what is bed rest?
Bed rest is limiting physical activity during your pregnancy. It can last a few weeks or even months. It may be at home or in the hospital.
Your doctor may put you on partial bed rest or full bed rest. Partial bed rest usually means it's usually okay to sit, stand, or walk around for short periods of time. It is sometimes called modified bed rest. Full bed rest usually means you need to lie down most of the day except when you go to the bathroom or take a bath or shower. But every woman and every pregnancy is different. So the amount of activity you can do will depend on your doctor's recommendations.
It's normal to feel many emotions when you find out that you need to be on bed rest. You may feel frustrated, sad, or stressed. Some women even feel relieved. It may help to focus on how you are helping to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible. There are also many things you can do to make your time on bed rest easier.
Your doctor may put you on bed rest if you have preeclampsia or are pregnant with multiple babies. Or it may be recommended if you have a problem with the placenta or the cervix. Your doctor may also prescribe bed rest if you have serious health problems during your pregnancy.
Sometimes bed rest is prescribed if there is a high risk of having your baby early. This is called preterm birth.
It is important to know that full bed rest is not often recommended by many doctors. This is because bed rest has not been shown to help prevent certain problems, such as preventing preterm birth.footnote 1
Be sure to talk with your doctor about the reasons for your bed rest. The more you understand about the pros and cons, the easier it may be to follow your doctor's advice.
What you can do depends on whether you are on partial or full bed rest. Talk with your doctor about what kinds of activities are okay to do. Ask if it's okay to lift, bathe, do housework, drive, walk, take stairs, and exercise.
It is also important to discuss sex. Ask your doctor what kinds of sexual activities are okay during the rest of your pregnancy.
The biggest risk for women on bed rest is blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) in your leg or lungs. The best way to reduce your risk of these clots is to regularly flex your feet and to stretch and move your legs.
Bed rest may also make your muscles weak. Ask your doctor if there are some leg and arm exercises you can do. The stronger your body, the more energy and strength you will have for labor and to care for your new baby.
It is normal to have a hard time adjusting to life on bed rest. But if you feel depressed or sad for a few weeks, talk to your doctor. You may need treatment for depression.
Keep comfortable
Keep your body as comfortable as possible.
Stay connected
Stay connected and supported.
Tackle some tasks
See this time as an opportunity. Do things that can be hard to find time to do.
Prepare for your new baby
Bed rest is limiting physical activity during your pregnancy. It can last a few weeks or even months. It may be at home or in the hospital.
Your doctor may put you on partial bed rest or full bed rest. Partial bed rest usually means it's usually okay to sit, stand, or walk around for short periods of time. It is sometimes called modified bed rest. Full bed rest usually means you need to lie down most of the day except when you go to the bathroom or take a bath or shower. But every woman and every pregnancy is different. So the amount of activity you can do will depend on your doctor's recommendations.
It's normal to feel many emotions when you find out that you need to be on bed rest. You may feel frustrated, sad, or stressed. Some women even feel relieved. It may help to focus on how you are helping to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible. There are also many things you can do to make your time on bed rest easier.
Your doctor may put you on bed rest if you have preeclampsia or are pregnant with multiple babies. Or it may be recommended if you have a problem with the placenta or the cervix. Your doctor may also prescribe bed rest if you have serious health problems during your pregnancy.
Sometimes bed rest is prescribed if there is a high risk of having your baby early. This is called preterm birth.
It is important to know that full bed rest is not often recommended by many doctors. This is because bed rest has not been shown to help prevent certain problems, such as preventing preterm birth.footnote 1
Be sure to talk with your doctor about the reasons for your bed rest. The more you understand about the pros and cons, the easier it may be to follow your doctor's advice.
What you can do depends on whether you are on partial or full bed rest. Talk with your doctor about what kinds of activities are okay to do. Ask if it's okay to lift, bathe, do housework, drive, walk, take stairs, and exercise.
It is also important to discuss sex. Ask your doctor what kinds of sexual activities are okay during the rest of your pregnancy.
The biggest risk for women on bed rest is blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) in your leg or lungs. The best way to reduce your risk of these clots is to regularly flex your feet and to stretch and move your legs.
Bed rest may also make your muscles weak. Ask your doctor if there are some leg and arm exercises you can do. The stronger your body, the more energy and strength you will have for labor and to care for your new baby.
