to ask how you cope with a newborn and toddler after having cs?

[sweetieaddict]

just that really...I know thousands do it and cope (but would love to know how?)

dh is potentially going to be working away straight after the birth, I will have some help from my family but don't want to rely on them too much and take all their holiday entitlement.

does anyone have any tips on making life easier - how do you get toddler into bath and bed et al if you can't lift? I'm thinking of buying a small table and chair set and giving him his food on there as I won't be able to lift him into the highchair for a while....

i suppose my biggest 'concern' is keeping him entertained inside as he is so used to going out and about every day and gets very bored at home...

thanks in advance.

I would really try to set yourself up with help for the first few weeks. You might have an easy recovery and cope brilliantly but it makes sense to plan for the worst and hope for the best. I had a planned C section 16 weeks ago and we paid my 21 year old sister (who was a recent graduate and unemployed) to move in with us and look after toddler and me while I looked after baby. We went without a holiday to cover what this cost us and it was completely worth it.

Could you hire a mothers help to come in 4/5 hours a day for a few weeks?

Fill the freezer. Cannot stress that enough. Fill the freezer. Anything unclear about that? I had an almost 3yr old, an almost 2yr old when DD3 was born by CS. husband went away one week after birth and we are in a foreign country very little help. Fill the freezer! I had a lady come to clean who used to take the two to the shop for ice cream. You muddle through. In and out of the car was the worst for me. I also found week 1 to 4 almost ok but then I started to get really tired. By end of third month I was ready to drop. Everybody In bed to watch films and nurse was very helpful!

Bump

Love appletarts post. The key thing is to resist overdoing it. I overdid it and was then ill and forced to slow down (mine was emcs after hellish labour though so infection more likely). You will do it! I second lots of visits from kind friends, spaced out. Get box of special toys toddler is only allowed to play with while you're feeding/bathing/settling the baby. Tv used sparingly for edfemll

I had a c section with my twins and I had a 4yr old and a 2 yr old at home. The best advice I can give you is don't worry about the housework, just ensure you all get fed every day and (shh...) don't worry about bathing everyone every day, they'll be fine with a wipe from a flannel.

In time (weeks, months, whatever) it WILL get easier.

I even iron occasionally now! Oh - and accept every ounce of help you can. If they're offering, accept. It can be hard to do, but it will make life SOOO much easier.

Good luck!

I was fine after my c sec with my 2.3 yo. It hurt for the first couple of days but then was fine with some panadol. Driving after a week or so, lifted DS1 onto the loo on day 3. But I did have plenty of help, DH and both sets of parents, but sometimes your toddler just wants mum and you can't really say no.

Definitely accept help, but I'm just saying, things might not be that painful. On day 2 I was shuffling down the corridor in total agony, but by day 3 it was just smarting a bit and by day 4 it was just mildly sore, day 5, fine.