Preganancy Complications

Hi M., Put yourself and your baby in the hands of God and I too will pray for you. Please have faith and try to be at peace because anxiety will do your baby no good. I know it is not easy but please rest and have a healthy, happy baby. Sincerely, Grandma Mary

Hi M.,
I was out on bed rest with my son at 32 weeks also. At 34 they let me off bed rest because by 34 the baby would be fine they said. I did give birth at 34 and a half weeks and my son who is now 3 was perfect. Please don't be nervous or make yourself crazy. Trust your docs. Rest and when it happens it happens. Good luck!!
L. R

M.,

If I could make huge letters here for you: You can do it!

If I could respond more than once I would respond 50 times: You can do it!

Don't worry. Surround your gestating resting spots with relaxing pictures - cut them out of a magazine, newspaper, print them out, whatever. Anything to help you focus on what you are doing: Gestating! You are bringing your baby into this world - worry free (as close to it as possible).

Have a note book of photos - places to focus on, family to focus on.

Have a small tote of note cards - things you can write to friends and family as you're not 'stuck' there, you're busy helping a baby grow!

Turn off the TV - and turn on the classical. Your baby needs you to listen to something relaxing and at the same time, educational. Wagner for Math. Mozart. Bach, Beethoven. Remember: Your baby absorbs what you listen to in the womb, and the amniotic fluid amplifies it.

Remember when your baby is born: Don't leave him/her in a silent room for the same exact reason. Music you listen to when you are pregnant will be a comfort to them when they are out of their safe haven. Silence is loud - to a baby just born!

Lose your nervousness - show yourself and your baby you can calm yourself (a skill you will need after they are born, too!) and help them grow.

Good luck!
M.

you received these responses from danshepvaughn via twitter:

@MamasourceNYC Hi M.. I know exactly how you feel. I had to be on bedrest for the last four months of my pregnancy. Catch up on your tv
@MamasourceNYC Hang in there. It will all be a memory once your bundle of joy is born. Enjoy this time to rest and reflect.
@MamasourceNYC I will keep you in prayer, M.. Be blessed now and always

Don't freak yourself out. I was put on bed rest and medication at 33 weeks with my daughter and at 24 weeks with my youngest. I had premature labor with both of them. Know what the kicker was - my daughter wound up being born 3 days AFTER my due date and my son at 38 weeks. Both perfectly healthy. Try and relax. Take advantage of this "forced" down time because you'll be busy, busy when the baby is born!!!! Good luck to you :)

Hi my name is S.. I was in your same situation approximately 6 years ago. It was my first pregnancy and I was having twins. I went into pre-term labor at 28 weeks. I was also put on bed rest and not allowed to even shower until my husband came home from to work to help me. I can totally understand being bored, I had no family or friends around to come visit as we had just recently moved to the area. All I can tell you is the boredom is well worth it. After the baby comes you will be begging for some rest and time alone to yourself in bed. I read a lot, watched a lot of TV and talked on the phone a lot. I know staying on bed rest is the best thing I could do for my babies, I ended up carrying my twins to 38 1/2 weeks and gave birth to a 6lb 12oz healthy boy and a 5lb 8oz healthy baby girl. Hang in there, it is worth every bit of misery in the end!!

just do what they say, it's all worth it in the end.

Hi M., congratulations on oyur first baby. I delivered my first in November. I also had complications - my blood pressure started rising and was borderline preeclampsia. My doctor told me to stop working and to not do any housework or anything at all. I was suppose to rest. We were both terrified because I had no problems during the first 8 months of my pregnancy... We ended up having to schedule a c-section that I did not want but had no choise. Now, we have a beautiful and healthy baby boy, so please do not worry - easier said than done, I know - TRY not to worry because that is not good for you or the baby. Ask your husband to distract you, watch tv, read, do whatever to not think too much about the bed rest and remember - this is a common thing, you are not the only one on a bed rest - this is probably just a precaution and everything will be alright. The baby is probably quite ready to be born but the longer you keep him or her in your uterus the better. You are 32 weeks already!!! so enjoy the last days of no diapers or crying ;)
Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MamaMagda

it has been 22 yrs but i too was put on bed rest with my 2nd child..i had lots of spotting and contractions..had a few times of staying in the hospital for a day or two to be monitored and then sent home...it is boring only get up to use the rest room...my grandmother was still alive and actually came and tought me how to crochet to keep me busy...i kept things by the cough to be able to reach them...and i also took up tole painting to make things for xmas gifts and the babies room...it is actually exhausting just laying around...but you get through it for the good of the baby...i ended up only a week early of my actual due date..dr said it was a safe time...i still had issues and had to have a c section..but it all worked out in the end..dont get tooooo frustrated...time will go soon enough...good luck rosie

