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The Characters

  • Quinn "Q" Boothroyd is a 28-year-old British woman working as a lawyer in New York City. She is married to Tom, who is American, and also a lawyer. Six months into her pregnancy, her doctor tells her she must go on bed rest until delivery, and her world turns upside down.

    Tom, Q's husband, works for one of the biggest law firms in the City, and will soon be up for partner.

    Alison, Q's sister, lives in London and has two children. Her husband is wealthy and from a titled family. She is an artist and a sculptor.

    Jeanie, Q's youngest sister, also lives in London. She is currently enrolled in a Master's Progam in social work. Her boyfriend's name is Dave.

Sarah Bilston

  • About The Author: Sarah Bilston was born in England and now lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children. She received her undergraduate and Master's degrees from University College, London, and her doctorate from the University of Oxford. She is now an Assistant Professor of English Literature at Trinity College, Hartford. Her first book, on Victorian representations of girlhood, was published by Oxford University Press in 2004, and her first book of fiction, Bed Rest, was published by HarperCollins (US) in May 2006 and will be published by Sphere (UK) in March 2007. She is currently working on a sequel to Bed Rest, entitled Sleepless Nights. You can reach her by Email at Sarah DOT Bilston AT Yahoo DOT com.

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« What Not to Wear on Bed Rest | Main | Spring is Something That Happens to Other People »

What do you do when...

Ths morning my husband left for work AND FORGOT TO LEAVE MY CAKE BY THE SOFA.

Now I want that cake. If I close my eyes, I can see it. I can smell it. I can almost taste it. It's a truffle torte sort of a thing, dense and intense, with a cocoa dusting on the top. My friend Brianna brought it yesterday. It is nestling in a deep, sky-blue cardboard box laced with gold ribbon.

On the kitchen counter.

In a normal life this wouldn't be a problem. I would simply stand up, walk into the kitchen, and get the cake. But it's absence poses a serious problem for the bed resting woman. I've been told to stay completely still. To rest in bed at all times. Don't fix yourself a bowl of cereal, my doctor told me; don't get up to make yourself food. She specifically said that. Don't get up to make yourself food. No unnecessary activity whatsoever.

And so the cake rests peacefully in the kitchen, uncut and untasted. Meanwhile I lie here, drooling slightly. Longing, longing for that small slice of heaven.

March 10, 2007 in Q's Blog - Life on Bed Rest |

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What's This Site About?

  • Sarah Bilston's first novel, Bed Rest, and - more generally - what it's like to be on bed rest. It's a blog by Q, the heroine of the novel, about the daily challenges facing women stuck in bed. (For more info, click on "The Story Behind Bed Rest Diary" under "Categories," then scroll down to "Introduction.")

Sarah's Bed Rest Resources

  • Keep 'em cookin'
    A great new resource for advice on suriving a high risk pregnancy. Wish it had been around when I was on bed rest...
  • Luanne O'Loughlin
    I love this site. One woman's list of very, very practical suggestions on ways to handle the logistical problems that arise on bed rest.
  • Twins List
    Good links to FAQs and resources for moms of multiples.
  • American Pregnancy Association
    Basic introduction to bed rest.
  • Discovery Health
    Another intro site that foregrounds the potential physical and psychological consequences of bed rest.
  • Kids Health
    Cheery, upbeat advice with some thoughtful suggestions on ways to keep yourself occupied, not to mention thank those around you for their support.
  • Pregnancy Bed Rest Book
    Website about the book with links to further articles and research.
  • Stork Net
    Packed with practical suggestions on how to cope with and survive bed rest
  • Babycenter
    The best pregnancy website of all, with no-nonsense, no-hysteria advice on problematic as well as healthy pregnancies. And a refreshing lack of ideology on C-sections (always a good index to quality, I find).
  • Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
    Great links to research and support networks for women on bed rest run by researcher Judy Maloni
  • Sidelines
    Fantastic organization that unites women on bed rest with women who've been through the experience themselves.

Categories

"Q's List": Resources to Pass the Time

  • Subservient Chicken
    Make a giant chicken do whatever you want. What’s not to like? Plus you can make him do the things you want to do but can’t (e.g., stand up).
  • Sothebys
    Browse catalogues. Imagine filling the room that is now replete with take-out boxes with priceless objets d’art instead.
  • Laboratorio del Gelato
    Got bizarre pregnancy food fetishes but no means of satisfying them? Go to this website and drool over images of tarragon and pink pepper gelato.
  • Name that Candy Bar
    Can you name the candy bar from a cross-section image? Yes, you can! Not a great choice when your husband’s late home with the groceries, though.
  • Find a Grave
    Type in your due date to find out who your little one might share a birthday with. Then investigate your birthday. And your partner’s. And everyone you’ve ever met. Then see where Marilyn Monroe is buried. Many hours will pass, trust me.
  • Gallery of Demonic Tots and Deeply Disturbing Cuisine
    One to avoid if you still have morning sickness. Otherwise click on the images to see them in glorious full-screen technicolor (my faves are the baked bean boy and the toothy spaghetti chap. You'll see what I mean.)

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