Surviving and Thriving Pregnancy Bedrest

I found out I was pregnant with triplets pretty early. In that one moment — I truly felt like my life was flashing before me as a million thoughts raced through my head. I was completely overwhelmed to say the least. My son had just turned 1. I knew how challenging taking care of a baby can be. My very first thought was of him and how it would forever affect his life — both the good and the bad.

There was no question in my mind that they were wanted and loved. It's just the realist in me took over. Would they be healthy? How would I take care of my son while being pregnant with triplets? How would I care for everyone once they are born? Could I continue to work? How would everyone fit in our three bedroom house? What about college?

Of course, I read everything I could about triplets I could get my hands on a few times over. It took me a couple weeks to relax and embrace the fact that I was pregnant with triplets and everything would be as it was meant to be.

My regular ob referred me to a high risk ob (perinatalogy) group. At nine weeks, I was informed that I would be going on modified bedrest at 16 weeks — moderate bedrest at 20 weeks and strict bedrest at 24 weeks. Although at that moment I wasn't exactly sure what bedrest entailed — I definitely didn't like the sound of it.

Every high risk ob has a different protocol on how they handle triplet pregnancies and other high risk pregnancies. My perinatalogist group was very conservative. Some high risk ob practices do not place women carrying triplets on bedrest until problems arise — others do not prescribe bedrest until the end of the pregnancy.

With modified bedrest, I was still able to care for my son by myself. I was working from home at the time, so I could continue to do this as well. Although, I reduced my hours throughout the course of my pregnancy until I finally had to make the decision to stop working all together about a month before my triplet daughters were born.

Moderate bedrest proved to be a bit more challenging. I had to call in the reinforcements. With strict bedrest four weeks away, we came up with a schedule for my son, spending time with both sets of grandparents, a parent's day out program and a babysitter (at a neighbor's house) during week day mornings.

Having always been a very independent person, it was extremely difficult to ask for help. But it was a necessity. Since he was just one year old, he still took an afternoon nap. I had to teach him how to climb out of the crib, We spent the afternoons alone together reading. Children are amazingly adaptable. I never thought he would sit with me for hours, since he was so physically active. But, he did.

Strict bedrest was extremely difficult. It may sound strange, but it was physically draining (as well as painful). I also had to let go of a lot of control (which was great preparation for life with triplets). I had to trust that other people would take care of things - maybe not in the way that I would have but they would get done. I did fight strict bedrest. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

I tried negotiating with one of the perinatalogist to see what privileges I could maintain. I still wanted desperately to be able to be as active as possible in my son's life. Since I had not had many complications, I had a hard time understanding why I had to go to such extreme measures. He gave me the wake up call of my life. The perinatalogist told me (this is the toned down version) what kind of mother, wife, person would I be if I did not do everything I could to prevent having my three babies come into the world before they are ready.

It was like a brick hit me on the side of the head. I got it. Pregnancy bedrest saves lives. It was not punishment. "Down time is growing time" was my new mantra. I constantly reminded myself that time spent in utero is time spent out of the NICU.

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