Hi M., I also was put on bed rest at 30 weeks due to early labor. I was in the hospital overnight and had to be on blood pressure medication to stop the contractions. Its not uncommon, however, you do need to take it easy. I wasn't in bed 24/7. I stayed indoors & moved around the house a bit. I Slept, Read, watched TV, made lunch dates & enjoyed my alone time. Enjoy it while you can, because before you know it you will sleep deprived & very busy with your little one. I had my daughter at the start of my 39th week, approx. 10 days early. She was very healthy at 7 lbs 11 oz & now is a thriving 11 month old. Don't be nervous, it will all work out! Good luck & wish you only the best. A.

Hi M.,

bed rest sucks! I know, but you can do it. you are so far along in your pregnancy, you only have 8 weeks to go. and in the grand scheeme of things, 8 weeks out of your entire life is not that long. The longer you can keep that precious little baby on the inside the better it will be.

I am a mother of 4 ( two boys ages 6 and 8, and twin girls 11 months old) I went on bed rest with the twins starting at 18 weeks! now i was not in preterm labor so mine was modified bed rest ( 8 to 10 waking hours a day) not the entire day, but I had two older children to take care of from the couch.

I spent a lot of time on my laptop, did a lot of internet shopping, rented movies on demand and read. The hardest thing for me was the lack of socializing and not being able to go to a store. Invite friends over for lunch and have them pick up sandwiches on the way over. it will give you a little company from time to time and break up the week.

do not be afraid to call on friends and family and ask for what you need. My situation was quite serious.... I had a whole chain of people on my email list that wanted to hear form me weekly after doctors appointments. so i set up an email group and kept everyone informed of my progress, my joys, concerns and prayer requests. It was a great way for me to keep in touch with many people and not be on the phone all day long repeating myself. People from my church would email me back words of encouragement which helped keep me going.

other things that can help, order your groceries online and have them delivered. see if there is peapod delivery in your area. eat on paper goods if necessary to help your hubby stayon top of house work.

and last but not least just try to relax and take it for what it is... it is a season, the days will seem long, but after the baby comes, you will look back and think how it flew by. enjoy the rest because trust me, once you have a newborn in the house you will long for the day when you can sit on the counch for several hours and do nothing.
I hope this helps

best of luck to you

W. K

Hi M.. Please rest assured that bed rest is very important and helps. I was on modified bed rest and my sister was on full bed rest, with a toddler, and thankfully it all worked out just fine. I know it's very boring, but maybe your hubby can take out some books from the library, rent DVDs, catch up on phone calls, have friends visit. Keep in mind that the bed rest will lead to a healthy baby. Best of luck to you and your hubby.
J.

Hi M.-

Hang in there. Once you have that baby in your arms, every thing you had to do to get them here safely, becomes well worth it.

Did you keep a pregnancy journal? Now may be a great time to journal about your pregnancy. And how you are feeling. Have you thought about starting a blog when the baby is born? You could get that started. Invite your girlfriends over for a Pizza & Movie night. How about online games? Toontown is fun one. You can address all the envelopes for your birth announcements. Have somebody pick you up a copy of "Baby, The Places You'll Go, a Book to be Read in Utero." I loved reading that book aloud when I was pregnant.

Keep looking forward. And Best Wishes to you and your family!

You will realize that you will sacrifice alot for your child. Not only before it is born but also after. Sometimes the good Lord gives us alot to handle but just keep thinking about the precious gift you will have after your time of being patient

Hello , My sister is going through the same she was put to bed rest since 12th week ,since she miscarried thrice . I am wishing you all the best hang in there.