It is normal to have a hard time adjusting to life on bed rest. But if you feel depressed or sad for a few weeks, talk to your doctor. You may need treatment for depression.
Keep comfortable
Keep your body as comfortable as possible.
Stay connected
Stay connected and supported.
Tackle some tasks
See this time as an opportunity. Do things that can be hard to find time to do.
Description Bed rest, also referred to as the rest-cure, is a medical treatment in which a person lies in bed for most of the time to try to cure an illness. Bed rest refers to voluntarily lying in bed as a treatment and not being confined to bed because of a health impairment which physically prevents leaving bed. Wikipedia
If your pregnancy care provider recommends bed rest, it means they’re concerned about a health condition that could cause pregnancy complications or premature labor. Your provider may put you on bed rest for a few weeks or several months. Healthcare providers sometimes prescribe bed rest during pregnancy to increase the chances of your pregnancy being carried to term. Carrying your baby to term means you’re pregnant at least 37 weeks before your baby is born. Bed rest can mean several things like restricting your activities, being admitted to the hospital or staying in bed at home.
Some studies suggest bed rest during pregnancy doesn’t help reduce complications or prevent preterm labor. However, many providers still see the benefit of bed rest and believe it leads to more successful outcomes. Other providers don’t think the risks outweigh the benefits. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) doesn’t recommend bed rest as a routine treatment. They, instead, recommend reducing your usual activities instead of stopping your activities entirely.
Bed rest can mean several things. There isn’t one standard definition, so talk to your healthcare provider about what you’re permitted and not permitted to do on bed rest.
Some forms of bed rest are:
It’s OK to ask your healthcare provider to define bed rest based on your condition so you’re both on the same page.
Your healthcare provider may recommend bed rest to decrease your chances of early labor or to help treat a pregnancy condition that could lead to complications for you or the fetus. The most common reasons for bed rest during pregnancy are:
Remember, you can ask your healthcare provider for their reasons for prescribing bed rest and ask them to explain their recommendation.
If your healthcare provider recommends bed rest during pregnancy, you should feel safe asking them questions. Some questions to ask include:
There’s no solid research either for or against bed rest. Many healthcare providers believe it’s worth trying if it may increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. For providers that support bed rest, they believe it:
However, other providers believe bed rest causes more harm without leading to better pregnancy outcomes.
Your healthcare provider will give you specific information about your activity level. This will depend on the reasons you’re on bed rest. Some people must remain in bed or on a couch for most of the day, while others may only need to modify their activity level.
Examples of activities that are usually allowed are:
Everyone is different. It’s best to talk to your provider about your specific restrictions. Generally speaking, the activities that aren’t permitted include:
Check with your provider to make sure you know what activities are permitted while you’re on bed rest.
Many pregnant people are advised to lie on their side during bed rest with their legs bent. This maximizes blood flow to your uterus. Some healthcare providers also recommend:
Your healthcare provider can recommend safe ways to exercise while on bed rest. For example, rolling your ankles, wrists and neck in circles or squeezing a stress ball can help encourage blood circulation.
Depending on the type of bed rest prescribed, your healthcare provider may tell you to have someone else drive you to prenatal appointments. While you may be permitted to walk from your car to the entrance of your provider’s office, you should avoid long walks and standing for long periods of time.
If your healthcare provider has advised strict bed rest, you’ll have to make arrangements for child care during the day and at night. While challenging for you and your family, try to provide some stability in your other children’s routine. For example, participate in activities with your children you can do while sitting down, such as watching a movie, helping them with homework or reading a book.
Constipation is a common side effect of bed rest during pregnancy. Eating a well-balanced diet with extra fiber and drinking enough water may help prevent constipation. If constipation becomes a problem, your healthcare provider may advise you to take a bulk laxative, such as Metamucil®, or a stool softener, such as Colace®.
Bed rest can be challenging, so it’s important to be organized and establish a daily routine. Take a shower and get dressed every day. Make sure that you have certain items close by. These items could include:
Being on bed rest can get boring. The following activities may give you something to do to fight off boredom.
