- Will my baby be okay?
- Does bed rest even work? (The experts are unsure...)
- Why is this happening to me? (It's not fair! I'm a healthy woman!)
- How can I be a good mom to my 3-year-old son if I'm lying around?
- How can I be such a burden to my husband?
- How can I be a good wife while on bed rest?
- Will my students still learn without me?
- Will people miss me at work?
- What if I don't make it to term?
- How much strength will I lose?
- Will I even have the strength to give birth at the end of this road?
- And again...will my baby be okay?
Fortunately, most people can't possibly understand what it feels like to be placed on bed rest during a pregnancy. For those who do, though, we know that it is not about just sitting back and watching your favorite TV shows or reading good books. It's not a vacation from work. The reality is that time slows down to the point where every week seems like an eternity. Perhaps ironically, it's physically challenging to just lie around all day. Beyond that, bed rest is an emotional and mental challenge like no other that I have experienced.
How do I know this? I was prescribed bed rest with my son when I was 28 weeks pregnant. In the end, I was let off of bed rest at 37 weeks, and he was born just 10 days before his due date. So I made it. I've done it. I can do it again, right?
At least that's what I hope. My doctors were very positive when I began my pregnancy this time. After all, my son is considered full-term (although I know this is controversial since he wasn't a full 40 weeks...seriously, though, it was good considering my pregnancy!). According to the doctors, the best predictor of my current pregnancy's success is that of my last pregnancy. I was told that hopefully I could spend more time on my feet this time around. A little over a week ago, one perinatologist told me he didn't believe in bed rest, and he thought everything would be okay regardless. Nothing has really changed since then.
However, here I find myself today at 24 weeks 5 days pregnant, and I have been resting for 10 days. Today I got the official leave paperwork. I know that this pregnancy could end in disaster for my family. And so the great mental challenge begins...
One of the keys to bed rest, I believe, is staying positive. While it may not work, I am choosing to believe that it can and will. As I continue this blog, I will no doubt have posts or moments that are dark. My aim is to stay as positive as possible though. After all, every day pregnant is a good one for my baby girl.