Hang in there the end result (healthy full term baby) will be well worth it. Babies born too early can have problems so idealy they try to keep you pregnant to full term if possible. Is there a lap top you can use or a good book? Please keep us posted and {{{hugs}}} sent your way.

Hi M.,
I started having pre-term labor with my daughter at exactly 32 weeks as well.
I would be put on bed rest for a while, then when things looked better, they would say it was okay for me to move around a bit and sure enough I would go into labor again!
I went into labor 3 times between 32 and 37 weeks. Finally, at 37 weeks they decided to no longer stop my labor and I gave birth to a very healthy 5lb 13 oz baby girl. The pediatrician said he had never before seen a baby so small be healthy!
Its tough to be stuck in bed. Have your husband run over to the library and get you several good books or DVDs if they have them. If you don't have a laptop, see if you can borrow one. If you have a job where you can work from home, it might help alleviate boredom if you can work a bit. Join netflicks and online due date clubs.....
It will be a tough couple weeks, but it will really be the last time you have to yourself so make the best of it!

Been there, done that. Bedrest at 18 weeks. Son born
at 36 weeks, happy and healthy. At 32 weeks you are in
the home stretch. I know it is very difficult, but
before you know it you will have that little one in
your arms. Good luck.

Hi M.
Congrats on getting to 32 weeks
Did OB do a mag drip? Are you on trebutaline? or just bed rest?
I was in the hospital for a week at 18 weeks, with mag drip and stablized with meds. On bed rest for 19 weeks when my water broke and the twins were born at 37 +3 days. They were healthy and strong.
I stayed in bed. People from my church visited, and even brought me things to do. I crocheted, knitted and did crossword puzzles. I prayed for my babies. We were very nervous, and mostly I was very tired so I slept away alot of time.
Our pastor came by and reminded the Lord in prayer that there was "a time to be born and it was in June". Now the twins were due in July but this was early March. "and that this was not the time to be born."
The girls were born June 16th less than 24 hours after OB took me off the trebutaline. He said it would take 3 weeks for it to get out of my system.
At 30 weeks the staff was rejoicing with us. When I signed in the staff stood and clapped, I cried. At 34 weeks they actually had a party for me with cake and all, I cried. At 37 weeks they sang some version of It won't be long now, I cried. Didn't make it to 38 weeks and they somehow knew I would not.
You can do this, the longer the baby waits the healthier it is. Don't do anything, stay in bed and be waited on. All your energy is needed to keep that baby healthy and you will be glad you did.
Oh I was on bed rest with our oldest too. People said it was wrong to stay seditary, but I did what the OB said. Glad I did too.
God bless you and your new addition to the family.
K. SAHM married 38 years --- adult children -- 38,born at 40wks +1day.8#4oz, coach; 33, born at 39 wks, 8#15oz, lawyer, married with 1yoDS; twins 19, 5#11oz & 6#8oz, in college after homeschooling journalism GPA 3.7; and fine arts GPA 3.8 respectively. By the way, all were born C-section, and I am thankful they can do such a procedure because my kids are all alive and well.

Looks like you've got some great advice, but wanted to let you know about sidelines (I think it comes up easily if you google). Apparently they buddy you up with someone who's been through it, have chat rooms, can call you daily if you like...
good luck, hth, and that you have your healthy baby as soon as is good for him/her
all the best
ayala

Hi M.,

I have never been on bedrest, but I just wanted to reach out and say hi. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be confined to the bed or couch... I hope that the time passes quickly for you, and you soon have a healthy baby in your arms.

Warmly,
C.

M.,

I went through the same thing with my third daughter. I was on strict bed rest for the last two months of my pregnancy due to early labor. I wasn't even aloud to take a shower unless someone else was in the house and I had to limit the amount of time I spent in the shower. The good news is that although it doesn't seem like it now, this really will be over before you know it. And god willing you will have a happy, healthy baby. One of the things that helped me was trying not to count the days. I wouldn't pay attention to the date. I asked my ex-husband (we were still married at the time) to keep track of my Dr's appointments. I read alot and I had cable so I would find a different channel everyday to watch movies. Just try to find things to keep your mind off of not being able to go anywhere. I also had two other children who would keep me entertained when they got home at night. See if any of your friends are willing to stop by a couple of evenings a week to help keep your mind off things. Anything that helps keep your stress level down is a good thing.