Yes, there are risks to bed rest during pregnancy. Some research suggests the risks outweigh the potential benefits. Some disadvantages include:
Remember, only you and your healthcare provider can decide what is best for you. If you feel uncomfortable with your provider’s recommendation, you can seek a second opinion or consult with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
This depends on how long you’ve been on bed rest. If you’ve been inactive for a long time, you may experience muscle weakness and lack of energy after delivery. A physical therapist or a massage therapist may be able to help you minimize these effects. Having help during the postpartum time is important. In those first few weeks, try to rest or sleep when your baby sleeps, eat healthy food and snacks and delegate chores so that you can recover.
Call your healthcare provider if you’re on bed rest and:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
A growing number of physicians are moving away from the concept of strict bed rest, instead using it only as a last resort. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Trusted SourceAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Obstetrics & Gynecology %u201CTherapeutic%u201D Bed Rest in PregnancySee All Sources and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) do not recommend traditional bed rest, Trusted SourceSociety for Maternal-Fetal MedicineActivity restriction in pregnancySee All Sources stating that there is no evidence that it actually helps prevent or treat pregnancy complications.
But that doesn’t mean that your practitioner won’t ask you to refrain from some of your usual activities to protect both you and your baby. Here’s what you can expect from activity restriction, including how to stay mentally and physically healthy when you’re spending less time on your feet.
In the past, bed rest was categorized as one of the following: scheduled resting, modified bed rest, strict bed rest and hospital bed rest. But doctors today are moving away from these distinctions, instead recommending one of the following two categories depending on the severity of the pregnancy complication: Trusted SourceMayo ClinicBed rest during pregnancy: Get the factsSee All Sources
Certain pregnant people are more likely to wind up on activity restriction, including those with certain chronic conditions. There are also certain pregnancy conditions that may prompt your doctor to reduce your activity, however, there is little medical evidence to suggest efficacy:
Doctors who prescribe activity restriction say it can reduce some pressure on your cervix and strain on your heart while increasing circulation to your uterus. If your doctor prescribes some level of activity restriction and you’re not sure why, ask. She should be able to explain to you what the benefits are along with whether or not they outweigh the risks.
Being off your feet for a long period of time comes with its share of drawbacks — which is why many doctors are more likely to be cautious of doling out bed rest. Prolonged inactivity can lead to hip and back pain, muscle atrophy (which can make it harder to bounce back once you deliver), skin irritation, bone loss and even blood clots in the legs.
Bed rest may also aggravate many of the normal symptoms of pregnancy, such as heartburn, constipation and leg swelling, as well as increase your risk for gestational diabetes, since your body isn’t breaking down glucose at its usual rate.
In addition, research has established a link between decreased appetite (which can happen with activity restriction), maternal weight loss and low birth-weight infants. In other words, if you don’t have an appetite and therefore aren’t getting enough to eat, there’s a good chance your baby isn’t either.
Medical experts have also warned that prolonged inactivity can lead to depression — and that the depression sometimes hangs around after the baby arrives. Be aware of the signs: unshakable feelings of sadness, loss of appetite and major mood swings. Any pregnant woman may experience each of these symptoms at various times, but speak to your practitioner if these symptoms feel hard to manage.
Bed rest, unfortunately, is no pajama party. Once reality sets in and you realize that you can’t do some of the things you’re used to doing, any appeal is lost pretty quickly. After you find out from your doctor exactly which activities are allowed (and which aren’t), use these tips to minimize some of the side effects.
Given the reservations many doctors have about prolonged bed rest now, it’s unlikely that you’ll find yourself completely bedridden — and you may be surprised at the things you can still do when you’re being asked to do less. A few suggestions:
Living with limitations can drive you a bit nuts, especially if you’re normally a very active person. Sometimes keeping yourself busy can provide a welcome distraction. A few suggestions:
Remember that you’re simply starting the parenting process a little earlier than most, doing what may be best for your child — even if it’s not terribly fun for you. Every day you take it easy is one potentially more day your baby (or babies) grows inside you, giving him or her (or them) the best chance at being born healthy and strong.
Depending on how much your activity is restricted, you may need to make some changes around your home:
Keep your expectations realistic after delivery. Cut yourself some postpartum slack, factoring in all your body has been through. Depending on the level of activity restriction, you may not have the same aerobic capacity or muscular strength that you had before.
So give yourself a chance to recover, and plan on building back up to your former fitness level slowly. Walking, yoga and swimming are good activities to do to get back into the game. With consistent effort on your part and help from your practitioner, family and friends, don’t worry. You’ll get there!
