Hey Lil Helper Family! If you’ve been here before, you know we are all about making this crazy parenting journey easier, sharing stories, and building community. Today one of our Ambassadors, Amie, is here to share her experience with coping with bed rest. Sharing stories helps us break down the stigma and realize we are not alone. For more on this great Lil Helper community, check out the Unsnapped Facebook Group.
Read on for Amie’s story.
Well if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re confined to your bed. Pregnancy bed rest can be tough. I know the feeling all to well. I struggled hard with not being able to make my own snack, relying on others to bring me water, only being able to use the washroom and trying to remember not to bend, twist or strain. Like how is a girl supposed to poop without bending?
I was on light activity to full on bedrest for the second half of my pregnancy due to multiple complications, so I figured out a few tips to keep me sane.
Laying in bed watching Netflix all day may sound like a dream to some, but it gets old really fast so I knew that if I wanted to keep this baby in as long as I could I needed some low stress projects.
Learn Something New and Get Crafty
My first bed rest project was learning everything about cloth diapers, as I knew I wanted to go that route with my baby (NEVER did I expect that this decision would bring me the best parenting tribe & group of friends). As I did more and more research, I fell in love with Lil Helper Diapers. When I decided to buy some pre-loved diapers, I stumbled across a lot of diapers that needed their elastics replaced, so my first sewing project began.
I was so happy because I could do this project during my bed rest, I didn't need much supplies and I felt like I was participating in getting a part of the nursery ready for our son. The thing the doctors don’t tell you when they’re are giving you the list of everything that you can’t do, is some of the things you CAN do.
Focus on the End Goal
You still CAN be involved, I was allowed to sit up, so my husband would help me get into our office chair that has wheels and he would push me into the nursery. He would hand me a few of the teeny tiny clothes that needed to be folded and I arranged them by size, then by colour & by style. Spending time in my sons room helped me connect to him. Remembering that my bed rest struggles now were all for our little bundle of joy in *hopefully*a few months.
The next project, because as much as I loved organizing the little mans cloths, I couldn’t possibly do it for four months. I watched YouTube videos and taught myself how to crochet! I’m not talking anything fancy but I did manage to make a few baby blankets for the dude & a few extra for my friends that were also expecting.
[Curious about learning to crochet? Check out our ear saver tutorial here!]
Be Kind to Yourself
Then it happened.. I reached an ultimate low in my bed rest, I was so conflicted I wanted to move, I needed to be independent, I was 23 and relying on my mom & husband to do all of my errands and what felt like my basic human needs.
I knew this was going to happen, and its ok! It’s okay to have a breakdown, to need a minute because its damn hard trying to grow a tiny human & not having the pregnancy you thought you would have or the one “everyone” else gets.
I found peace in knowing that I could plan for when we would get to come home with our son, it felt like it was something that I could do and that it was something I could do for the family.
So I dove into the world of Pinterest and discovered “dump meals” I was so pumped! Basically you cut up all the veggies & protein of choice add a marinade then freeze, then you pull it out dump it into an instant pot and supper is ready in 30 min!
I knew that meals would be hard so I was ecstatic when I found this solution.
I made the grocery list for my husband printed off the recipes.
So still following doctors’ orders and with the support of my loved ones I was able to make a loving & stylish nursery, provide love & warmth & fill the bellies of my family.
It may not be the pregnancy I expected or hoped it would be, but I’m thankful for it, as it still gave me the greatest gift, my son.
Few of my fav activities and must haves for beating the bed rest blues:
- Colouring books
- Puzzles
- Snacks
- Crochet supplies
- Bed tray- loved this
- Large water bottle
- Books
- Lil Helper Family
About our Guest Blogger
Amie is a FTM to a 10 month old son who was born prematurely due to a high risk pregnancy. She is a cardiology technologist, and DIY enthusiast. Amie fell in love with Lil Helper after ordering the trial diaper deal, and is now an ambassador for the company.
Did you have to go on bed rest during your pregnancy or postpartum? Tell us about your experience down below!
