Few people experience extended hospital stays in life. Even fewer need to be on hospital bed rest due to pregnancy complications. The concept of “hospital bed rest” was totally foreign to me just a few weeks ago. Now, it is my daily life! I thought it might be interesting to take you along for a typical “day in my life” on hospital bed rest while I anxiously await the arrival of our third son, H.
What Is Hospital Bed Rest?
In case you missed it, I started preterm labor 2 weeks ago at 32 weeks (8 weeks early!). Thankfully, I was already a “total care” patient with a high-risk OB practice due to my complicated pregnancy history. I was able to contact my doctors quickly and get into Labor & Delivery right away for interventions. The doctors admitted me to the hospital for treatment. We were able to slow labor and start a round of steroids to aid in H’s lung development. Now, my body is basically in limbo, not quite ready to deliver but still acting like it’s in labor. And so we wait!
I’m currently an inpatient at the hospital in Savannah, and I’ll be here for the duration of my pregnancy. That means I’m living at the hospital full-time until H arrives! I have a private room in the high-risk perinatal ward. I spend 23+ hours each day in my room, mostly laying in my bed or sitting in a chair by the window. My activity level every day depends on how I’m feeling. I will admit I’ve been a bit of a slug! I rarely leave my room except to take short walks a few times each day.
Hospital bed rest is the safest option for H and me right now because of how quickly my preterm labor started and changed. And while I haven’t changed much in a week, staying in the hospital is still the safest bet. I don’t trust myself to recognize the signs and symptoms of certain issues the way my doctors and nurses can. After all, this is my first time being this far along. But they are experts in all things labor & delivery! Trusting their judgment and expertise puts me and my whole family at ease.
Every Day Is The Same – On Purpose!
The thought of hospital bed rest might drive some people crazy, but the truth is that I am thriving in this environment. I feel so safe and supported here at the hospital. I never have to worry about missing medication doses or figuring out how to time contractions accurately. Baby H gets monitored several times each day. If I don’t feel much movement from him, a nurse can quickly pop me on the monitor and find his heartbeat to reassure me that he is OK.
Experts say that babies thrive with routines. Now I can confidently say that moms do too! The strictness of each day is actually the magic ingredient to keeping all the mothers in a routine that ensures our babies stay put longer. Knowing what to expect every day calms my anxiety. I also like getting to talk through my care plan with my doctors and nurses every day. Things can change so quickly. The team is totally prepped and ready to go no matter what happens. They prepared Adam and me well for all the possibilities ahead of us, and that helps our minds make sense of our responsibilities and how we can best care for H during this time.
Hospital Bed Rest: Typical Daily Schedule
Here’s how a typical day on hospital bed rest unfolds:
5:00am – 6:00am // NST and Medicines
I start every morning with my earliest dose of medications and a nonstress test (NST). The NST is performed while I lay in bed with monitors strapped to my big, round belly. The monitors measure the baby’s heart rate and any contractions I experience. So far, H has passed all his NSTs – praise the Lord! This established a baseline so the nurses will notice if he starts to experience any stress or fatigue that affects his heart rate. A poor NST could be a catalyst for more interventions or even immediate delivery, so performing this test multiple times each day is very important.
After the NST is complete, I’ll either go back to sleep for a bit longer or “doom scroll” on my phone for a bit. Usually, the void of mindless TikTok content is enough to lull me back to sleep for a few more hours. And considering that I’m likely to get very little sleep once H is home, I’ll take all the rest I can get now!
8:00am – 9:00am // Breakfast and More Medicines
The best part of my morning is hearing, “Room Service!” at the door with my breakfast. I developed gestational diabetes out of nowhere in the last few weeks. My diabetes is managed with insulin, so I start every morning by giving myself two insulin injections in my tummy. I like to do the injections myself simply because I’m used to giving myself Lovenox shots at home. And participating in my own care is empowering. One injection is a long-acting insulin. The other injection is the units I need before I can eat breakfast.
I’ve started eating the exact same thing at every meal. Keeping my meals exactly the same helps my doctor better predict how my ever-changing body will react to the insulin. My “breakfast of champions” is about 1 cup of plain oatmeal, a small Greek yogurt, and two turkey sausage links. They also bring me a decaf coffee which I never get to enjoy before it goes cold. I’ll admit that I do feel a bit envious when I see pancakes, french toast, and other big breakfast plates being delivered to the rooms across the hall. Oh well!
