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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I can't cope with toddler baby and broken ankle?!

28 replies

Ams25 · 12/02/2012 11:57

Probably in the wrong section but wanted some advice ASAP! I have just broken my ankle, cannot put any weight on it for six weeks. My DSs are 7months and two.I am still breastfeeding the baby who is frequently up in the night as he is teething. HOW AM I GOING TO DO THIS?! I know people manage a lots worse, but how exactly? My DH is off for the next week on holiday, so we'll manage then, then I suppose I may have to stay at my parents. Any advice or practical tips? Also, it's hurting like buggery but the nurse said only paracetamol as I'm breastfeeding!

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 12/02/2012 12:21

Surely DH could cancel his holiday in the circumstances? Leaving you with a baby and a toddler is pretty thoughtless anyway but, with a broken ankle in the mix, he should stick around...

Theeverexpandingrodders · 12/02/2012 12:26

You can take co codamol and also ibrufen when breastfeeding was prescribed both by my doc xx (Sorry about spelling am on my phone )

pictish · 12/02/2012 12:27

Oh no! Poor you!!

Yes that will be very tough. You will need help.

TittyBojangles · 12/02/2012 12:28

I think OP means he is on holiday from work and so can help at home?

OldGreyWiffleTest · 12/02/2012 12:28

FFS cognito - read the post again why dontcha?

pooka · 12/02/2012 12:31

FFS don't jump down her throat. Hmm

I misread the op initially and was wondering why her dh was still going on holiday.

keepingupwiththejoneses · 12/02/2012 12:32

Is there anyway your DH can get family leave or similar. You will need help or you wont heal correctly.

Ghoulwithadragontattoo · 12/02/2012 12:42

Oh that's horrid. I had a sprained ankle when my two were the same age as your two couldn't walk on it for a week. My DD was doing a few mornings at nursery and I asked them if they would take her full time which thankfully they could. Two friends with kids at same nursery did drop off and collection for me. With the younger one I tried to keep everything for him low to the ground so I didn't have to lift him. So I had Bumbo to put him in for food. Change mat on floor and play mat with toys all in living room. I gave him jarred food and minimum prep stuff. I let DD do quiet play or tv after nursery and leFt DH bedtime when he got home.

Good luck with it all. Hope you're better soon.

tabulahrasa · 12/02/2012 12:48

I didn't break mine, but I did enough soft tissue damage that I was on crutches for 5 weeks when my DS was about 18 months.

I had to go stay with my mum, there's only so much you can do while hopping and using crutches means you can't use your hands...I made soup for lunch one day and then realised I couldn't get anywhere with it, rofl

and your LO still needs carried...

Kangarobber · 12/02/2012 12:57

BfN Factsheet on pain relief and breastfeeding. There is much more than just paracetamol yo can take. Mums who are breastfeeding straight after a c section get better pain relief than that. Call the BfN for advice if you need to. The pharmacist might even be happy to talk to your dr if needed.

I think you will need adult help while you're on crutches. Hope you recover soon.

Original poster
Ams25 · 12/02/2012 12:57

Thanks for kind words and advice. Yes, just meant hubby is not at work, not that he's abandoning us! Any ideas re shower, stairs etc?

OP posts:
piprabbit · 12/02/2012 13:06

Do you have a downstairs toilet? If so, just shift everything you're likely to need downstairs so you only go up and down once a day.
When DMIL broke her ankle she came to stay with us for a fortnight, until she was confident going up and down stairs on her bottom (she only has an upstairs bathroom at her house).
You might be able to get your 2yo helping you fetch and carry stuff (passing you the TV remote/phone etc.) they are generally quite enjoying being grown-up at that age.

As for showering - I know you can get cast protectors but haven't used them myself so I don't know how good they are.

Choufleur · 12/02/2012 13:07

You can get special covers to put over casts so you can shower. Dh smashed his ankle year before last and the bath stool we got was really helpful.

Ghoulwithadragontattoo · 12/02/2012 13:12

Oh yes not having to go upstairs is key. I had travel cot downstairs. Ready bed good for the older one for naps. Potty downstairs even if you have to go up for loo toddler won't.

LoonyRationalist · 12/02/2012 13:22

Ok - I broke my ankle my ankle last year & had 2 young dd's to look after, not as young as yours though. I second those who have advocated getting specialist advice on pain relief, hospitals often err on the side of caution & just give paracetamol, but I know I was given codeine, both after a csection, with mastitis & when I broke my ankle.

Use the week when your DH is off to see what you CAN do (is tempting to just let him do it all)

Is there a possibility of advertising for a mother's help or for any of your family to come to stay?

I was non weight bearing for 14 weeks, DH had a week off work, & worked from home for a week. Then my PIL came for a week. We had christmas hols lucjily & my mum & dad did a few days each. By this time I had coping mechanisms in place (but didn't have a baby that still needed to be carried.

Re the night you need the baby's cot next to your bed so you don't have to use your crutches. In your situation I would seriously consider going to stay with your parents if there is someone there who can provide solid assistance.

