What childcare do I need - C-section booked with non-walking one year old

[TuttiFrutti]

Obviously the C-section is for my new baby, not the non-walking one year old! Baby due in February, and my 17 month old ds is both very large and heavy (weighs about 2 stone) and shows no signs of walking at all. So I reckon even if he is walking by the time new baby appears, he won't be able to manage long bouts without being picked up.

What would you do in my situation? My dh works long hours, although he will take 2 weeks off at the beginning. My mum can come over one day a week, but she has a bad back and won't be able to lift ds on her own.

Do we need a daily nanny or mother's help for the first 2 months? And are they very expensive? Or would we be better with an au pair? I really don't like the thought of someone else living in the house with us, but maybe I will just have to live with it.

Any thoughts?

I had a booked c section with ds2 when ds1 was 18mth (walking not all that stable). I booked a cleaner for 3 hrs a week for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and first 3 months after the birth £24 per week ish. If cash is tight maybe an Au pair could work, they are not supposed to be in charge of children that young but if you are going to be there and she is not expected to be in sole charge at any time it may well work and is much cheaper than many of the alternatives.
I was also a bit worried about having someone else in the house but it has been way less intrusive than I thought and was the only feasable option expense wise and I am lucky to have found a good one!
Good luck

But surely a cleaner would just be cleaning? Rather than looking after the toddler?

I can handle the cleaning/shopping/cooking bit, it's the thought of the childcare which makes me want to lie down in a darkened room.

Yes it was just the cleaning i decided that any energy i did have (minimal!) was not going to be spent cleaning or tidying. I think if I were in your situation I would consider an AP and a cleaner at about £100 per week (still probably the cheapest option).I was luck because my husband was able to take the best part of a month off work.

Contact your local childcare college - they may 'lend' you someone for a few weeks

Get in touch soon tho'

I didn't have a chance to plan childcare, as I had my second by emergency cs. My older child was large, 15 months and not walking. The only problem I had was getting her in and out of cot. I had family staying for the first two weeks, and after that was on my own (DP working long hours.

I also had no car. I used a double buggy, and did everything slowly. I taught dd1 to climb the stairs safely with supervision before I had the baby, and she ate in a chair at a low table, so I didn't have to lift.

She quickly learnt that cuddles were best if I was sitting so she could go on my lap.

That was the same as me -my ds was 15 months old and not walking when I had a planned cs with dd. I also had spd just t make it even more hilarious!!! It is hard but you get there. I had my mum down for 2 weeks and really needed her as I couldn't lift ds or even walk all that well at firstdue to the spd. If you can get someone in forthe first few weeks I would. Re housework, I just didn't let it bother me and mum and dh between them covered the main jobs. If your dh is in every evening after work Iwouldn't ahve thought you would need anyone to livein as he could maybe help in the evenings. I was fine after a planned cs after 3 weeks ish and was lifting ds. Hope that helps!!! By the way with them being so close we had noproblems with jealousy or anything like that and them being close in age has made things much easier as they get older.

So it sounds as if I can get away with not having someone live in, which is good news.

Bath time will be the biggest problem I think - dh is never home before 8pm, and even if ds learns to walk, he will have to be lifted in and out of the bath. On the other hand, he could just go without baths during the week for a few weeks!