- 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.
Saturday
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.
Monday
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 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.
Wednesday
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.
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.
Tuesday
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.
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