Until this point in your pregnancy, you've probably been going about your normal activities of work, chores at home, spending time with family and friends, and exercise. But one day, suddenly or perhaps planned in advance, your doctor tells you that for your health and the health of your baby, you'll be restricted to bed rest.

Even though your friends and family may envy you for what they see as a mini-vacation, don't be fooled - bed rest during pregnancy is no walk in the park. Fortunately, though, there are plenty of ways to make your time in bed more enjoyable and productive, so keep reading and find out how to make the best of bed rest.

Doctor's Orders
There are several situations that might cause your doctor to recommend bed rest for some portion of your pregnancy. If your medical history, including previous pregnancies, contains information that might point to a medical complication, your doctor might recommend bed rest. In addition, you might experience symptoms, such as bleeding or contractions, that require you to go on bed rest. Even if your medical history is clear and you experience no symptoms, your doctor may require bed rest if the results of a test or procedure indicate a medical complication, or if your baby's growth is determined to be poor.

So what are some common pregnancy complications that often result in bed rest? High blood pressure (including pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia), vaginal bleeding (including placenta previa), premature labor, and cervical changes (such as incompetent cervix and cervical effacement) are a few. In addition, if you're having multiples, your pregnancy may be termed high risk and will require close monitoring by your doctor. If you develop any problems, your doctor might place you on bed rest. Bed rest might also be recommended if you've had previous pregnancies that ended in fetal loss, stillbirth, or a premature birth.

Just as every pregnancy is different, every woman's experience with bed rest is different. Some women may know early on that because of their medical history, they will have to go on bed rest at some point in their pregnancy . Other women may be surprised to hear their doctor announce after a routine appointment that they'll be on bed rest for a few weeks. Some women are on bed rest early in their pregnancies and then released, whereas others spend their entire pregnancies confined to their beds. Your health care provider can give you specific information about the duration of your bed rest.