While ‘bed rest’ is a term that is used often by people for women during pregnancy, it is also considered vague by the layman. Patients and relatives alike are often left wondering if that could mean being bedridden or if the expecting mother can still go about with her routine life or not.

Why are some pregnant women advised bed rest? What are the do’s and don’ts that need to be followed? What are the facts that need to be kept in mind for a mom-to-be?

• Why do doctors advise bed rest to pregnant women and how does it help?

Firstly, not all pregnant women require bed rest. In fact, most of them can go on with their regular routine. Pregnancy is a physiological phenomenon and under normal circumstances, a pregnant woman can even work until she goes into labour. It is only in cases such as when we find restricted growth of the baby, for example if a 30 weeks fetus is looking like it is 28 weeks, or if the patient complains of vaginal bleeding, or if she is suffering from high blood pressure, or has signs of going into preterm labour or any such complications, that is when bed rest is absolutely required.

Also, in some cases it has been observed that some working women don’t eat right or get sufficient amount of rest. If she is unable to meet the nutrition needs of the unborn baby due to that, then a high protein diet along with bed rest is recommended. Bed rest helps in facilitating blood flow to the placenta and that helps in the growth of the baby. Around one in five pregnant women are recommended bed rest by their doctors.

• What activities can a pregnant woman who has been advised bed rest perform and what kind should be avoided?

In cases where the growth of the fetus is not adequate, it is recommended that she should lie down and read or watch TV with her head propped up. Whilst lying down she can use pillows or any other form of support to lift her head by 20-30 degrees. In cases where she seems to be threatening to go into preterm labour, or is severely hypertensive or has vaginal bleeding, very little activity is allowed. The patient can walk around the house and go to the bathroom on her own but doing household chores or lifting heavy objects is not recommended. In cases where we do not want the pregnant woman to walk much or go to the bathroom on her own due to severe complications, she will have to be admitted to the hospital.

Sexual activity is definitely not recommended for pregnant women on bed rest. Travelling on motorbikes or bumpy roads is also a strict no, even for pregnant women who don’t require bed rest for that matter. Some of the exercises advised whilst they are bed ridden are deep breathing, neck exercises, moving the legs, toes and flexing their feet.

• What are the consequences that an expecting mother might face if she is unable to get the adequate amount of bed rest that is required?

It varies from patient to patient depending on the reason why bed rest was advised in the first place. In some cases, there is also a possibility that nothing might happen. If the weight of the baby is an issue, then without adequate bed rest the baby might not grow as per normal weight standards. If the patient was diagnosed with a low-lying placenta then she might start experiencing vaginal bleeding. However, the most common result is a premature delivery because when an expecting mother is constantly in a vertical position, it puts a lot of weight and pressure on the mouth of the uterus. Basically, bed rest is meant for taking any such pressure off the mouth of the uterus which is why in the later months of pregnancy, women expecting twins also require bed rest.

• Are pregnant women on bed rest more prone to depression/anxiety due to the lack of physical activity?

It really varies from patient to patient. In fact, it has been observed that women living in nuclear families are happy to be in bed just resting because there is no pressure from the family to do day-to-day chores and they can get up only when required. However, this mainly depends on the relationships that the expecting mother has with her family. Company and family support definitely helps in alleviating depression and anxiety.

• What are some tips for expecting mothers in order to survive bed rest for so many months?

Taking up new hobbies or even reading books they didn’t get the chance to read before can help in keeping the mind occupied. Other activities that can be taken up are playing Sudoku, writing, doing short-term online courses, learning a new language, completing puzzles, etc. Being healthy, happy and contented during your pregnancy makes motherhood a fulfilling feeling for any woman!

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