hospital bedHearing the words "strict bed rest" during pregnancy is something no woman ever wants to hear, especially if it's heard during the first or second trimester. Lisa Copley got those exact orders from her doctor -- and wound up being forced to lie completely still in her bed for 24 hours a day for an entire 5 months to save the lives of her twins!

Lisa's cervix was so thin that the only way she could maintain the pregnancy was to literally not move her body for almost half a year, which ultimately caused her muscles to start to atrophy, leaving her unable to walk. She also developed a skin condition that gave her severe hives all over her body. (Can't a girl get a break?)

During her time on bed rest, Lisa was not even allowed to get up take a shower. OMG. Can you even imagine not being able to even bathe?! She must have been ready to absolutely lose her mind -- and even compared lying in the bed staring at the ceiling to what a prisoner likely goes through.

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But what really struck me about this story was the reason why Lisa's cervix was so thin in the first place. It was due to scar tissue from a surgery she'd had years earlier to remove abnormal cells. And when I was about 21 years old, I had the same exact procedure done. It took forever for my cervix to dilate during my labor with my son, which my doctor attributed to scar tissue from that surgery. Things finally progressed, but after hearing Lisa's story, I can't help but feel like I was truly lucky and blessed not to have any further complications. Of course, I would've done anything to make sure my son was born healthy. But lying in bed for five whole months? I'm pretty sure that would've put me over the edge.

Luckily, Lisa's long hospital stay did the trick, and she delivered her twins at 35 weeks. Both babies and their mama are now doing just fine, and she says every single minute of lying in that bed was worth it. But I can't help but wonder if she cringes a tiny bit every time she sees a hospital bed -- or any bed for that matter. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually welcomes getting up for middle of the night feedings after her ordeal!

Have you had to go on bed rest at all during your pregnancy?

 

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