When I was 34 weeks pregnant with my fourth child, I was put on hospital bedrest.  At first, I was thrilled--it had been my hardest pregnancy, and I was exhausted and need of a rest.  But after about 12 hours, the overwhelming reality set in:  this was going to be hard.  I missed my family, and the unfriendly confines of a hospital quickly began messing with my already-hormonal brain.

The nurses who came in to care for me offered me tidbits of information about other prenatal women on my floor.  Some of them, I was astounded to learn, had been there for three months.  We all stayed in our beds as willingly as we could, hopeful for a healthy baby at the end of our ordeal.  But it was one of the most isolating experiences of my life, even though it lasted only ten days.  They were ten very long days.

I went through that in the days before I had a blog (I know--a novelty!).  In retrospect, now that I'm privvy to the encouraging sense of community that exists in the women's blogosphere, how I wish I'd had access to that kind of support during my difficult bed-rest days.  Out of curiosity, I began searching for blogs for about women on bedrest, and I wasn't surprised to learn that there is an abundance.  It's hard to imagine a better use of the community aspects of the internet than to encourage women who are unable to leave their beds!

Delisyus at Babies Online and her on-line bedrest friends compiled a list of helpful tips for dealing with this situation, including:

We accepted help and the situation. We delegated tasks even. Someone else had to take care of the dog, the fish and the chores. Daddy had to take care of the other kids and Mommy too. To make it easier for the household, however, we also made sure we had our box or basket near the bed containing things we might need or want during the day, so we need not keep calling someone for help. We also took it upon ourselves to balance the checkbook, monitor the cashflow, and list up the groceries. We also scheduled visits from friends so we wouldn’t be deprived of socialization and adult company.

Joe of Joe Knitting used the time to organize a crafty baby gift swap, while Kel of New Day used the time to organize her photos.

Jennifer of There and Back Again took the reflective approach, letting the slower days teach her to appreciate some simpler things, including:

1. the bartlett pear tree and carolina jasmine across the street
2. Jane Austen
3. the value of a moment
4. Daniel's cooking
5. how steadily and surely time moves along

Ciaran of Celebrity Baby Blog decided not to sacrifice her good sense of style during her bedrest:

As cute as that maternity wardrobe you lovingly assembled is, who wants to wear jeans and a tailored jacket in bed all day? But then again, who wants to wear their "sick day" wardrobe of baggy old sweats and t-shirt for two months straight either?

Hopefully, the strong sense of community offered in the blogosphere will be just the boost a bed-ridden mom-to-be need.  In the meantime, check out these additional, non-blog resources:

Pregnancy Bedrest Tips

Sidelines National Support Network

Storknet's Bedrest Survival Guide

Bedrest: How To Make the Best Of It (Mayo Clinic)

Shannon Lowe is a BlogHer Contributing Editor (Mommy/Family), and she also writes at Rocks In My Dryer.