Why I'm On Bed Rest and Keeping Myself Busy

I missed my scheduled check-up last March 12 because my calendar's full that day.  I originally planned to squeeze in my check-up that a...

I missed my scheduled check-up last March 12 because my calendar's full that day.  I originally planned to squeeze in my check-up that afternoon, but my dad's advance birthday celebration extended until six in the evening.  So I thought, I'll just reschedule.

Unsplash Photo Source
Monday came, I was supposed to go to the office already, but my preggy belly felt heavier than usual.  My husband also didn't go to work because he wasn't feeling well.  We just wanted to stay in, be lazy the whole day and watch movies or TV series.  After lunch, guilt struck me for not prioritizing my check-up.  So we went to see my OB that afternoon. God made a way for us to be both available that day, otherwise, the worse might have happened to me and the baby.

I was the fifth patient on the secretary's list.  We ate our early dinner first while waiting.  My walk was slower (because I thought I'm now heavier), my tummy was heavier to carry (because I thought we were too full from our pizza-pasta-dinner), and I felt more sluggish compared to previous days.  When it was my turn, my OB performed IE and confirmed that my cervix is already open this early (a month shy from six months).

Doc: Naku, I'm sorry, you have to take a leave from work.

Me: (Thinking baka 2 weeks lang) For how long Doc?

Doc: AT LEAST one month.  Where do you work ba?

Me: Makati po Doc.  I stopped driving na, but I commute to work.

Doc: Naku!  Definitely NO to Makati for you.  You stopped driving na diba?  Even so, you still have to walk and make an effort, the stress, the pollution, everything.  NO talaga, hindi pwede.  One month at least.  I'm really sorry.  The moment I saw you pa lang, I already knew something's wrong with you.  I'm sure, you've felt the contractions for days or even weeks already, you just ignored it. 

I was shaking with fear and worry.  What have I done to myself and to my baby?  I put us at risk.  I felt guilty for not seeing the signs.  Is it because my tolerance for pain is high that I didn't notice my tummy's been contracting or heavier?  Was it ignorance that caused it?  Is it because I wasn't careful enough?  One thing's clear to me that time.  I was glad we didn't postpone the check up further, otherwise, I would've gone to and from the office for a week, aggravate my pregnancy situation and make the unwanted premature delivery or miscarriage happen.

Doc: Buti na lang you saw me, otherwise.  This could have been worse.  Your baby is not ready at all to come out.  I cannot even inject steroids in you for the baby because it's useless, he's too under-developed to have any effect on him.  I hope hindi mangyari sayo yung nangyari sa other patient ko.  You have exactly the same situation.  But siya, lumabas na ang baby niya prematurely at 6 months.  The baby was supported by oxygen for months in the hospital.  It cost the couple more than a million.  But now, the baby is fine.  I don't want this to happen to you, bukod sa kawawa ang baby, pati ang bulsa niyo mag-asawa butas.  Pero once pumutok ang water bag mo, that's it.  So please, when I say bed rest, as in sa bed ka lang.
Unsplash Photo Source
My husband looked at me with W-O-R-R-Y spelled on his face and did nothing but to be more caring,

The days following that up to this day were 95% spent on bed.  Since March 14, I have only gone out twice, with permission from my OB of course and with extra and exaggerated care.  First was during my older son's graduation and the second was during the Easter weekend.  So, what have I been up to during the other days?

It's easy to always assume that I'm literally doing nothing.  That times like these are beyond boring.  Actually no.  It's entirely up to the person how to make use of this time productively even when you just lie or sit on the bed the whole day.  As long as there's internet, laptop, mobile phone, TV, remote controls on the bedside, supportive and concerned people around, boring is out of the dictionary.

Making The Most Of My Time
Have you experienced being abruptly stopped from your normal activities and put to bed-rest (aka house arrest)?  Well now that I'm in this situation, I really have no choice but to obey my OB's advise and adjust and adapt immediately.

