Hi moms!
One of my closest friends is pregnant with twin boys, 17 weeks. Due to the fact that she has endometriosis, conceived on Chlomid, and is caring twins, the docs are being very cautisous and placing her on modified bedrest at 24 weeks. Jess is so active, I know she is dreading it. She lives in FL so I can't go visiting all the time and I was thinking of putting something together for her. Did any other moms have to go on bedrest? What did you do? Any ideas for a pakage to help her pass the time. She is definately not a knit or crossstitch kind of person. I appreciate any other feedback that I could give her, she's very nervous. Thanks so much!
My sister in law appreciated books and magazines. She also got Netflix so she could keep up on movies. Also, she did her baby shopping online with her laptop.
I agree with all of the answers-I was on bedrest for 4 1/2 weeks with my son, and the thing that bugged me the most was the cleaning and preparing for the baby. I had my mom come and wash all the baby clothes, get the room ready, and do some general cleaning. Maybe you could hire a cleaning service, or get a gift cert to one. Magazines are good, crosswords---the thank you's and announcement envelopes and stamps (she could address them at least), and stuff for a baby book. I wish I had organized my old photos too! Tell her to take advantage of any offers for help, and to sleep now while she can!!
Lots of magazines, I had nothing else to do so I appreciated any magazines at all, even outdated used ones,maybe do a few subscriptions for her, Magazines and the internet was the only things that kept me sane. I'm also a on the go type of person and being on bedrest was difficult for me.
Just a few ideas...
Check into meal delivery in her area...you could send her gift certs for it so she could pick out what she wants to eat and when she wants to use them.
Amazon gift certs so she can shop for books she'd like.
Look into "book share" clubs...check the library system in her area. I know the libraries around here will mail books to your home and you can mail them back -- kinda' like Blockbuster or Netflix.
Without knowing what other interests she has, it's tough to offer suggestions, but maybe she'd like to try to learn crocheting, needlepoint, etc??? It does keep one's hands busy and gives you the feeling you're doing something. It'll also help with the "nesting" part if she wants to make the twins baby blankets...
Other than that, there's the traditional bath/spa items that are always good...massage gift cert, etc.
Oh, yeah, I don't do it, but many do...scrapbooking! If she hasn't gotten her current photos organized, etc, now's the best time -- she won't be able to for a number of years! :) (I have photos from my trip to Europe in '98 that still aren't in an album. UGH!)
Hi S.,
Here's a suggestion that my Mom has done with friends who have been sick and not able to leave the house....but I think it would be great for your friend who might have to go on bedrest. :)
Put a bunch of presents in a box or bag with strings attached, hanging out of the box/bag. And then she can pull a string with a small present out every few hours or once a day. Some ideas for gifts are: magazines, nail polish, crossword puzzles, if she scrapbooks maybe some scrapbooking stuff, and any other fun things she might like :)
I hope that makes sense and will work for your friend! Good luck :)
I was on bedrest for 9 weeks while pregnant with my twin girls. The best gift I got was a handheld Yahtzee game. It was easy to do while laying on my side. I'd also suggest a gift card to a local movie place. We had a Blockbuster mail subscription and I put all the movies that I wanted to see and my husband didn't at the top of our list. So I got all kinds of movies in the mail that I could watch.
To be honest I got sick of reading, but that may just be me. I also think puzzle books (don't forget pencils and erasers) are a good idea.
I would suggest a fw $5 gift cards that her husband can use to buy her some treats. Dairy queen or something similar, blockbuster, bookstore for a magazine or book, etc. Space them out so she keeps getting little surprises in the mail.
--Magazine subscription to Paretns, parenting, American Baby, Good housekeeping, better homes and garden, US weekly, Readers digest, etc. Just a few ideas.
--Dinner gift certificate
--scrapbooking items
--Maybe a small sewing or craft project for the baby
--You could even pay for a few months subscription to Blockbuster or Netflix (get a program that she can order the movies and they come in the mail)
--Books
One positive spin to this is that she's not on bedrest during the warmest months of the year :)
Good luck to your friend, I hope her pregnancy goes smoothly and quick.
I was on full, hospital bedrest for 5 months with my eldest. I was not a knitter or a crocheter beforehand, either, but a good friend brought me some yarn and needles and sat beside me and taught me. I was extremely appreciative of both her time and the new skill. There is no way to express the extreme boredom that comes with spending time on your side! Other ideas: MOVIES!, sudoku and crossword books, take-out food from her favorite restaurants, computer games (again, not something I did before bedrest and not something I've done since then), cards and a cribbage board, adventure/mystery novels (nothing sappy or sad), parenting magazines (if it's her first child), and most importantly, phone calls!
Bedrest is so, very boring. I wish her luck!
I had a friend on bedrest and she did her baby anouncements while she was on bedrest. You could get her a sub. to a favorite magazine, if she scrapbooks you could go and by her a scrapbook and some baby pages and she could put that together and then when the baby's come she only has to put them in the book.
