Getting Lazy
posted by lindsay on July 28th, 2008
Good Monday Morning!
So, I've been on bedrest for five and a half weeks. For the first five weeks, I did a really good job of not getting lazy. I got up when Ruby got up. I read books, kept up on e-mail and blogs, played lots of Bejeweled and Tetris, etc... For the past three days, however, I've been getting lazy. I can easily sleep twelve hours a day, and sometimes I can't even muster up the energy to play Tetris. LOL!
Unfortunately, I'm serious. I have a theory that your body goes into a sort of hibernation on bedrest. Your metabolism slows down, your thought processes slow down, your muscles atrophy, and on and on...
On one hand, I don't mind sleeping 12 hours a day, because it passes the time very quickly. On the other hand, I really don't wanna get used to this. When Burke comes home, I'll be sleeping an average of six hours a day, if I'm lucky. And I'll be chasing after a 2 year old and a newborn. Ack! That will be quite the adjustment, if I don't do something about this laziness creeping in...
Any suggestions? :)
I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing and exciting weekend! Send me summaries of your summer weekend fun! Maybe that'll be a way to pass time...I'll live vicariously through you. :)
Anyway, I love you and I'm praying for you all! Today, if you're the praying kind, could you send up a prayer for my two friends? I can't share any details, but would you pray that they have peace, confidence, and comfort today? Pray that God is all around them, speaking to them in the midst of a very busy day. Thank you! Have a great day, everyone!
How about a to do list?
I love to do lists. I mostly love being able to check things off of my to do list. Sometimes I find an old one that isn't completely checked off, even though all the things did eventually get done... I check off the items and then throw it away. Silly, huh?
Anyway - if you're anything like me ( which what little I do know about you - you are) then even things like read a chapter of a book, memorize a new scripture verse, paint finger nails, call an old friend, etc... things that you can do from your horizontal position, on a list may motivate you.
I also like to make deals with myself. No pop unless I drink 64 oz of water, no this unless I do that, etc... Maybe no nap until I _______________. Or - I can have a lazy day on _______________ if I complete my to do lists everyday between now and then.
Just some ideas. Hope it helps!
For me...
When I was on bedrest with my first pregnancy, I found that I had to make and follow a "schedule." Now, my "schedule" wasn't exactly all that "profound," but it still helped me to feel like I was doing something. It was something like...
8:30 = Wake up, shower, brush teeth
9:00 = Watch last part of "Today" show
10:00 = Watch ER (reruns on TNT)
11:00 = Watch ER
12:00 = Lunch
12:30 = Make contact with the outside world (call someone...email someone...do SOMETHING)
1:00 = Devotions and prayer
1:30 = Work on puzzle (I had a jigsaw puzzle on the floor that I was doing)
...etc. I set my alarm clock every morning (just like I was getting up for work).
The bad news is that bedrest isn't over with for you anytime soon. Of course, the good news is that I don't think bedrest is going to be over for you anytime soon! :-)
You're probably aware of this already, but just in case, you can find some good resources, suggestions, and support at Sidelines. http://www.sidelines.org/
Its hard not to be lazy...
on bedrest. I tried to make lists and lists of stuff. Stuff I needed to make sure got done before baby got here. Lists of things I wanted on the registry. Lists for things I needed to take to the hospital. I also indulged in my favorite magazines too. Not exactly productive but... kept me busy.
Have a good week and take it easy. You are in our prayers.
You're not being lazy,
You're not being lazy, you're just storing up the sleep for what lies ahead of you! :) While I was totally ok with getting very little sleep at the beginning when you're getting up to feed a newborn, I found it much harder with the second baby. With the first you can catch up here and there throughout the day. But the second time around, you can only sleep when the older child sleeps...which for me wasn't always when the newborn was. So I think there's nothing wrong with enjoying a few extra Zzzz's. It helps pass the time like you said and it keeps you laying down and still, so enjoy yourself I say! When your baby arrives, your body will switch to the new schedule! Good luck!
Whew - Glad Your Okay
Sorry the bedrest blahs are hitting!! But, I'm thrilled your okay! I was starting to worry b/c you hadn't updated in a couple of days and that is so UNlike you!!!
Hang in there!
Your body is conserving
Your body is conserving energy to do its job...GROW BURKE!!!
Give yourself some slack. it's ok, sleep these days away while you can. I'm sure you remember all those nearly sleepless nights.
OH, i forgot to mention, I
OH, i forgot to mention, I was up between 3:30 am and 5:30 am. you were heavy on my mind. all i could do was lay and pray for you.
Ideas
I got this from my boss that was on bedrest for the last four months of her pregnancy. She set time each day to update (back then) her address book, her LO was due around November, so she started making the list of all the people she wanted to send holiday cards and then started writing some of them and lastly (although I know you're already doing this one) getting her recipes together and organized. Maybe like someone mentioned before, getting yourself a schedule and rewards system.
Fav md
I'm at work and your fav md is on tonight...just had a nice chat with her. I mentioned you and a big grin overcame her. I said it's truly amazing, huh? And she comlpimented you big time;-) Anyway, as I was just telling Dr Harrison, bedrest seems like a million years ago (it was 2) and she joked that with her it was 12 years ago. So, I don't even know if I have advice. I guess the regimen thing is what I did. It helped. Weekends were the hardest. Journaling helped too. And so did lots of surprises and visits. Those times made me really feel special but even now remembering all that, I still worry about disrupting your day with a visit -especially an untimely one. So, maybe you can dispell that for us all. I certainly haven't forgotten you and really want to stop in (all the time actually) but I'm so worried I'll get you sick or something. Anyway, so glad you have made it 5 plus weeks! Here's to 14 plus more!!!
I love Dr. Harrison!!
If you see her again, please wrap her up in a really big hug and tell her it's from me. I don't get to see her until Wednesday. :)
Also, I'll post a big reminder tomorrow, but, seriously, I love visits. Anytime! There really isn't a bad time. The more the merrier. We have learned that we had seriously underestimated the potential of our little shoebox. :) We happily and comfortably housed ten people last night. Amazing, since I take up a good 36 sq. ft. all by my lonesome...well, with the help of the futon. :)
Anyway, I just wanted to say, "Hi!!!" :)
Hibernation
Hey...I've been out of the loop for the past couple of days for a few reasons, but am glad to see you are still doing okay, even if you are feeling lazy. I think it's to be expected that the "novelty" of bed rest wears off a little after a few weeks. The fact that you've made it 5 weeks before getting to this point is pretty good, in my opinion.
I've never experienced bed rest, so I don't have advice for you. I think you've gotten a lot of great advice thus far from others though!!!
I love you and I'm praying for you and Burke :-)
bedrest
I do agree it is so easy to get in the ho hum of bedrest but really what can we do. I was on it strict bedrest with dd1 for 13.5wks. I swear i could recite shows. What about nitting or sewing. Making burke a blanket? I just started crocheting again thanks to preterm labor. I am trying to make her a going home blanket. Now i gotta find an outfit to match! ;) Email me anytime if you would like to chat. Although i know you have quite a few people lined up. Keep doing that great job! 24wks is around the corner. Huge milestone!