When I was ordered to bed-rest, that means, lying down most of the time on the bed, may sit, cannot go down the house, cannot walk that much, cannot be stressed, cannot really do anything physical.  You know what that means to a full-time working mom?  Aaacckk!

But for the sake of a healthy and safe pregnancy and to get better in time, I need to adjust and think of other ways to still be productive and not get bored.  Sharing with you some things that are keeping me busy.
Unsplash Source
  • Remotely Work-From-Home - Since I have pending stuff in the office, I'm eternally grateful that instead of using up all my remaining leaves for the year which was my original plan, I was allowed to work-from-home instead.  With the help of my reliable internet connection, I'm able to update my colleagues and bosses about my on-going projects, coordinate with partners, and actually serve my deliverables.  I don't really go officially online everyday.  I still filed VLs and SLs to ensure that I don't tire myself and defeat the purpose of my month-long bed rest.
  • Read - The pile of unopened and uncarressed books on my home office desk is finally getting some attention from me.  I have a variety of self-help, inspirational, and business books which I am now reading.  It keeps my mind off work or stress and it actually nourishes my mind and soul.  Reading gives me positive vibes which I need the most right now in my situation.
  • Watch TV/Movies/TV Series - Even when I'm on bed rest, I still get to be intimate and bond with my husband by watching downloaded movies and TV series.  We can't have sex of course, so tiis muna nang malupit.  But this bed rest showed his concern for me, his extra care for me, his dedicated service, understanding, patience, and of course love.  
  • Social Media and Gaming- Who doesn't check their phones in the morning, afternoon, at night, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, especially when just on the bed?  On idle time, I do check my social media accounts, update with photos and helpful links on Facebook and Instagram.  I also connect with friends through chatting and emailing.  I also installed Cooking Dash on my phone and I'm hooked to it.  Don't worry, I'm not one who sends invites on Facebook to install it or ask for gems or coins or shopping bags.  
  • Sleep - When I feel that I have nothing else to do or simply lazy to do other activities, I just sleep.  I'm happy to be staying at home because I get to be with my kids everyday (timing pa because school break na nila!) so I get to nap with the little one in the afternoon.  He spends his whole day with me in the room as if he's also on bed rest.  He used to eat, play, and read downstairs with his cousin.  But now, he also finds a way to be busy with me in the room.  
  • Eat - Oh yes, this is what I do the whole day, breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack and dinner.  I need to eat, even if I feel that I'm getting bigger everyday because I keep on putting stuff in my body and I cannot burn the calories because of my mobility limitations.  But the good part about this is, my husband eats breakfast with me in the room by bringing our food upstairs, before he goes to the office.  My kids prefer to eat with me in the room as well.  When my husband comes home, he also has dinner with me in the room.  The dining table is not functioning well right now, no one eats there anymore.  
  • Blog - Yup, my favorite activity.  Now that I'm just at home, when work in the office is done, I have plenty of time to catch up on my backlogs (three more remaining na lang!) and start on topics I really want to talk about like pregnancy (this one!), my wedding details pa, my resto and hotel experiences, relationship tips, and a lot more.  It's therapeutic to me.  It's actually my stress-management activity.  Blogging makes me happy!
Being on a bed rest mode is doing me good than not.  It slows me down.  It makes me bond more with my family.  It establishes my physical presence with the kids.  It makes me closer to my husband and appreciate more all his efforts in caring and loving me.  It calms me.  It relaxes me.  My conclusion really is, God makes things happen because He has plans for me and you as well.  We may not understand it at first, but when great things are unfolding right before your eyes, you'll be able to see why He allowed unfortunate events to happen.  

Personally, I've never felt more relaxed, more at peace, and more loved now I'm in this situation.  This is His reason.  God is telling me to pause, to trust Him, to have more faith in Him and in the people who love me, and to be patient.  I welcomed this situation with open arms and with full acceptance because I know in my heart, I am serving a purpose.  I may be a bit idle for now, but I'd rather be idle with both of my kids' arms wrapped around me everyday at my convenience and the full attention and care of my husband, than be the up-and-about-always-away-working-mom I used to be two weeks before.  So, let me enjoy and bask in the glory of my bed rest for now.  It's all good.

