Your toddler could sleep on a mattress on the floor for a while so wouldn't need lifting into bed.
For changing nappies you can kneel on the floor and have him on the sofa type of thing. If you need to do anything that is crouching down, it's easier to get down on all fours and do it (eg. pick up toys from the floor, getting things out of a cupboard) rather than bend down by doubling yourself over.
It'll be a shock when you come home from Hospital the first day. You may get tearful the first day home, as you feel like a crocky 85yr old lady who has an invisible pregnant stomach and you really notice how restricted your movement is. But take heart, you do recover a lot each day.
I couldn't just bend down and tie my shoe laces for about 3 months. And make sure you have some nice loose stretchy legging or tracksuit bottoms as you will be living in these. Or a couple of loose dresses to go over leggings. Being in your Pyjamas during the day is a good 'signal' to others that you are recovering from something though!
Like I said it's like having a large invisible pregnancy bump.
Lifting weights is an absolute no-no I'd say. Running - you are impacting your pelvic organs by hitting the ground hard every step. Walking and cycling and swimming all fine.
For the first week - try to do absolutely nothing except lie on the sofa and watch TV/tablet etc. You are trying to give your stitches a really good chance to settle in and heal up so make the most of the offers of help.
This operation, hopefully, will improve your quality of life for decades in the future if you mind it well.
I was allowed drive after 2 weeks, but I really tried to minimise it in the first 4 weeks, as you will feel it in your stomach muscles and even trying to turn your head around to look over your shoulder.
It's not a time for pushing yourself, it's a time for resting and letting those stitches settle in and heal without disturbance. And putting as little extra weight on them as you possibly can.
You can boil one cup of water in a small saucepan for a cuppa rather than lift a heavy kettle to the sink. And no hoovering, or pushing or pulling changing sheets etc - just let the housework go for a few weeks.
You can put a lot of stuff out on the countertops to get at during the day instead of reaching for it. Freeze a load of meals now as you won't feel like standing in front of a cooker for an hour at 5pm.
Even after a few weeks, you may feel discomfort again if you are going around the shops for too long etc. And start yearning for your sofa to put the feet up.
Your 2yr old could do without a bath for a week if he had to. It's not going to be forever - you have to remind yourself of that when you get home from hospital. It is a tunnel, and you will get out of it.
You may need an afternoon nap for a couple of weeks if you can manage it. For what seems like a 'small' operation it does knock the stuffing out of you. I had very little pain afterwards, some paracetamol a couple of times a day/at night for about a week.
The cure does seem worse than the disease immediately after the operation, but take heart, there can be a few blips, but does usually all come good in the end.
Also, tell your partner it could be at least 8wks before you can have sex again. The docs might say 6wks is okay but you might not feel like it or you might need another few weeks after that so take the pressure off that as well.
And my advice is, don't get a mirror out and have a look, you really don't need to. It'll be all swollen and horrible. The internal swelling will make you feel like the prolapse is still there, and it comes back on and off afterwards for a few months. So you keep thinking it's back when it isnt'.
Best of luck with it.
