What to do in hospital for four weeks!

[Rowood]

It's
Looking likely, thanks to placenta previa that I will be admitted to hospital this week for 4 weeks and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. I have an iPad but the one without Internet connection and some books but I need to stay busy so that I don't get really down about missing my DC.pllease help!

I had to go to hospital early for PP but only for a week. I made sure I got up every morning, got washed and dressed in normal clothes (not PJs) and went to the day room to eat. I would beg for visitors and met them in the cafe downstairs. I made sure I didn't feel like a patient!
There was a lady in who had been in for weeks and she took lots of baths. :)
I had a TV and DVD player in my room which helped, and I read lots of books - in fact it was the last time I finished a book!
Midwives came in every day to monitor the baby, and a doctor would pop in too. This helped break things up.

Make the most of the chance to sleep! I have never managed to relax so much since... :o

I was in for six weeks with my last. I had laptop, borrowed DS, crosswords/logic problem, books and then plenty of people brought me magazines.

Tbh there was that much going on around me I found it hard to concentrate on anything for any length of time.

Can you knit or crotchet? if not, maybe try it out while you're there?

I was going to suggest knitting or crochet too or maybe some embroidery/ needlepoint. You can get some pretty cool kits by Emily Peacock or the like.

Do you have lots of digital or print photos? If they aren't already in albums you could design some photobooks online to get printed or put printed ones into albums, maybe a bit like scrapbooking if that's your thing. If you are interested in family history you could look into that online or get relatives in to tell stories etc.

I would agree with the getting up and dressed. Also if the hospital has a cafe/restaurant you could have daily walks there, even if to get a cup of tea/coffee or visit the shop to refresh magazines,

When I used to work in the hospital there was a smoking room near to the restaurant and a pg lady would walk there several times a day, plenty of staff used to talk to her and when she eventually gave birth, a notice was placed in the smoking room . That wasn't even that long ago 2004 at the most (how times have changed).

I have spent a couple of days in hospital whilst pg and constantly wanted out, obviously due to the previa you cannot go far, some kind of jigsaw or cross stich could be an idea. Things that really take concentration and make time pass.

I'm sure your dp can take your ipad home and recharge it with new games and books.

Can you get a kindle and just read until your eyes cross, an mp3 player to block out the early labour ladies and the banging and clanging would be a good idea.

Thank you so much! Lots of great ideas!

I'd buy some top of the range ear plugs and noise-cancelling headphones, for a start!

Timetable an hour a day to learn something new - knitting? A foreign language (you can buy apps / mp3s for this) or if you don't already drive then practise for your theory test? Gives you something challenging to do rather than just killing time.

Lots of books!

Agree a safe exercise / yoga routine with your docs and do that every day (even if you are in bed)

Keep clean, dressed & well fed! Graze boxes? Request list for visitors to bring you so you are getting something a bit more nourishing than hospital fare?

Write letters and draw pictures for your DC so they can re-read them (or have read to them) when they miss you.

take one of those little portable dvd players that kids use, it saved my life when in hospital and lots of friends/ family brought dvd's in. also fill up your visiting times and have naps during the day, your night sleep will be interrupted a lot. Also agree with books/ magazines and getting up and dressed. I was lucky in that you could have one visitor from 11am till 8pm and everyone else just came at visiting time. The days actually went quite quick it was the nights that I had trouble with so often just watched dvd's with my earphones in.

I was in for three weeks when DD was born at 32 weeks. Agree you need to distract yourself from your surroundings, get dressed in real clothes and shower every day to stop yourself feeling like a patient. Craft kits are a really good idea to kill time, I learnt to knit when I came out of hospital (recommend Stitch 'n Bitch by Debbie Stoller) and John Lewis do loads of needlepoint/toys in a bag kits.

Try to walk/exercise as much as you can and get your family to bring you in picnics!