Hospital Bedrest is Tough!

Well, I've been poring over this forum and am happy that not many people have experienced what I am going through. I am now 33w 2 days pregnant with b/g twins. I have been at the hospital on bedrest for 6 weeks, this week will be my 7th week. Yes, I've been here since 27 weeks!! First, I am fortunate that I am not on strict bedrest: I can get up to go to the bathroom and shower, can sit or semi-recline in bed, and have friends who visit at least a few days a week. Basically, I ended up here when I went to a routine appt at the peri at 27 weeks and when they saw that my cervix had shortened to about 2 mm, and both of my babies are breech, they sent me straight to the hospital and I haven't been home since!

Initially the hardest part of being here was the emotional roller coaster. Everyday I thought they would tell me that I could go home but was always very disappointed when they said that I would have to stay indefinitely. I am a SAHM to my 2.5 year old and it was/is excruciatingly upsetting not being with him on a daily basis. We had to find a nanny on the fly to take care of him and it is so hard to think that someone else is with my little one and I wasn't. I also had to deal with the drs/nurses wanting to put an I.V. port in my arm "just in case" my water broke. It was extremely painful when they would do this and it needed to be changed every 3 days. Fortunately, after a few promising ultrasounds they said I didn't have to have the I.V. thing in my arm anymore...thank goodness!

Anyhow, has anyone else been on hospital bedrest for several weeks? I think another thing that's so awful is that you're not treated like a person...you're just a body attached to a room #. All they care about is getting your blood pressure, getting you your meds, and monitoring your babies. Another treat is having cafeteria people barging in my room when I'm dead asleep delivering my breakfast and waking me despite notes on the door NOT to enter. Most of the nurses don't really care since they aren't living here! If i complain, they think I"m being a pain. OY!

I'm sorry to share my misery. It hasn't been all that bad my entire stay, but I'm going through a tough time right now. My c-section is scheduled for 12/11 (at 38 weeks) and I just don't know how I can last here another 5 weeks!!!

Thanks for listening!

 

i was only on hospital bedrest for 2 weeks and i was already feeling much of the same stuff as you. i was 'fortunate' enough.. haha... to have GDM and had to check my sugar every morning at 5am cuz that's when it was convenient to the nurses. mind you, i'm a nurse and understand their side, but being a patient is a different thing! so they'd have me up at 5am, then the docs would round on me around 6-7, then breakfast about 8:30, then after eating, i'd be dozing off just in time for them to come in and bring me my diabetic snack which i hardly ever ate, then doze and then monitor my babies. then doze, then lunch tray, then yada yada yada, it never ended. and the wait til 7pm when i could shower, watch a little tv, monitor my babies, and get my sleeping pill around 9-9:30. and repeat... lol. it's fun stuff. hang in there, it's all for a good reason!

 

Hi!
So glad you've made it to 33 weeks! That's amazing. I'm sorry you are having a hard time right now.
Most of my 12 weeks of BR was at home. I was in the hospital about 2-3 weeks, but it was spread out over my third trimester.
I wish I had some great words of advice.
I'll just send good thoughts your way.
Let me know if you want to chat sometime.
Take care, Beth

 

Oh, you poor thing. Seven weeks of hospital bedrest...no wonder you needed to vent! I hope things have gotten better for you. I was on hospital bedrest for just two weeks and can relate to a lot of what you are saying. The staff bringing food in loudly thing made me chuckle b/c I remember thinking about when that happened for me and being so upset b/c it was hard enough trying to get some sleep and when I FINALLY would, they would come in and wake me up!
Hang in there...

