Once in a while, someone will ask us if they can get a 3D ultrasound if they’re on bedrest. Once, the fact that one of our customers was on bedrest came out after the appointment was made.
By the way, I’m on bedrest. Is that okay?
It used to surprise me whenever one of our pregnant friends would meet up with us for dinner and casually mention that she is supposed to be on bedrest. I thought you were supposed to take that seriously! It turns out that there are many different levels of bedrest:
A decrease in your activities – usually a decrease in exercise, heavy lifting, sex, and other specific activities related to an individual’s career or lifestyle. For example, a doctor who is pregnant may be advised to not take overnight call while pregnant. Of course, not all pregnant doctors need to avoid call, but certainly, this may be prescribed for some pregnant doctors with specific risk factors.
“Taking a break” – which is not bedrest, per se, but is a way for a doctor to prescribe a pregnant woman to take a break from work or get light duty at work. This is also used to encourage the children, husband/significant other to help out with chores.
Scheduled resting – In order to avoid full bedrest, scheduled resting requires the expectant mom to lie down and rest for a few hours each day. This is especially prescribed for pregnant moms who may not have specific problems currently but have risk factors, such as a history of early delivery or miscarriage in previous pregnancies.
Modified bedrest – This is a balance between minimizing the risks to the baby while still allowing some flexibility with the understanding of the inconvenience that strict bedrest imposes. Strict bedrest is not without risks itself, such as bedsores, hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood), muscle atrophy, and depression from not being able to continue activities that you enjoy. Strict bedrest may not even be feasible for some pregnant women without access to outside help. Modified bedrest allows for going to the bathroom, walking to different rooms in the house, making yourself a meal, and other tasks around the house. In some circumstances, depending on the pregnant woman’s specific situation, a health care provider may suggest that going out once a week for dinner or a movie is fine as well. Modified bedrest is sometimes called “house arrest.”
Strict bedrest – This means staying in bed. This is strict and is reserved for situations where the mother or the baby are at risk for miscarriage or early delivery. It is very important to stay in bed while on strict bedrest, except for going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and sitting up to eat. Health care providers will often give a detailed breakdown of what can and can not be done.
Hospital bedrest – This isn’t actually bedrest, per se, but all out hospitalization. This involves getting IV fluids and using a bedpan instead of getting up to go to the bathroom. This is done in the most urgent of situations, such as when a pregnant woman shows signs of labor at 22 or 23 weeks, just before the age of viability, or during placental abruption, severe pre-eclampsia, or eclampsia. There is usually also monitoring of the baby as well as other medications given to the mother. There are some cases of hospital bedrest which may be delegated to the house, such as when compliance is guaranteed or when there is no hospital nearby, and there are some cases of what should be strict bedrest that are treated in the hospital, such as when compliance is expected to be poor or the social situation is unstable, or if there is no access to help in the house, or in certain politically sensitive situations, (such as in the military, women of the prison population, minors under 18 years old, illegal immigrants, refugees, and where domestic violence is present). If illegal drug use, alcohol use, or heavy smoking is a factor in the preterm labor or risk for preterm delivery, hospitalization may be preferred to ensure avoidance of these substances as well.
So can you get a 3D ultrasound?
Decrease in activities/taking a break/scheduled resting: If you are simply told to decrease your activities or “take a break” or take off from work or take scheduled rest breaks, and if, in general, it is expected that you can leave your home for errands, then you can generally get a 3D ultrasound. This is of course assuming you live not too far from our 3D ultrasound studio. We do often get pregnant customers coming from out of state, as far as Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Ohio. So if you have to drive or ride in a car for more than a couple hours to get here, you should generally discuss this with your doctor before coming. Definitely, a long road trip to First Peek Ultrasound does not fall into the category of “taking a break.”
Modified bedrest: If you are on modified bedrest, this usually means that you should not go out for non-essential activities. Although your ob/gyn physician or midwife will of course allow you to leave your bed to go to your ob/gyn (or midwife) appointment, this allowance generally does not carry over to your 3D ultrasound appointment. As much as seeing and bonding with your baby may seem to be essential to your well-being, the health of your baby is the most important, and you will have to wait to see what your baby will look like after he or she is born.
That being said, there are some levels of modified bedrest where you may generally be allowed to go out once in a while, or once a week, depending on how urgent or severe your situation is. This decision is made on a case by case basis, and so, if you are on modified bedrest, you should discuss your desire to get a 3D ultrasound with your physician or midwife before making your appointment with us. Your health care provider should weigh the benefits and harms while taking your desires into account so that you can make an informed decision based on your physician’s advice. You may be surprised that your ob/gyn physician or midwife may allow or even encourage you to go get your first peek of your baby in 3D, since it has been shown that visualization and bonding with your baby through 3D ultrasound can improve compliance with health recommendations (such as adhering to bedrest) and discourage unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking and alcohol use). At First Peek Ultrasound, we strongly discourage going against your physician’s advice regarding bedrest.
Strict bedrest: Strict bedrest is just that. You are just one step away from having to stay in the hospital. You’re lucky you are still allowed to get up and go to the bathroom. You can definitely not get a 3D ultrasound while on strict bedrest, unless you plan on having a 3D ultrasound machine and an ultrasound technician come to your house. However, once you are on strict bedrest, this does not mean you will be on strict bedrest for the rest of your pregnancy. Your level of bedrest may change based on the course of your pregnancy and how far along you are. Consult with your doctor for when it’s safe to go out again.
If you have a 3D ultrasound appointment with us and you later find out that you have to be on bedrest, please contact us as soon as possible to reschedule or cancel your appointment.
What are your thoughts of getting a 3D ultrasound while on “bedrest”? Do you have any advice for expectant moms who have to go on bedrest?