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Pregnancy bed rest: When it's needed, what it means
Bed rest is sometimes prescribed to help prevent pregnancy complications. Here's what you need to know about bed rest, from side effects to making the best of it.
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen you're pregnant, a prescription to stay in bed for days or weeks may seem like a welcome break from real life. You can daydream while someone else handles the chores — but then bed rest reality sets in. You can't go to work, shop for groceries or meet friends for a movie. If you're on complete bed rest, you may not even be able to shower or eat sitting up.
Bed rest isn't a proven remedy for preventing pregnancy complications or preterm birth. Still, bed rest is sometimes prescribed as a safeguard. To make the best of the situation, remember that each day of bed rest brings you one day closer to delivery.
When bed rest may be recommended
Bed rest decreases pressure on the cervix and increases blood flow to the placenta. Your health care provider may recommend a period of bed rest at any point during pregnancy if:
- You have high blood pressure
- You're experiencing vaginal bleeding or having problems with the placenta
- You have an insufficient cervix — a condition in which the cervix is likely to open (dilate) prematurely
- You're having contractions or other signs or symptoms of preterm labor
What bed rest means
In some cases, bed rest simply means decreasing your activity level for a period of time. You may be free to move about the house, as long as you avoid lifting children and doing heavy housework. Depending on the demands of your job, you may even be able to continue working.
In other cases, bed rest guidelines are stricter. You may need to remain in a sitting or reclining position most of the time, only getting up to use the toilet or shower. You may not be allowed to work or do even light household chores until the baby is born.
If your health care provider prescribes total bed rest, you may need to lie on your side at all times — including when you eat. Personal hygiene may be limited to sponge baths and a bed pan. In a few cases, bed rest requires hospitalization.
Next page(1 of 2)
- High blood pressure during pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp034.cfm. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
- Morgan MA, et al. Obstetrician-gynecologists' screening and management of preterm birth. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2008;112:35.
- Fox NS, et al. The recommendation for bed rest in the setting of arrested preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2009;200:165e1.
- Norwitz ER. Prevention of spontaneous preterm birth. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Smith V, et al. A systematic review and quality assessment of systematic reviews of randomised trials of interventions for preventing and treating preterm birth. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2009;142:3.
- Johnson JR, et al. Cervical insufficiency. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Kaji T, et al. Effect of bed rest during pregnancy on bone turnover markers in pregnant and postpartum women. Bone. 2007;40:1088.
- Complications symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/complications/complicationssp.cfm. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 5, 2009.