I sincerely hope this helps. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy and good luck.

Stay blessed.
J.

I delivered at 31 weeks with my son and he is perfectly find. You just have to keep a positive attitude and things will be alright. I feel your pain but things are going to be ok

H.

Hi M.,
I was put on bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy at 20 weeks and know whole-heartedly what you are going through. With me I dilated 4 cm and had to have a cerclauge put in. I also had 4 other children, one of which was a toddler. Anyway my husband worked 2nd shift so he was home during the day and the kids took over with watching my little one and cooking at night. You bet I went nuts and the meds to stop the labor only made me feel worse. I would get up in the morning, my husband would help me shower while sitting, then it was onto the couch until bedtime, only getting up to go to the bathroom. Anyway what I found was that talking to the baby, knitting, making a puzzle, talking on the phone, watching T.V., and playing video games with or without the kids helped pass the time. Also the highlight of my week was going to my doctor in Orange, CT, just getting out for that hour and a half helped so much. Just keep telling yourself this is for the baby and that the longer you can hold on the better he will be.
Just curious I saw you are from West Haven, do you mind if I ask who your doctor is? I use Dr. Kaump at Greater New Haven Ob/Gyn and am thankful for him and the group that my son was born safe and sound.
Hugs,
T.

HI M.

I know that is very hard to do but the longer you carry the pregnancy the easier your life will be when you have your baby.
A friend of mine her first son were born at 26 weeks he spend 4 months in the hospital and minimum twice a week in the ER until he was 5 years old he is now nine years and doing okay
her second at 23 weeks she was on full bed rest but she was able to carried the pregnancy to 38 weeks,so be patience think of your baby surround yourself with friends and family read books watch tv be on your computer play games anything to keep your mind accupied.I my self were in bed for 8 weeks due to multiple fracture to my foot ,Good Luck

Every day closer to your due date is better for you & the baby. You probably will be taken off bedrest in 2 weeks, since at 34 weeks if you go into labor the MDs do not try to stop it.

Try to relax as much as possible. Nap as much as possible. Do mild leg exercises to prevent muscle atrophy and blood clots (rare).

Get a Netflix membership, if you don't already & catch-up on all missed movies! Learn how to knit/scrapbook/etc.

These last weeks of your pregnancy will be the last time in a very long time that you will have to yourself! Enjoy it!

Hi M.,
I was put on bed rest at 26 weeks. I ended up in the hospital for two months and was only allowed to shower every other day! I went on to have healthy full term twins. The key is to stay off your feet (follow dr.s orders!) and let go of all of your fears. You need to be positive that you will go full term, the baby will be healthy and you will make it thru this! I truly believe that your mind set makes all the difference! Keep up with emails, reading (you won't have much time after the baby to read), crochet etc....reach out to family and friends...have everyone visit and give everyone jobs...all they want to do it help. From this point on- It is NOT about you- it is about keeping your baby safe and warm inside! It will only be worse and more stressful if your preterm labor continues and you are end up in the hospital.
do a search on line for bedrest....I know there are clubs that are out there that can offer help via email.
Please email me if you need too!
keep the faith that you can do it for your baby!
Good luck
T.

I had diabetes when I was pregnant with my son. It was by no means equal to what you are going through. And I don't by any means try to understand what you are going through. However this may help. All I had to do was remind myself that this wasn't just about me, and anything I decided didn't just effect me. It was more important to follow the "rules" because of this child I was carrying. So I was very careful and watched what I ate. Checked my sugar regularly and my son was born happy and healthy. That was all that mattered. So, do whatever you can. You only have a few weeks left and just remember...it's not the journey but the goal that matters. Before you know it, you will be holding that beautiful baby in your arms and everything you did up to that point won't matter anymore.

I too was on bed rest from 24 weeks on (pregnant with twins). I went into early labor and was put on brethine (sp?) You are already 32 weeks and you don't have much longer...You can do it :) Have your hubby pack a cooler for you next to the bed w/food and drinks (STAY HYDRATED). My twins were born at 34 weeks are were in the NICU for 10 days but healthy!!! You only have a few weeks to go :)