For cast protection in the shower you need a limbo. I could not have managed without mine. And I second a bath stool if you can get hold of one, I think larger ASDA's stock some mobility products like stools.

tabulahrasa · 12/02/2012 13:26

Stairs, going up on one foot and a knee means you can manage with a small walking person and you can get down on your bum with one on your lap, lol

so you'll be able to get the toddler up and down, but the baby can only come down...though I suppose you might manage up with a sling?

LoonyRationalist · 12/02/2012 13:27

Sorry was so busy posting advice I forgot to give you the sympathy you really deserve. It truly is horrible & I hope you have a very smooth recovery.

Unfortunately the key is rest & to keep your foot up as much as possible ( I went Hmm at this advice too with young children)

Fresh01 · 12/02/2012 13:48

My SIL did this last year but her two boys were older so at school. We gave her a plastic outdoor chair to put in the shower. She got an office chair onwherls from her DH work to scoot around the tiled areas of the house without standing up and down. She did stairs on her bum in sitting position as infrequently as poss you may manage this with baby in a sling. She also hired a mobility scooter as she lived near the shops so she could do short errands on her own, ok to do this with bub in sling but not toddler. Could some friends rally round and take your toddler out for a few hours here and there? Take care, she found it is frustrating injury and recovery.

camdancer · 12/02/2012 14:07

I broke my ankle 2 years ago when DD1 was 10mo and DS was 2.5. I wasn't able to bear weight on the leg for 5 weeks. It was horrible. I couldn't care for DD1 on my own as she wasn't walking and I couldn't carry her so had to call in all the favours from family. My in-laws stayed for 10 days . Basically I just sat on the couch for 5 weeks waiting for DD1 to be handed to me to feed her. Yup, I was the milk cow in the corner!

My theory was that if I was really, really good about resting my foot then it would get better quicker and I could get back to normal faster. It did work so even though I still had the cast on, I could walk by week 6 and gave the crutches back when the cast came off.

My tips:

*Do lots of sitting on the floor once it stops hurting. That way you can play with the DC's. I also had all the nappy change things on the floor so I could do that.

*Bite your tongue. If you are like me, having people take over your house, while you are watching is torture. Just remember they will go home soon and are just trying to help.

*Take pain meds (once you find out wat is bf friendly - I can't remember what I had). My DC's found it all quite scary but it was worse when I was in pain and couldn't let them near my leg. Obviously they can't hit your leg but when I was in pain just someone brushing past was agony.

I hope you heal quickly.

MrsSnow · 12/02/2012 14:21

I broke my foot a couple of years ago now and was not able to weight bear for approximately 12 weeks due to complications.

My top tips would be:-

  • only go upstairs once a day (obviously easier if you have a ground floor bathroom)
  • pack a small rucksack to take downstairs with you with all you need.
  • have a bottle of water near your base so that you don't need to get up to get water for tablets
  • get as much pre-packaged by family as possible eg meals, bottles etc in portion size so that all you have to do is microwave stuff etc
  • take any help you can get
  • definitely make sure you have someone with you when you go for appointments /physio also ask for physio once they remove the cast as some consultants won't automatically give it to save money
  • put a chair in the bathroom so that after you shower you have somewhere to sit and get dressed/dry off
  • Also if you have to go up/down stairs do it on your bum rather than trying to manage with cruches/hopping so much easier

Good luck, I hope your foot heals quickly.

longjane · 12/02/2012 14:26

red cross might be able to load you some stuff to help you

camdancer · 12/02/2012 14:51

If you have private healthcare then use it for physio starting as soon as you get your cast off.

Co-sleeping with your DD might work, but I found sleeping really hard. I ended up sleeping on my back with lots of pillows under my leg. DD1 was in a cot but I had to get DH to pick her up and put her back. (I think he learned a lot about what I actually did in the nighttimes!)

historyrepeats · 12/02/2012 14:58

Poor you, thats really hard. Lots of good advice on here.

Original poster
Ams25 · 12/02/2012 15:03

Thank you all, some really good advice and useful tips. My parents have said they will move in during the week when DH is at work, then obviously he'll be here weekends. camdancer I'm like you I HATE other people doing things in my house, this is going to be so frustrating, even though I know I am so lucky to have the help. House already looks awful and it is driving me mad not to be able to clear up. DH keeps saying really helpful things like 'well I suppose this means I won't be able to go out on Friday night now!' Errr, yes, probably! And 'how am I going to look after them and get things done?' Umm, that's what I do all week long normally!

kanga thanks for link on pain med, and others who advised on this. I thought maybe the doctor was wrong, I remember I took ibroprofen after my C section for weeks. Have taken some now and it is less painful.

Can't get over how kind and thoughtful MN community can be, taking time out to help a stranger. It is making me feel quite tearful!

OP posts:
historyrepeats · 12/02/2012 15:08

DH will just have to get on with it. Hmm Glad you have help even though I would be throughly fustrated too.

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