Perhaps many pregnant women have experienced [being bedridden]. During the long October of pregnancy, whenever there is any abnormal situation, relatives and friends will come to persuade them to go back to bed and lie down:
In the early stage of pregnancy, there were a few reddish-brown secretions, soreness of the waist and swelling of the lower abdomen. They quickly went to bed and lay down, even for several months.
In the middle and third trimester of pregnancy, uterine contraction is frequent, [threatened premature delivery] or a small amount of hemorrhage. Ultrasound indicates that the placental position is low, so stay in bed quickly.
Pregnant women have high blood pressure and obvious edema of lower limbs, so they should stay in bed quickly.
There are more extreme, eat, drink, pull and scatter all in bed, accompanied by family members 24 hours a day. If pregnancy bleeding, lower abdomen intermittent tightening feeling, especially go to the hospital examination found that cervical canal shortened (mid-pregnancy ultrasound examination found that cervical length shortened is a better indicator to predict premature delivery), doctors for safety reasons, may also let pregnant women rest more.
However, does [bed rest] really contribute to the safety of the baby?
Bed rest is also harmful.
Long-term bed rest for pregnant women is not beneficial and harmless:
- Affect blood circulation: Long-term bed rest makes the whole body blood circulation of pregnant women slow, blood is easy to coagulate in microcirculation, and the formed coagulation will block blood vessels, which are common in deep vein vessels of lower limbs and pelvic cavity.
Most seriously, if the [clot] in the blood vessel falls off, it will wander to the large blood vessel in charge of life, such as pulmonary artery, causing pulmonary embolism and even maternal death. Foreign scholars count that the relative risk of thromboembolism in long-term bed rest will increase by 19 times.
- Affect digestive function: Intestinal peristalsis would have decreased during pregnancy, As that uterus enlarge, Pregnant women will suffer from stomach discomfort, fullness, nausea and vomiting, Long-term bed rest will aggravate these discomfort symptoms, Constipation is more common among pregnant mothers. Affects cardiopulmonary function: Long-term bed rest, The lower limb fluid will transfer to the head position, Redistribution of blood circulation, Changes in lung function and gas exchange, Change heart function and heart size, Affect heart and lung function. Some pregnant women who stay in bed for a long time will feel chest tightness and asthma when they get out of bed occasionally. Affect muscles and bones: Long-term bed rest reduces muscle burden, Change muscle metabolism, Muscles gradually shrink, It also causes bone loss and calcium deficiency. It is reported that the relative risk of bone loss in bed for a long time is 3 times higher. Increase mental stress: Pregnant women who stay in bed for a long time often have considerable mental stress, worrying about the health and safety of their mothers and fetuses, plus long-term rest during pregnancy from their colleagues in the unit, and unable to go out, which is easy to feel bored, confused, depressed and even depressed.
Can bed rest prevent premature delivery?
The traditional view is that bed rest is very important for pregnant women with threatened premature delivery symptoms. However, in recent years, the literature on bed rest during pregnancy has been reviewed and analyzed, and the conclusion is unexpected.
At present, there is not enough evidence to support bed rest to prevent premature delivery.
A study conducted by the American Alliance for Maternal and Fetal Medical Research on 646 pregnant women with single fetus and short cervix (less than 3 cm) shows that even restricting activities for pregnant women with short cervix in single fetus will not reduce the risk of premature delivery.
The Guidelines for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Premature Delivery formulated by the Obstetrics and Gynecology Credit Association of the Chinese Medical Association in 2014 also clearly pointed out that there is no evidence to support [bed rest] as a prevention method for premature delivery.
Premature delivery may be related to overwork and heavy physical activity, so those with threatened premature delivery should avoid the above factors, but long-term bed rest is not recommended.
Can bed rest prevent hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy?
If pregnant women suffer from hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (the main type is preeclampsia), hypertension, lower limb or facial edema often occur, and proteinuria is found in urine, which is a more serious complication during pregnancy. Once there is this trend, doctors will also advise you to rest.
During pregnancy, overwork, continuous overtime, poor sleep and constant stress may increase the risk of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Bed rest may relax the mind and lower blood pressure?
However, some scholars have found that bed rest is not good for the treatment of hypertension in pregnant women and the prevention of hypertension complicating pregnancy (preeclampsia).
In fact, moderate exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to the health of pregnant mothers.
Some analyses have found that appropriate physical activity during pregnancy, including any spontaneous exercise that makes energy consumption exceed rest state, such as recreational activities, leisure activities, professional activities and physical exercise, has a tendency to reduce the risk of preeclampsia.
Both exercise and rest are important
Even if the pregnant mother is sick and needs recuperation, she does not need to stay in bed for a long time. Proper exercise and rest are needed.
It is more important to keep relaxed during pregnancy and avoid mental stress, which can also induce uterine contraction. Proper exercise is helpful to feel happy and is also important to control the weight during pregnancy. Obesity is also easy to lead to blood pressure rise.
As for the way and amount of exercise, you can do what you can, and what suits you is the best.
Pregnant mothers [bed rest], especially long-term bed rest, is really not easy. I hope pregnant mothers will think twice and it is time to put down their burdens.
Responsible Editor: Yidan