Your best friend was just put on bed rest. What is that? Why? Chances are she is pregnant, and this is just as sudden for her as it is for everyone else too. Many times women on put on bed rest for different reasons. Almost all of them have to do with early labor. When a mom-to-be is beginning to have contractions, or showing others signs of labor before her 36th week she is usually considered high risk and immediately placed on limited bed rest or full bed rest.
You need to understand that when you are put on bed rest it is for the safety of your child. Babies born before 34 weeks can have multitudes of problems. Their lungs may not be fully developed, their immune system is not as strong, and the early they are born the more internal problems they can have. A healthy baby is born between the 38th and the 40th week or pregnancy. So you can understand, if a baby comes too soon, problems begin to arise.
What can you do for your friend who is on bed rest. Here is my list of things that helped me.
1. Place the phone next to the bed, along with paper, pen, and phone book.
2. If at all possible set up a remote control T.V. It would be nice to have a CD player, radio, tape combo close by also.
3. Pick out some great magazines for her. Health and Beauty and by all means Baby ones too.
4. Offer to check out library books for her. If she has a laptop, she can reserve books on your card, or her own and you can pick them up and return them for her.
5. Make special goals for yourself, to do for her. One week send her flowers, or buy some and drop them off. Maybe the next week bring her some lotions. On another week you can send her a care package. Start stocking up on things she will need at the hospital. Travel size lotions, shampoos, make-up, baby clothes.
6. Visit, but give her some time alone too. She will get very tired being on bed rest and will need some down time too.
7. Offer to fluff pillows, clean, wash laundry, anything you can see is bothering her that she can't get done.
8. When you arrive and before you leave make sure she has plenty of fresh cold water, and any snacks she could keep next to her.
9. Offer to rent movies.
10. Be a friend and listen, even if she has told you the "bed rest story" over and over again. She is lonely and needs someone to listen. Be an encouragement, be her cheerleader and remind her she is doing this for the baby. Commend her. Her will help to boost her morale.
Linda Cramer is the Co-Owner of The Baby Gift Basket Company.
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