 

Hospital bedrest is very tough! I did 11 weeks exactly before my babies were born and they were born at 31wks5dys. Huge congrats on making it to 33 weeks :Clap: I remember the exact feelings you're describing and the angst that builds up towards staff and such. My big "issue" was how much they woke me up during the night. If they just gave me the pill, I could take it and go back to sleep without really waking up. But if they tried to sit me up, turn on the lights, take my blood pressure, etc, it could take me HOURS to fall back asleep. Forget sleeping during the day... too many people in and out of the room! Anyhow, what finally solved it for me is I sat down with the head nurse and the patient care advocate and we came up with a care plan that the staff began following. I was able to have a little control in my life again and we didn't have to keep explaining things to staff members that didn't usually care for me over and over. It felt amazing and even thought it was still tough, it was manageable at that point. I hope you are able to find a solution that works for you. Above all, please remember that you are your babies hero! What you are doing for them is amazing and you will not regret all the effort you have put forth. Hang in there mama!
:youcandoit:

 

I'm on hospital bed rest right now. It really really stinks. Sigh. I have at least a week and a half left, and hopefully not longer... Depends on how stable I can be during that time...

 

I don't know how any of you girls do it!! I remember being in the hospital for 5 days after having the twins, and that was frustrating enough! Just as you would drift off for a nap in the afternoon, and in spite of a sign on the door, the cleaning crew would still come in to take out the mostly empty garbage can!!!!!

Keep up the good work though!! Just a few more weeks until you will be in really excellent shape to have those babies. The sleep will get even worse after the babies arrive, so take advantage of the lousy sleep you are getting now!

 

I was on hospital bedrest for 10 weeks so I completly understand what you are going through. By the end I was crying to the doctors to please let me out. I was also fortunate enough to get bathroom "privilages". I know this is really tough on you especially since you already have your son at home but I'm cheering you on! You can do it! :youcandoit:

 

Hospital bedrest is awful! I only did 4 weeks of it and couldn't take it. You are a saint! And you've made it to 33 weeks, that is awesome. I would think your docs would be talking about you being able to go home really soon. Mine let me go home at 28 weeks, but I had a cerclage.

Hang in there, you are doing great. You are lucky to be able to get up. I could most of the time, but the times they had me on the bedpan almost broke my resolve.

 

Well, I'm still here, going on week 8! Fortunately, I've always been able to get up and use the bathroom. It stinks being here but what choice have I had...none! THe best thing is that the babies are now 34w 2 days! THey are talking about letting me go home this weekend depending on what my weekly sono looks like and how dilated I am. So, we'll see! Thanks for everyone's well wishes! Seriously, don't know what I would have done without this site!!!

 

You are doing great!!!! Hang in there and lots of hugs!

 

I'm almost in the same exact position you are, expect only Baby B is breech and my doc says he wants me to make it to 36 wks to attempt a vaginal delivery. I am 33wks+2 and a SAHM with a 2 and 3 year old. I have only been in the hospital for 6 days, but they pretty much gave me the choice of staying here or going home. I do feel guilty choosing to stay here and be waited on while other people are taking care of my kiddos at home, but it sure beats being being stuck away from them and in the NICU! Everytime I think about going home, I hear how much energy my kids have and realize how there is no way I could be as disciplined in taking care of myself there. I know it is easy for me to say since I have not been here long, but keep in mind you cannot control your circumstances but you can control how you react to them. I sleep according to the shift changes (11pm to 7am) so they do their stuff before I go to bed and when I get up and they don't bother me at night at all. During the day I don't get long naps, but I get lots of little ones that seem to rejuvinate me. I actually enjoy all the people coming in and out - it seems to break up the day and make the time fly by. I try to take advantage of the quiet times to lay down and rest and be thankful for the phone calls and visitors when they come (even if they wake me up). Just keep in mind this is just a short time and one day you will look back at how quickly it went and how it was all worth it!

 

well, after 7 weeks and 3 days, I was finally able to go home to be on bedrest there! YIPPEEE! i'm so happy to be home! It was definitely difficult but I made it through the worst. Babies will be 35 weeks tomorrow which is great. I'm so glad, in retrospect, that I was in the hospital since it would not have been ideal to deliver at 27 weeks (when I was admitted). I appreciate PP words of wisdom but it's much easier when you know you only have a week or two in the hospital vs. no light at the end of the tunnel...which is where I was when admitted. At any rate, I'm thrilled to be home and to be able to see my son, despite how exhuasting it is! When you're away for 2 months it's the greatest gift ever!


Thank you to everyone for helping me get through my hospital time!