"One of the most dangerous things that can happen when a woman is on bed rest is having a blood clot," Lyerly says. And the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cautions against it, for several medical reasons. I think we're all different."īut Lyerly, the UNC bioethicist, tells NPR bed rest is not a benign intervention, and doctors and others who work with pregnant women need to think hard before prescribing it. "I guess I pay attention just as equally to how things are working for women - and that doesn't always fit a study. "I think studies are always of interest," Studey says. In fact, a 2013 study that specifically addressed the issue of a shortened cervix found that women who were prescribed activity restrictions during their pregnancy were actually more likely to give birth early. Studey is aware that the research doesn't show bed rest to be beneficial. So, in my mind," Studey says,"bed rest let her get to term." But I also knew, on the flip of that, having a 24-week baby in an ICU wasn't going to be an easy outcome either. "I know that being on bed rest was hard for Margaret. But there was one point of concern: Siebers' cervix was 'shortened,' which can be a sign that a woman is at risk of preterm labor. The fetal heartbeat was strong and the ultrasound looked perfect. The baby was doing great, the doctor told her. It was a standard screening at that point in her pregnancy - one that checks the baby's growth, proportions and organs to ensure the fetus is developing properly. Siebers was about 22 weeks pregnant when she visited a radiologist for a routine ultrasound. "It doesn't seem like a dangerous intervention in the same way we think about surgeries or medications," Lyerly says. In fact, women put on bed rest can suffer harm - physical, psychological and economic. Lyerly and colleagues in 2013 did a review of the scientific research on bed rest as it relates to a variety of conditions, from early contractions to high blood pressure to carrying twins. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, an OB-GYN and professor of bioethics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The bottom line is that there's never been any proven benefit of bed rest," says Dr. And the subsequent months, spent confined to a bed and couch in her small home in Milwaukee, turned her family's life upside down. Siebers was about halfway through her pregnancy with Frances, when health professionals guiding her care told Siebers she should be on bed rest. "I could come downstairs and sit on the couch." Her 4-year-old, Violet, runs around nearby. "This is where I spent several months," says Siebers, with a shrug. Margaret Siebers plops herself down in the center and reaches out to baby daughter Frances, who climbs onto her mother's lap to breastfeed. There are a few telltale smears of food, maybe yogurt or a banana, and some crumbs here and there. The couch is dark brown corduroy with lumpy cushions. Siebers spent much of the end of her pregnancy with Frances confined to bed rest at her home in Milwaukee. When you are lying down, remember to flex your feet, stretch, and move your legs as much as possible.Four-year-old Violet (right) supervises as her mom Margaret Siebers pours a first-ever spoonful of honey for 1-year-old Frances to try. This is thought to improve blood flow to the uterus and fetus(es).ĭehydration can trigger contractions, so be sure to drink plenty of fluids each day. When you are resting or sleeping during late pregnancy, try to lie on your side. If your doctor or nurse-midwife suggests expectant management for preventing preterm labor, discuss the benefits and risks in light of your condition. But your doctor may recommend expectant management with some bed rest (partial bed rest). footnote 2 Strict bed rest is no longer used to prevent preterm labor. footnote 1 Studies have shown that strict bed rest for 3 days or more may raise your risk of getting a blood clot in the legs or lungs. There is no evidence that long-term bed rest lowers the risk of preterm delivery. Being on expectant management may mean you are advised to stop working, reduce your activity level, or possibly spend a lot of time resting (partial bed rest). It may involve some bed rest at home or in the hospital. Expectant management is the close monitoring of a pregnancy for complications.
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