Five Tips to Help You Survive Bed Rest When You're Pregnant with Twins, Triplets or More

During my triplet pregnancy, I spent three months on bed rest per my doctor's orders. For two of those months, I was on complete bed rest, meaning I could only get up to use the bathroom. I was also allowed to shower once per week, but I had to be sitting down. In retrospect, I can laugh at what I must have looked like at seven months pregnant with triplets (imagine the size of my stomach) sitting in a white plastic lawn chair in my shower. I can't laugh, however, at how much pain I was in. I'll never forget the discomfort, loneliness and extreme boredom of bed rest. Hopefully, the following tips will help other expectant mothers get through the long days of bed rest with their sanity intact.

Install a television and DVD player in your bedroom: If you weren't a couch potato before, you'll be one now. There are only so many things you can do when you're not allowed to get out of bed. Television is a great way to pass the time. It is amazing, however, how few programs of interest or value are on during the day. Luckily, between HGTV, E! and the Food Network, I found enough shows to watch to keep me busy for the majority of the day.

Join Netflix: Now is a great time to watch all of those movies you always meant to watch but never had the time. I spent a lot of time searching the Netflix web site picking movies to rent while I was on bed rest. I was always excited when my husband brought in the mail and another movie had arrived.

Split your day up into increments: Toward the end of my bed rest experience, I became desperate for ways to make the days seem shorter. I ended up splitting my day into one or two hour increments to help pass the time. Each increment involved a different activity. For example, I woke up at 8:00 a.m. when my husband would bring me breakfast before leaving for work. From 8:00-10:00, I would watch television. Usually, talk shows were on at this time, which typically included interesting topics and guests. I would use my laptop while watching television. At 10:00 I would have a snack then take a nap. From the time I woke up from my nap until 12:00 p.m. I would read or listen to a book on CD. At 12:00, I ate lunch. From 12:00-2:00, I would watch a movie. At 2:00, I would have a snack then take a nap. When I woke up from my nap, I would have another snack, watch TV and use my laptop until my husband got home from work and made my dinner. Breaking the day into smaller blocks of time helped to make the day go faster.

Read parenting books or magazines: Now is the time to read books like What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway and Raising Multiple Birth Children: A Parents' Survival Guide by William Laut, Kristin Benit and Sheila Laut as well as any other books or magazines that interest you while you still can: You will not have time to read anything once you bring your babies home from the hospital, so you'll need to do all your research to prepare for the first few months with your new babies before they arrive. You'll also need to do this early, because as you approach the latter weeks of your pregnancy, it will be nearly impossible to hold up a book simply because of the discomfort your entire body will feel.

Buy a CD player and audio books: Books on CD are a great way to be entertained when you can barely move. I listened to the entire Harry Potter series on CD while I was on bed rest (which I highly recommend). Audio books provide a great break from the television at the point in your pregnancy when you can't even hold up a book.

There is no way around it. Being on bed rest when you're pregnant with twins, triplets or more is like being imprisoned in your own home, but by preparing in advance and following these tips, you can make the long days a little bit easier.

For more helpful information, read my follow-up article, 5 More Tips to Help You Survive Bed Rest When You're Pregnant with Twins, Triplets or More.