9:00am – 10:00am // Tidy Up and Visit With Adam
After breakfast, I make it a point to tidy up my room before housekeeping arrives. I believe it’s a sign of respect to my doctors, nurses, and the other staff at the hospital that I keep my room very neat and clean. Just like at home, I start by making my bed. Then I wipe down the counters, bathroom, and portable table to make sure I get all the crumbs from breakfast cleaned up. It only takes a few minutes to get the room looking great, and the staff comments on how nice it is to work in a clean room.
Once my bed is made and the room is clean, I try to stay off of my bed until it’s time to go back to sleep. Instead, I’ll sit in a recliner by the window or another folding chair and use the portable table to work there. It helps my mind separate “sleeping time” from “working time” and breaks the day up. Sitting up also encourages me to move around more throughout the day and take walks.
Adam arrives around this time, often with a coffee for me. He starts his days early at the gym, then picks up Starbucks on the way over to visit and start his work day. We will sit together and share the portable table like a desk. It’s a really nice slice of “normal” in an otherwise odd situation. Working from home allows Adam a lot of flexibility, so of course we would not be able to do this if he didn’t already work exclusively from home. “Work from home” is definitely one of the best things that ever happened to our family, and it’s a gift we do not take for granted. Especially during times like this!
10:00am-11:00am // Ultrasound and Visit From Doctor
My doctor and his team visit every day to check in with me and review my care plan. I also get ultrasounds a few days each week before their visit. It’s important to Adam that he is able to be present and participate in the ultrasounds and doctor check-ins. I really love having the extra support and his opinion on any questions. Because H is his baby too! It’s nice to know I’m not alone in making tough medical decisions for H. Also, when we were updating our Birth Plan, I loved having Adam there to offer support since we basically did a full 180 from my original “plan.”
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about a “Birth Plan” it’s that it’s more like a “Birth Wish List” than a plan. Because these babies will make their own way into the world however they see fit! That would be my #1 piece of advice for first-time moms… Make a Birth Plan you love but be fully flexible because your baby will throw all kinds of curveballs your way.
11:00am – 1:00pm // Computer Work
Adam heads home after our doctor visits, and I take a few hours to work on the computer. Mostly this means answering emails, checking in on social media messages, and writing blog posts like this one. I try to get up and move around the room a few times to keep myself moving. But that’s been getting harder as my pain level increases. Keeping myself busy and chatty has been crucial for keeping my mind in a positive place.
Sometimes I also have visitors during this time, like my navigator (who gives advice and encouragement on what’s happening within the hospital and connects me with resources – LOVE her!) and nurses. I enjoy taking time to chat with my nurses. If you hear hollering and laughing, it’s probably coming from my room. Because you gotta keep things light around here when anxiety is always hiding around the corner.
1:00pm – 2:00pm // Lunch and More Medicines
My nurse brings me another round of insulin injections just before lunch is delivered. Lunch is the same every day – chicken tenders and fries with a fruit cup. Again, this is intentional by my doctor so we can monitor how I’m responding to insulin and other medications we’re trying. Nothing terribly interesting to it – just chowing down on lunch and scrolling on my phone.
2:00pm – 5:00pm // Visit With Andrew and My Mom
Finally, time for my favorite part of the day! The best part of every day is when my sweet son Andrew visits me at the hospital. My mom is an absolute Godsend and has taken over homeschooling for me while I’ve been away. Andrew and my mom finish up “school” every day around the same time and head over to visit me together. I never realized how much Andrew and I are glued together during the day until now. He always bursts through the door of my hospital room talking at about 100 miles per hour about what I missed in the last 24 hours.
After he catches me up on anything and everything in his world, we settle in together on my bed to cuddle. Usually, we’ll watch a movie on the iPad or I’ll watch him run around in Roblox. Recently, we started watching the film version of whatever book he’s currently reading for school. (Right now: Charlotte’s Web. Previously: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) I try to keep our time together really light and focused on whatever he’s currently interested in doing. It’s important to me that he doesn’t feel anxiety or worry about my health too much.
A note on that, actually! Allowing your child to visit you in the hospital can be a tough decision for parents. For the first week I was on hospital bed rest, I kept Andrew far away from the hospital so he wouldn’t see me on an IV and confined to the hospital bed. But once I was able to come off some treatments and stop the IV, Adam and I decided it was time to let Andrew visit. We intentionally waited until I looked healthy again and more like my normal self so Andrew wouldn’t be scared. (He is very afraid of getting shots and can’t stand the sight of blood!) This is a difficult choice for parents and one that is going to be different for each family and each child.
