Bed Rest: An Expectant Mom's Survival Guide

Your nine-month venture leading to parenthood will inevitably entail a variety of bumps in the road, even if you have sailed through a prior pregnancy with flying colors. One unexpected hurdle that as many as one in five women face during pregnancy is a requirement for bed rest.

Each year, health care professionals will prescribe bed rest to more than half a million expectant mothers. A doctor may recommend bed rest in response to a medical condition or symptom that puts the health of the baby and/or mother at high risk - multiple pregnancies, high blood pressure (hypertension), pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, vaginal bleeding, and premature labor, for example.

Positive Effects of Bed Rest
Bed rest has been shown to alleviate symptoms and reduce risk for complications. Established benefits include:

• Decreasing physical and emotional stress
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduction in vaginal bleeding
• Restriction of premature contractions
• Facilitation of blood flow to the placenta

Because each pregnancy and every woman is unique, your experience with bed rest may vary; some women are placed on bed rest early on and then released, whereas others spend what seems like their entire pregnancies in bed.

Get Specifics
It is important that you discuss both the specific details and the exact requirements of your bed rest with your health care provider. Some cases require stringent adherence, but milder conditions may allow for a little more flexibility.

About The Author

Antigone Arthur Antigone is a freelance writer and proud mother. She has been researching and writing about pregnancy, breastfeeding, infertility and alternative health solutions for more than a decade.