Hopefully, your pregnancy will go smoothly, but even if you encounter some problems, you can still get through them and have a healthy baby. A wide variety of problems or complications can arise in a pregnancy. Your healthcare provider can manage and control most of these.

It's important to remember that most pregnancy problems are minor. Puffy ankles might not be fun, but most of the time they aren't extremely serious. Because you're getting good medical care, your health-care provider will be able to spot problems and take steps to reduce any risks.

Blame

It's not uncommon for women to blame themselves for things that go wrong during pregnancy. “I must have done something to cause this,” or “There are things I could have done that would have prevented this from happening” are common thoughts. What you must realize, though, is there is most likely nothing you did or didn't do that brought about whatever problem you are experiencing. Remind yourself of all the things you've done to stay healthy — seen a health-care provider, eaten healthy foods, and avoided drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.

Blaming yourself is not helpful. It doesn't really matter what exactly caused your complication to arise since you can't change what has happened. What you can do, however, is move forward with your health-care provider to resolve the complication and ensure that you will have an uneventful end to your pregnancy.

Bed Rest

According to the Online Journal of Health Ethics, 20 percent of women are placed on bed rest for at least one week of their pregnancy. Being put on bed rest is difficult and worrisome. The first thing you need to do is find out exactly what activities are permitted and which are not. There are many different degrees of bed rest, and it is important to get details about what is safe for you to do. Ask your health-care provider about these possibilities:

• Working from home

• Lifting children

• Performing daily household activities

• Climbing stairs

• Walking around and mobility in general

• Showering and bathing

• Sitting versus lying down

• Driving a car

• Having sex and experiencing orgasm

• Stretching and light exercise

• Watching for warning signs

If you are restricted and told to stay home and put your feet up, or stay in bed, there are some things you can do to make it more bearable. Set yourself up in a room that provides everything you need within arm's reach. A bed and a recliner may be allowed. You will probably want access to a TV, DVD player, CD player, computer, and telephone. Stay in touch with friends and family by encouraging them to visit and by talking on the phone. This is a good time to read books you've had on your nightstand for a while or to take up a hobby such as knitting, scrapbooking, or learning to play chess. Look at this time as a time of rest and rejuvenation and a chance to focus on your pregnancy and your baby.

Managing Health Problems

If you experience a complication in your pregnancy, the most important thing to do is to follow your health-care provider's instructions. It's very easy to go online and do research yourself. While educating yourself is a great idea, self-diagnosis and treatment are not. If you come across things online that concern you, ask your health-care provider about them before doing anything.

Remember that health-care concerns are a physical situation but also a mental and emotional one. It takes time and mental and emotional effort to cope with a complication. You cannot expect yourself to not feel any effects, no matter how minor a complication you are experiencing. You need to give yourself time and space to think things through, ask questions, and care for yourself.