You Might Also Like

14 comments

  1. Thank goodness that your company let you work from home. Praying that everything will be alright for you and baby until D-Day comes!

    ReplyDelete
  2. sherry ann gole cruzMarch 29, 2016 at 8:10 PM

    hope you're ok po,take care always mommy louise,im your avid follower and i do care a lot for you! Enjoy na lng po ur month vacation :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice blog! thanks for sharing! I am on my 7th month of Pregnancy now and on a bed rest too. We actually do the same thing like work from home, read, sleep, and watch tv series (How I met your Mother). Plus, we have the same name (Louise) hihi Wish you all the best Ms. Louise! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awww.. Mommy I hope everything will be allright!! REST.REST.REST po.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello @Jocris Mangubat, thank you. That's what I've been doing. I'm also praying everything's gonna be alright. When I came out the first time after I was ordered bed rest, nanibago ako nang bongga. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks @Jen Louise, wow, same name pa tayo! Mababait at magaganda raw ang mga Louise eh (hahaha self-serving!) Thanks for this very thoughtful message of yours. I wish you all the best to! Here's to a healthy and safe pregnancy and childbirth for both of us! :) God bless you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello @sherry ann gole cruz, thanks! That's so sweet of you! I hope to meet you someday. I surely will especially when I bounced back from giving birth to my third one. I'll organize something. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello @Mommy Roxi, how are you? I miss seeing you in events :) Yes, I'm so grateful that I was allowed to work from home. But on days that I really don't go online because I want to rest, I file a leave. :) Thanks for the prayers. I really pray that the baby and I will conquer the finish line safely. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. sherry ann gole cruzMarch 30, 2016 at 7:40 PM

    hello po again,we have meet npo,when i won your cupcake giveaway.take care po.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ay oo nga pala.. pero I do want to get to know my readers better. Yung tipong coffee or lunch chika. :) Thanks Sherry! God bless always!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. There was one time I was on bed rest too, and it's NKKLK because di ako mapakali. At that time our Internet was as slow as a snail kaya I cannot blog properly. Hehe! Glad you were still able to attend your kids' graduation. Good thing you are able to make use of this time with your family. Rest well and take care!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I know.. I'm in the phase na NKKLK na.. kasi I'm on my 3rd week now. I'm starting to be more emotional now and parang easily bored. So when that happens.. I look for other ways to keep me busy! :) Thanks Cym! Take care too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Nakakarelate talaga ako basta bedrest during pregnancy. Now for my second pregnancy, bedrest again but buti na lang this happened when I'm already 8 months pregnant. I'm 36 weeks now so at least 1 or 2 weeks na lang hihintayin namin ni baby. I don't think I can wait for my due date because I'm having contractions already and medicines lang nagpapalessen nito as of now. Take care always Mommy Louise (my daughter is Louise also)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow, you're 36 weeks na.. konti na lang! Ako, my due date is on June 28 pa, so medyo ilang weeks pa. My pre-term contractions had lessened naman na, but I'm not sure about my cervix if it's still open or nag-close na. I've been working from home, thankfully my boss allowed me to. But iba pa rin if you're used to going to office everyday. But for the safety of the baby, need talaga mag-sacrifice. Good luck Hannah on your pregnancy, I pray for your safe delivery. :) Thanks for dropping by my blog. :) Take care! :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving your wonderful comment!

INSTAGRAM @mommypracticality




FOLLOW @MOMMYPRACTICALITY ON INSTAGRAM



Mommy Practicality is a home and lifestyle blog that's about positive, informative, 
inspirational and helpful sharing of life experiences of a working mom 
with topics on motherhood, relationships, events, food, travel, shopping, and finances. 
It hopes to influence moms and women to realize 
that it's possible to live a quality life while choosing a practical lifestyle.



Receive all updates via Facebook. Just Click the Like Button Below

Powered By Blogger Widgets