Bed Rest Survival Tips

Should you ever go on bed rest, I highly recommend the Mobile Welder Café! Today Cathy came over with a fantastic spread of chicken salad with hints of pineapple, celery sticks with dressing, crackers and cheese and a fantastic fruit salad. Perhaps the biggest treat of all was the 18 oz of dried pineapple. For some reason, pineapple is doubly as tasty this pregnancy. The spread was a good change from the over cooked hospital food I ate last night. And over a scrum-didily-umptious lunch, the Mobile Welder Café also provides delightful companionship.

And should you ever go on bed rest, I highly recommend massage therapy. Being in bed all the time (except for the joyous occasions to rise for the bathroom - not a privilege granted to all bed-rest-doomed women) makes your whole body ache. In particular, my hips and shoulders were very sore from my limited mobility. But the massage therapist came today and my pain was greatly relieved after only a half hour of working on my muscles. Most amazing was my immediate hip relief! I almost feel limber!

Also, should you ever experience any extended amount of time in the hospital for anything, I highly recommend getting some plants. I was lucky enough to receive three: a Christmas cactus, some tulips and some daffodils. The tulips were mere buds last night. We woke together at dawn, the tulips and I. As I opened my eyes, they slowly blossomed into beautiful purple flowers. Everyone should wake with the flowers at least once in their lives. I am looking forward my daffodils following suit.

All these things help to keep depression at bay. A special thank you to all my friends who have cared for me. You all make me believe in the goodness of God, even when the road looks bleak ahead.

Not all days in the hospital are so luxurious. Not all days are filled with such pleasures. But I am now 28 weeks and 3 days. My next goal is to make it to 32 weeks before Darren is born. I pray God lets me hold him when he is born; I don't want to see him whisked away, even for his own good. I look forward to the intimacy of those first few moments and hours when John and I gaze at him in awe, all snuggled up close. I pray that cuddly time will be right away.