My first pregnancy was pretty uneventful, though I had a lot going on. I was taking 21 college credits and working at a newspaper, but other than the obscene amount of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I ate, it was pretty darn normal.
With such a normal first pregnancy, I expected the second to be no different, so I was absolutely floored when I could hardly get out of bed. For the first while, I survived by entertaining my 5-year-old daughter with lots of movies and juice boxes. When I found out the complications that were keeping me in bed were going to last my whole pregnancy, I realized I needed to find new ways of entertaining my child that didn't involve me being on my feet.
Here are some of our favorites.
1. Play check-up. We have a little doctor kit, complete with stethoscope and bandages. I have spent hours having my ankles and wrists wrapped up by my little doctor. It has been a fun way to engage her with no electronics, while still allowing me to be stationary.
2. Build a fort. The fort itself requires some effort. I make ours out of blankets and kitchen chairs, but once it is built, we easily spend the rest of the day lying in the fort watching movies and reading books, which are both more fun because of the fort.
3. Pin art. As a child, did you ever layer a coloring book page over a piece of construction paper and use a pin to create the picture with small dots? It is great for fine motor skills, takes a deal of quiet concentration and involves lying on the floor. A win for both of us.
4. Play beauty salon. I bring out my makeup brushes and hair brush and let her give me a makeover. There doesn't actually need to be any makeup involved for her to have lots of fun. She just loves being able to use my makeup brushes without getting in trouble.
5. Chalk and bubbles. A package of sidewalk chalk can keep my daughter entertained for hours. I can pull out a lawn chair and sit down while admiring her creations.
6. Jewelry shop. I have an entire box of pony beads and pipe cleaners for my daughter. I can lay in bed next to her while she creates bracelets and rings out of all the different colors.
7. Card games. My daughter's favorites are Go Fish and Uno. I love playing Uno with her because it is also great for number recognition.
8. Make animals out of toilet paper tubes, egg cartons and markers. Coloring can get old after awhile, but if you change up the objects they are coloring it will keep them occupied much longer.
9. Let them play photographer. My daughter gets down right giddy when I pull out my old digital camera for her. She will run around the house taking pictures of everything and then we will go through them together. I love being able to see the world through her eyes and she loves feeling grown up enough to use the camera.
10. Treasure map. Hide a treat somewhere in the house, then draw a treasure map to the treat. They will absolutely love following the map to the destination.
While I can't say I would want to do this pregnancy all over again, I can say that we had some really fun times even though we had to cut way back on our outings and spend a lot more time at home. What are your favorite ways to entertain your children while you are resting?
This blog post is from on of our great Intermountain Moms. This should not be taken or substituted for medical advice. Always check with your provider if you have questions.