Kristie McNealy, MD

We discussed 10 ways to cope with the stress and boredom of bedrest earlier this week, so now I’d like to share 6 tips for coping with bedrest when you have other kids in the house. I was put on bedrest with my second and third baby. The first time, I had a 3 year-old at home, and the next time around, my girls were 4 and 1 1/2. So, I know from experience how hard it can be to parent from the couch!

Here are a few of the ways I learned to cope with being on bedrest with small kids:

1. Get someone to come stay with you. This obviously isn’t always possible, but if anyone can spare even a day or two away from work, ask them to come stay with you. The second time I was on bedrest, my dad came and spent more than a week with us. Having him around to lift our youngest, help with meals and just entertain the girls was a huge help!
2. If you’re in the hospital, arrange frequent visits. If you’re hospitalized on bedrest, the separation will be hard on both you and your other little ones. Find someone to bring them by the hospital, but be prepared to keep the visits short in case there are any melt downs.
3. Get some help preparing meals, supplies and quiet activities. If you don’t have anyone who can stay with you, get your spouse or a friend to help out by making sandwiches, chopping veggies, making a big pot of soup you can reheat, etc. Have them load up the fridge and place a few things you know you’ll be using soon in a cooler right next to the couch. Next, ask them to gather up supplies like paper, crayons, and other quiet activities, as well as diapers, wipes and anything else you’ll need frequently. This will keep you from getting up to fetch things, or spending too long standing in the kitchen.
4. Get a ton of books and kids videos from the library. Send someone to the library to load you up with new books and videos to help keep your kids entertained. Not into letting your kids watch tv? Get some educational videos, or load up on books on cd. But, keep in mind that bedrest is a finite period of time, and a few extra movies won’t hurt if it keeps you at home, and the baby inside for longer. Don’t forget to ask for a few books or movies for yourself too! Books on cd can be good for mom too, if you’re on magnesium sulfate and suffering from double vision . . .
5. Minimize lifting with a step stool. If you have very small children, you can minimize the lifting you’ll need to do during the day by showing them how to climb up using a step stool. Put one by the couch or your bed so they can climb up and sit with you. If your little one isn’t quite ready for climbing a stool, spread a washable blanket or sheet on the floor so you can have a picnic, instead of lifting them into a highchair or booster.
6. Spend plenty of time cuddling! You’re kids are probably a little stressed out by all of the changes around the house. Take advantage of your time in bed by spending plenty of time cuddling. Share a nap together, and just enjoy the relative quiet before the new baby arrives.

I hope you enjoyed these tips. Check out more bedrest tips here, and subscribe to our RSS feed so you don’t miss our next batch of bedrest advice.

***NOTE***

About 5 minutes ago, I accidentally deleted the last 20 or so comments on this blog. I can’t recover them, and I am sorry for those who took the time to come and leave comments. I promise to be more careful next time I’m deleting things, so please come back and leave comments in the future!!

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