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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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« Five Annoying Things to Be Asked on Bed Rest | Main | What do you do when... »

What Not to Wear on Bed Rest

       Buy yourself some nice clothes, my husband said the other week. You have maternity clothes for the office, you have maternity clothes for slobbing about at home, but you don’t have maternity clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Go out shopping and don’t come back until you’ve maxed out your credit card. (He didn’t actually say that, but I’m sure it’s what he meant. Well, sort of).

       So I did. Not that the experience was as blissful as it might have been pre-pregnancy (it’s not the bump I mind, it’s the flabby neck and thickened ankles) but still, I arrived home with a satisfactory collection of slinky clothes in oversized bags and rustling tissue-paper.

       Then came bed rest.

       Now I’m back in my shapeless gray jogging pants and chocolate stained T-shirt, and frankly I can’t see much point in strapping myself into a lace-edged babydoll for the sole edification of Jerry Springer. Plus I can’t wear anything with zips or buttons or fiddly fasteners on the left hand side, for obvious reasons, nor anything plunging or excessively detailed, because it gets all twisted from a day on the sofa and I can’t stand up to right myself.

       I should really return everything I've just bought. Oh wait, I forgot. I can't leave the house...

March 05, 2007 in Q's Blog - Life on Bed Rest |

Comments

shoppingsmart

Too bad! I hope you get to enjoy the clothes at a later pregnancy.

Posted by: shoppingsmart | March 28, 2007 at 02:19 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.

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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