bonus of the coupons. Target, Walmart and your grocery store probably have their weekly sales ad posted online. I liked the paper because I would read through the sales ads and circle the products. Then I used that to create my list. After that I went through the grocery store flyer to determine what was on sale and what meals I could make from those sale items. I tried to keep my meals as easy to make as possible- that didn't always allow for sale items.

I considered my coupons and stacked them with sales where I could. I do admit at the store I would look over the clearance items but I stayed sitting in my little electric cart and I didn't spend a lot of time looking. If you are allowed a day to go grocery shopping save your sanity and TAKE IT !! but don't take forever and do not stand if you are told not to, use an electric cart. Don't forget to make and take along a list!

Write down what the price is when you get a good deal on an excel sheet or in a notebook. I had a list of products like angel soft, bounty, pasta, Pepsi, and the best price I could get these items. This way I knew when to stock up. I found if I waited long enough I could get pasta for 50c and Pepsi for $1.90 a 12 pack. I was able to create our stock as cheap as possible this way. You don't need a hoard but its nice to have a stock for the 1st few weeks with your new baby.

Finally I suggest you surf the web for links to freebies and sign up on all the formula, diaper and baby product websites. They will send you samples and coupons. Even if you don't plan on using them you can trade them at your local mommy groups for ones you do or you could donate them to your local homeless shelter.You can find links to coupons, freebies and the best sales for the week on some of the popular deal-finder blogs.