Reasons for bed rest during pregnancy

OBGYN Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD, explains the medical conditions that may lead a doctor put a pregnant woman on bed rest, and how bed rest helps to treat various issues women may face during pregnancy
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Reasons for bed rest during pregnancy

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The dreaded bed rest. There are some very specific medical conditions that may lead your doctor to put you on bed rest. These are reasons that will require you to be diverting energy toward the pregnancy, toward the placenta, toward the baby, and all of those other activities that you might normally be doing. The most common is cervical insufficeincy, where the cervix is shorting for some reason, preterm labor, growth restriction in the fetus or other placental conditions that may contribute to difficulty in growth, preeclampsia, high blood pressure conditions. I think those are most common. It is a really old school way to handle things because what it says to you, "Look, we don't have a whole lot else we can do, let's use common sense," which is sometimes the best medicine, "and rest your body. Allow your body to do the physiological work that it needs to do, rather than running around all over town for four hours shopping." It is brutal because it really changes your life, but it will give your body the opportunity take care of itself and the baby, hopefully, and extend the length of the pregnancy.

OBGYN Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD, explains the medical conditions that may lead a doctor put a pregnant woman on bed rest, and how bed rest helps to treat various issues women may face during pregnancy

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Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD

Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz completed her undergraduate education at Wesleyan University and post-baccalaureate pre-medical studies at Mills College. She earned her medical degree in 1996 from the University of Southern California School of Medicine, completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and has been in private practice of obstetrics and gynecology in Los Angeles, CA since 2000. After many years of a personal yoga and meditation practice, she completed her Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist degree at California College of Ayurveda in 2010 and was board certified in Integrative and Holistic medicine in 2008.

Suzanne is involved in women’s empowerment and public education, and appears frequently as an expert in women’s and integrative health on TV, online and in print. She is co-founder of Cedars Sinai Medical Center's Green Committee and is deeply committed to the promotion of healing that involves individuals, families, communities and the planet.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children in a "green" renovated home with a sustainable native plants garden and organic “urban mini-farm”.

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Transcription: 
The dreaded bed rest. There are some very specific medical conditions that may lead your doctor to put you on bed rest. These are reasons that will require you to be diverting energy toward the pregnancy, toward the placenta, toward the baby, and all of those other activities that you might normally be doing. The most common is cervical insufficeincy, where the cervix is shorting for some reason, preterm labor, growth restriction in the fetus or other placental conditions that may contribute to difficulty in growth, preeclampsia, high blood pressure conditions. I think those are most common. It is a really old school way to handle things because what it says to you, "Look, we don't have a whole lot else we can do, let's use common sense," which is sometimes the best medicine, "and rest your body. Allow your body to do the physiological work that it needs to do, rather than running around all over town for four hours shopping." It is brutal because it really changes your life, but it will give your body the opportunity take care of itself and the baby, hopefully, and extend the length of the pregnancy.