Bed rest during pregnancy should not be arbitrary, fulfill these conditions first

Some expectant mothers may have been encouraged to bed rest by a doctor. Sometimes, bed rest it is necessary in certain conditions to maintain the health of the mother and fetus. But unfortunately, so far, many pregnant women are encouraged to bed rest even though in fact it is not necessary, aka not according to medical indications. To straighten this out, consider the various terms and benefits of bed rest during pregnancy which are important for you to know.

When do you need bed rest during pregnancy?

Don't rush into sadness when the doctor tells you to bed rest while pregnant. Of course this is not done without cause. Yes, doctors make this decision of course to take care of the health of you and your future baby during pregnancy.

Basically, bed rest when pregnant it must be done according to medical indications. But usually, this medical indication is not related to her pregnancy. For example pregnant women with a history of heart disease are encouraged to bed rest. This means, bed rest What is done is of course not because of a problem in the womb, but the problem lies in the mother's heart.

But indeed, there are certain conditions that make pregnant women recommended for bed rest, that is:

1. Premature contractions

Mothers who experience premature contractions are often advised to bed rest while pregnant. However, beforehand, the cause of premature contractions itself must be sought and treated first. The reason is, rest of course will not be enough to eliminate or deal with these premature contractions.

For example, the mother experiences premature contractions due to certain infections. Well, this infection must be treated first so that the contractions don't happen continuously. After that, then the mother is advised to take complete rest until her body is completely recovered.

2. High blood pressure

Blood pressure in pregnant women can increase due to various conditions, one of which is preeclampsia. This high blood pressure condition can be one of the reasons pregnant women have to bed rest.

However, this condition of course must be controlled first before pregnant women are asked to take a break bed rest. Advise bed rest Of course, without controlling blood pressure, the health of pregnant women will not return to normal.

3. Bleeding in the first trimester

Mothers who experience bleeding in the early trimester are often advised to take a break bed rest. But again, bed rest alone will not be sufficient to restore maternal health if the bleeding is not treated first.

First, we must know the cause of the bleeding first. If the cause is not from a pregnancy condition, for example due to polyps or warts on the cervix, then bed rest of course it will not be able to remove the polyp. Instead of making the mother healthier, untreated polyps can actually endanger the mother's health.

Furthermore, the polyp must be removed first so that the bleeding stops quickly. Only then can pregnant women bed rest total to restore his health.

4. Multiple pregnancy

Actually, not all pregnant twins are recommended for bed rest. However, there are several cases that show that multiple pregnancies have greater complications than single pregnancies, one of which is preterm labor.

If preterm labor appears suddenly, the doctor will usually give you drugs that are inserted into the intravenous fluid to relieve contractions. It is during this infusion that pregnant women are encouraged to bed rest in the hospital until completely recovered.

What are the benefits of bed rest during pregnancy?

What can be done

You can actually do anything in bed while you are bed rest. Starting from watching TV, playing games, and doing work from the office. Likewise with bathing, urinating, or eating while sitting, all of this is okay. But with a note, you have to go back to bed to rest.

Because according to WHO standards, a pregnant woman must still be active even though she is bed rest. Pregnant women are even encouraged to be active during their pregnancy, just like before pregnancy. Whether it's taking care of the household, going to work, and so on. So, don't necessarily treat pregnant women like sick people.

Judging from their diet, pregnant women who need lots of rest must continue to eat nutritionally balanced foods. The reason is, your bowel movements will tend to slow down because you are sleeping too much, so that it can trigger constipation during pregnancy. As a solution, eat lots of fibrous foods such as vegetables and fruit and drink lots of water so that your bowel movements are smooth.

However, this is adjusted again to the underlying medical condition bed rest itself. For example, you are encouraged to bed rest due to having premature contractions. In this condition, you really don't have certain food restrictions.

It's different if you have heart problems, then you should limit foods high in fat and cholesterol. The reason is, these two foods can inhibit heart function and aggravate the disease. Again, this is adjusted again with the medical indications for each pregnant woman.

What not to do

For those of you who are used to sports but must bed rest when pregnant, then you should postpone this healthy habit first. Remember, bed rest requires you to rest your body from various activities that are too strenuous. So, this doesn't mean you can exercise freely without paying attention to your health, huh.

So, what about massage during pregnancy? In my opinion, pregnant women can do massage while they are bed rest. However, pay attention to which part of the body to be massaged.

If you want to massage while being bed rest, choose only the feet and hands that are prone to stiffness during pregnancy. Avoid massaging the area around the waist and stomach to protect your womb.

Pay attention to the side effects of bed rest during pregnancy

Actually, there are no specific standards regarding how long pregnant women should be bed rest. I think the sooner the better. Once your health has improved and returned to normal, then you can return to your normal activities.

It should be noted that pregnant women should not remain silent for too long, whether it is sitting or lying down too long. Bed rest that is too long has side effects that can be very dangerous for pregnant women, including:

1. Thromboembolism

Thromboembolism is a condition where blood clots in large blood vessels, usually appearing in the thigh or calf area. If this blood clot is formed, then the mother will feel excruciating pain in the leg area.

If left for too long, these blood clots can break free and block other blood vessels. As a result, thromboembolism can cause severe pain in the lower limbs which can lead to death.

2. Excess weight gain

Too long bed rest while pregnant can make your weight increase dramatically. How not, pregnant women who have to rest in bed will certainly have minimal movement, while their food intake tends to be more. So do not be surprised if later your weight will quickly increase over time bed rest.

3. Impaired fetal health

Too much lying down, especially on your back, is also not good for the health of the fetus. The reason is, blood flow from the mother to the fetus is obstructed and triggers disturbances in the health of the fetus. That is why, pregnant women are encouraged to sleep on their side, either on their side or to the right, so that blood flow to the fetus is smoother.

4. The baby has difficulty entering the pelvis

Too late to lie in bed when bed rest can also make it difficult for the baby to enter the pelvis. This in turn can slow down and complicate the labor process. That is also the reason why pregnant women are encouraged to walk diligently so that the baby's head descends to the pelvis. That way, the opening and childbirth process will be faster.