Sometimes women who are pregnant with twins or triplets may spend some of their pregnancy on bedrest. This can be difficult at times. But it is so important, and with these easy tips you will find being pregnant with triplet or twins and bedrest a bit more bearable!
Being pregnant with triplets or twins and bedrest
There are times in your life when you would love to be ordered to stay in bed. Being pregnant with twins, triplets or more isn’t really one of them. The idea of being pregnant on bedrest might sound nice, but the reality is much less pleasant.
If your doctor tells you that you need to stay in bed until the babies are born, this can be a mixed blessing. Any woman with a high-risk pregnancy should always follow the best advice of her doctor. But lying still when you have several tiny football players growing inside you is not so easy to comply with.
Multiple babies sometimes run out of room faster than just one so may come early – being especially eager to meet their parents face to face. With all babies, however, the best thing you can usually do is keep them in the womb to get as close to their due date as possible.
And sometimes, in order to look after your babies, and yourself, you need to accept your orders when told ‘Bedrest!’
Being pregnant with triplets or twins and bedrest: Why is it so hard?
Naturally, when you are carrying twins or multiples you are carrying around more of a burden than if you just have one baby. The totalled baby weight is higher, and all of the side effects of pregnancy can also be stronger and more uncomfortable.
Here are some reasons why women find being on bedrest while pregnant with twins or triplets so difficult:
- Most positions become uncomfortable later in the pregnancy, and you may need to shift around often to get comfortable
- Back pain can be bad, making it difficult to lie in certain positions
- The pressure on your bladder will make you need to go to the toilet more often
- Your body temperature is likely to be higher than usual, so you may overheat in bed
- The babies tend to wake up and want to dance around when you lie down (whereas when you walk around this can rock them to sleep in the womb)
- Your brain is still as active as it ever was. Meaning you will likely run out of things to entertain you
- You may not have your nursery ready, so there is the extra stress of not being able to do anything to complete it in preparation for your impending arrivals
- If you already have a toddler, being on bedrest while pregnant with multiples is virtually impossible.
So, it’s completely normal and natural to find bedrest difficult and even frustrating – you are not alone there. But your doctor probably had very a good reason for recommending this step.
Any pregnancy involving multiples is considered high-risk.
There are numerous reasons why bedrest may (or may not!) be suggested. Should it be medically required then it is very important to listen to your doctor and follow their instructions.
Tips for surviving being pregnant with triplets or twins and bedrest
Keep comfortable
Get as many pillows as you need to be comfortable. Some pregnant woman like a body pillow, and at the very least a wedge pillow to prop under your bump will make you feel far better. You might even like having a wedge pillow on each side of you, so you don’t have to reposition the one whenever you roll over.
Keep cool
Get your bedroom set up to keep you as cool as you need. Get your partner to set up fans or air conditioning, and even consider moving your bed to the coolest part of the house for the last couple of months of your pregnancy.
Have a spray bottle next to your bed with some calming, pregnancy friendly essential oils in it, or a wet facecloth for wiping yourself down as needed.
Keep fed and hydrated
Keep light snacks by your bed all the time. Such as pretzels, fruit, cubes of hard cheese, rice crackers, veggie sticks etc. You can buy fruit and veggies already cut into snack portions from your supermarket if you don’t have a partner willing to keep you in a steady supply.
Have water or herbal tea by the bed – get a large jug at the start of the day so you don’t have to keep getting up.
Keep entertained
Imagine being ordered onto bedrest fifty years ago. How bored would you be without Amazon Prime (click HERE for a free trial) and Facebook to keep you constantly entertained?
Apart from bingeing and endlessly surfing through social media, you should have things within reach that will challenge your brain and keep you distracted while you wait to meet your babies.
Things like:
- Twin pregnancy or triplet pregnancy colouring books – Shop HERE.
- Journal for writing
- eReader, books or magazines – Get a FREE KindleUnlimited trial here and enjoy the freedom to explore over 1 million titles and thousands of audiobooks on any device.
- Word or number puzzles.
- Crafty hobbies like crochet, knitting or scrapbooking – you can make gifts for your babies!
- Listen to music – Get a FREE trial to Amazon Music here.
Get Organised
Use the time to set up some recurring orders for some of your common purchases.
- Pet food can be ordered on a recurring delivery so you wont ever run out again. Order HERE. Don’t forget to order worming and tick protection products as well, as once the babies arrive you will be busy with other things.
- Create a Baby Wishlist HERE.
- Check your birthday list and order any upcoming children’s birthday presents HERE.
- Set up a Nappy Subscription and get nappies delivered to your door. Order HERE.
Organise umbilical cord blood collection
Your twins umbilical cord blood and tissue contain powerful stem cells that can be used for medical treatments. You only have one opportunity to collect and store your twins or triplets cord blood and tissue stem cells. At birth. So you need to do your research prior.
Request your free information pack HERE.
The best advice for making bedrest while pregnant with twins or triplets easy is to ask for help.
As a new mum of multiples, you will realise soon how much help is needed and greatly appreciated. So you might as well get used to accepting it now. Ask for help and let the little things go.
Get friends or family to bring shopping, food, activities, and gossip. Ask for help with household chores or with taking your toddler for a few hours if you need it.
Try to reduce your household standards and the number of things that you have to worry about. Your house will not be as clean or organised, and your nursery may not even be the room you always envisaged.
Encourage a stream of daily visitors as well to make sure you are stimulated and can get help with food or toileting if you need.
But you need to remain stress-free and care for your babies right now, and nothing can compare to that in terms of importance. Take a deep breath, lie back down, and let your mind relax about all the non-essential stuff.
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