10 Tips to Help You Survive Bed Rest

Finally I decided I needed to find ways to keep my sanity and connection to the outside world. I knew there had to be some way to make bed rest seem less isolating, lonely, and frustrating. Here are some things that really helped me:

Sidelines

Sidelines is a nonprofit organization that will send you free literature about complicated pregnancies and bed rest. It will also hook you up with someone in your area who has been on bed rest. Obtain more information by calling Sidelines at 1-888-447-4754 (HI-RISK) or go to www.sidelines.org.

Start Surfing

You simply must have a computer near your bed during bed rest. Though it is not the same as getting in your car and driving to the grocery store, library, or mall, the Internet offers you the opportunity to visit places without physically being there. It is possible to order your groceries, purchase baby clothes, and reserve library books online. The Internet is also a valuable tool for meeting other women on bed rest and learning more about pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting.

Get Free Stuff

The Internet has many free offers and coupons. Sign up for as many catalogs as you can. They're cheap (most are free), satisfy your shopping gene, and help you acquire necessary baby items.

Book Clubs

Not just for yourself but for your expected bundle. Most of the parenting magazines have advertisements for children's book clubs (Book of the Month, Crossings, Books of my Own, Grolier). The book clubs offer free books with the purchase of two or three books at a regular, reasonable price. I had fun flipping through the books, and I even read them aloud to my son before he was born. Sandra Boynton's Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! is still one of his favorites.