Bed rest from the perspective of the high-risk pregnant woman.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the experience of prolonged bed rest from the perspective of women during high-risk pregnancies.

DESIGN

A focused ethnographic study that used interviews, participant diaries, and field notes as data sources.

SETTING

Participants were obtained from an acute-care hospital antepartum unit and an antepartum home care program.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-four women with complications of pregnancy requiring prolonged bed rest (range, 7-50 days).

RESULTS

A model of the stress process in pregnant women on bed rest emerged from the data analysis. Stressors were grouped into situational (sick role, lack of control, uncertainty, concerns regarding fetus's well-being, and being tired of waiting), environmental (feeling like a prisoner, being bored, and having a sense of missing out), and family (role reversal and worry about older children) categories. Two main mediators of stress were social support and coping. Families, friends, and professionals were perceived as sources of support. Women used coping strategies, such as keeping a positive attitude, taking it 1 day at a time, doing it for the baby, getting used to it, setting goals, and keeping busy. Manifestations of stress were evidenced by adverse physical symptoms, emotional reactions, and altered social relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged bed rest is a stressful experience for pregnant women at high risk. Understanding the stress process in pregnant women confined to bed rest may assist nurses in developing interventions to reduce stressors and enhance mediators.