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If you\u2019ve ever had to be on bed rest during pregnancy, then you know it\u2019s not as simple as it sounds. It takes intention to get through it with your mental health intact. Today\u2019s guest, Jessica Vanderwier was on bed rest and she\u2019s here to share how this experience impacted her, along with her best advice about how we can better support moms on bed rest.\nJessica Vanderwier is a registered psychotherapist from Guelph, Ontario, who is passionate about supporting families. She is known online for Our Mama Village, a platform where she shares daily pieces of encouragement and support for moms and families. Jessica started this page after she went through a difficult transition into motherhood, and saw the need for a supportive community that moms would access anytime they needed. In her therapy work, Jessica supports families from preconception to working with children with mental health concerns. In her private life, Jessica loves her role as a mom and wife and spends her time with her husband and two-year-old daughter.\nShow Highlights:\n\nJessica\u2019s pregnancy: started normally, even though she was still working 40-50 hours/week\n\nAt 20 weeks, cramping began, and she felt terrible after overdoing it planning a Christmas party, so she headed to the hospital to get checked\n\nThe first clue that something serious was wrong at the hospital was the way the nurses kept repeating internal exams and ultrasounds--with no explanation why\n\nThe nurse insisted that Jessica get in a wheelchair, so panic set in, with still no reason for the concern\n\nThe diagnosis was incompetent cervix, preterm labor, and early dilation; the on-call Ob said the next step was bed rest to take the pressure off her cervix\n\nJessica\u2019s instructions were to be on the couch or in bed with her feet up all day, only getting up for brief bathroom breaks\n\nWhy it was a difficult mental adjustment to have no work and no purpose other than to rest all-day\n\nHow Jessica tried to keep a schedule each day in moving from bed to the couch, reading, books, and even taking an online course\n\nWhen she reached 34 weeks, her restrictions became a little more flexible; she was allowed to do dishes and ride in the car with her husband\n\nHer full-term birth was an answer to prayer, but then she entered a postpartum time of anxiety\n\nHow she navigated life after bed rest\n\nHow she felt like those who had helped her during the bed rest were burned out, so she didn\u2019t ask for postpartum help\n\nAt four months postpartum, Jessica decided to ask for help\n\nThe frustration when the doctor discounts your postpartum feelings of anxiety and depression\n\nHow this frustration fuels Jessica\u2019s work today with moms\n\nHow she got sleep, help with childcare, and therapy to feel better\n\nHow Jessica looked for ways to help other moms\n\nOur Mama Village began as a Facebook page where moms could go for hope and encouragement and know they aren\u2019t alone\n\nWhy Our Mama Village has grown because the need is great and the message needs to get out to moms\n\nJessica\u2019s advice to others on bed rest:\n\nBe gentle with yourself\n\nFind something that gives purpose and meaning to each ay\n\nFind ways to talk and connect with your baby\n\nSchedule each day so they don\u2019t roll along indefinitely\n\nHave something each week to look forward to\n\nSeek professional support, even if it\u2019s online therapy\n\nJessica\u2019s online course (coming soon) with effective tools for dealing with anxiety and simple strategies to help moms enjoy motherhood\n\nResources:\nOur Mama Village\nInstagram: Our Mama Village\nFacebook: Our Mama Village