Keeping My Feet Up

How to survive "Resting" @ Home

As a pregnant Mummy to be, I will do anything possible to preserve the life of my unborn baby girl. For me, being told at 20 weeks that I would need to stop working and put my feet up for the next half of my pregnancy was a bit of a shock! Good bye doggy walks, prenatal yoga classes, work, normal life as I knew it.

I am a fit Mummy, I am a busy little lady, I love to cook, I love my work and most of all I have always been in control...of nearly everything.

The sudden impact of my shortened cervix hit home hard, pregnancy suddenly became frightening, scary and completely unpredictable....as I have read in many other blog posts and chat forums, my main goal is to now keep this little one cookin' for as long as I can...

The following are a list of suggestions I have found useful in helping me feel as normal as possible while doing mostly nothing at home...

1. Keep a routine: For me, I stick to my old routine as much as possible. I go to bed and wake up at regular times, eat meals at regular times, and fill my day with a timetable of sorts to break my day into smaller parts.

2. Set goals: Small milestones, made it all seem much more achievable for me. I have goals to get from one doctors appointment to the next and keep a calendar on my fridge where I cross off each day. I have nearly reached my first goal of 24 weeks, the next one after that is 28 then 30, 32, 34 etc.

3. Positive self talk: I find that on my dark days ( I have those!) it is usually because I have succumbed to the negative thoughts about all the terrible things that could happen. These days result in tears and my husband picking up the pieces left at the end of the day. I believe there is no point thinking about what could happen....so I have decided to focus on what I want to happen and just keep thinking those thoughts...

4. Do what you feel like doing: Lots of things I have read talk about catching up on TV, reading books, cross words, painting your nails.....really though, do what you love. For me, I found comfort in colouring, crafting and online shopping (oops). Do things that inspire and keep your mind active and engaged. I have had days where all I have been capable of mentally is reclining in front of the TV all day...just do what makes you feel happy.

5. Keep talking: Being at home can feel isolating and quite lonely. Talk to your family and friends honestly about how you are feeling. Cry, laugh, complain with them. keep them in the loop about how you are going. Some people don't know how to respond (I've lost count of the "that would be nice", "watch lots of TV", "I wish I could stay at home"), that's ok too. Everyone has different ways of responding.