Bed Rest part two - Ameneities

Okay....So you have picked out your base location for the next few weeks. You are reclining (you ARE reclining aren't you??) amongst a comfortable next of pillows and our husband is lovingly standing my your side saying "Is there anything I can get for you?"

Why yes.....yes there is. Lying on your back left side all day is hard work. You are going to need some supplies to keep you from losing your mind. Let's start with the obvious.

• Television with a remote - You may not be a big TV watcher, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You are going to have a lot of free time on you hands and sometimes an hour of vegging out in front of the boob tube is just what the doctor ordered. Besides, at least you can keep up with the important events of the outside world (like Jennifer Aniston's love life or the details of the current feud amongst the gals on "The View"). A remote control is an absolute must here. You can't be getting up every half hour to change the channel. If you have a TV without a remote (do they even exist anymore?) consider getting a new one. If you have lost the remote for the TV you currently have a new universal remote is easily obtained from Target, Wal-mart or pretty much anywhere else that sells batteries. Further, that new remote will provide you hours of entertainment trying to decipher the setup instructions and figure out the codes for your TV and VCR



• A laptop computer -If you have a laptop, that's great. If you have a laptop connected to a wireless or even wired internet connection even better! If you don't have a laptop see if you can borrow one from someone or even rent one for a few months. If you have a laptop, but it's not connected to the internet consider setting up a wireless network in your home. They are pretty easy to get started and your local cable company or internet provider will likely be more than happy to help you out (for a monthly fee of course).



• Telephone -Whether you have a cell phone, a cordless phone or a rotary dial phone it will need to be within arms reach. Should you begin experiencing contractions your best move is to roll onto your side, grab the phone and call your doctor NOT to get up and wander round the house looking for your cell phone. Not only is the phone an important safety consideration but it is also one of your more important links to the rest of humanity. Your friends and family will be calling (sometimes incessantly) to check in and chat. Depending on your temperament, this may lead you to choose a phone with caller ID and the ability to turn off the ringer. The phone will also allow you to call your husband or significant other to remind him or her that a trip to the grocery for mint chocolate chip ice cream is imperative.
• Cooler or mini-fridge - Even through your not hitting the gym, you are still creating a new person and that takes calories. Assuming you don't have live in help someone is going to have to put together something for you to eat during the day and some of it is going to need to stay cold. A mini-fridge is probably the ideal here because your assistant can merely toss enough goodies in there to last a few days and it won't need to be replenished daily. Admittedly, however, a cooler is probably a more economical option. It is important to make sure that your cooler is actually keeping things cold. I recommend the use of reusable ice packs. (You know, the kind with that mystery blue liquid encased in impenetrable plastic.) Ice will keep your food cold, but it will also make everything rather wet. There is nothing worse than grabbing that lovely tossed salad that your husband bought you from that nice little french bistro and finding that it is swimming in the melted ice keeping your Fresca cold.

So there you have the basics...the bare minimum you will need to come through all this with your sanity. Tomorrow we will discuss some inspired ways to make use of all these items.