5:00pm – 6:00pm // NST and More Medicines
The most special and precious moments are during my afternoon NST (non-stress test). Andrew settles in next to me on the bed for the entire test. He loves to hear his brother’s heartbeat and feel the little kicks. Laying there with him and the baby pulls at my heartstrings, and I can’t help but think of the one piece of my heart that is missing…
Mentally, I’m preparing for the first time I hold H and Andrew at the same time. I know it’s going to hit me HARD that my arms are so full and yet there is someone so special missing. I try not to cry but I can’t help but imagine another life in which I get to hold all three of my sons at the same time. I’ll never experience that in this life. But it’s the one thing I look forward to most on the “other side.”
6:00pm – 8:00pm // Dinner and Visit With Adam
Adam arrives shortly after his afternoon work meetings end. He always walks Andrew and my mom down to the car because Andrew struggles to leave. Saying goodbye to Andrew breaks my heart. Every day, he asks to stay with me and sleep at the hospital with me. Once, when we cheerfully told him that there wasn’t an extra bed for him so he should want to sleep at home, he offered to sleep on the floor if it meant staying with me. (I cried my eyes out over that one after he left.) I walk to the unit entrance with the three of them and give lots of hugs and kisses to my sweet boy, and I always promise that we will see each other again tomorrow. The walk back to my room without him is definitely the toughest part of my day.
After sending Andrew home with my mom, Adam comes back up and eats dinner with me. Again, the food is always the same ole, same ole. Grilled chicken sandwich, chips, and a fruit cup. And, of course, more insulin. I feel like I take a really absurd number of total insulin units in a day. But my doctor assures me that it’s normal and I should be able to stop insulin within a few weeks after the baby is born.
Adam and I try to keep our night routine as normal as possible, too. We will chat about our day, catch each other up on work projects, and watch TV. And maybe this is weird to some people but… Adam will often read aloud to me out of whatever book he is reading for either grad school or leisure. (Currently: Lawyer Games.) It helps me wind down, and I’ll often interject with, “Pause!” and then offer commentary about whatever is happening. I’m sure this would drive some people crazy but reading together is one of the things we love the most. (I mean, it’s basically like listening to a podcast episode or audiobook together, right?!)
8:00pm – 10:00pm // Nighttime Medicines and Winding Down
The nurses and hospital staff switch shifts at 7:00pm, and I meet my night nurse around 8:00pm. Of course, there’s another round of medicines and insulin at both 8:00 and 10:00. After medicines, I usually putter over to the shared pantry (for everyone staying on hospital bed rest long-term) and make a cup of decaf coffee for Adam and myself. Depending on my blood sugar, I might also have a little snack too, which is always a treat. And the night goes quietly from there – Adam reads aloud, and I slowly start to fall asleep. Just like at home, I can’t go to sleep without my Dohm sound machine, sleep mask, and a goodnight kiss.
My Days Are Full
Everyone keeps asking if I have cabin fever yet or if I’m itching to go home. But the answer is NO! The days are passing by super quickly. I’m far happier here than I would be on bed rest at home. Home means uncertain. Hospital means safe.
The hospital puts on classes and meet-ups for all the parents who are currently staying long-term in the high-risk unit or with their child in the NICU. My nurses are fantastic, and when things are quiet on the floor, we chitchat about anything and everything. Family visits are anchors in my day. I’m forever grateful to my family for making the drive over to see me every day. My daily visits with Andrew are doing wonders for both of us as we navigate this time away from each other. And starting every morning and ending each night with Adam reminds me of just how lucky I am to be married to a partner who deeply loves me and values my companionship. There’s truly nothing like it!
I’m Grateful To Be Here
Living inpatient means that if there is a problem, baby H and I will get immediate interventions. Considering my complicated OB history, it makes sense to stay here for the very fragile last few days or weeks of my pregnancy. Considering how stressful the circumstances are that put someone on hospital bed rest, my days are surprisingly peaceful. I credit this entirely to Adam and my mom working so hard behind the scenes to keep my stress and anxiety low. I know it’s SO HARD to take many hours away from their normal routines to visit with me. But having my family with me and baby H is truly EVERYTHING during this time. I really believe having my family with me every day is keeping me pregnant and keeping H safe and sound.
LOVE is the word that defines my days here on hospital bed rest. I could not ask for more – we are all sacrificing a lot to make this work. But it’s so worth it. One day, we’ll tell H about how his family rallied around him in these last few weeks. Now, we just sit back and wait for the big day… PHC, we are SO EXCITED to meet you and love you forever and ever.
(PS: small updates on instagram stories @erincaracci)
