C-section recovery with toddler - any tips?

[toddlerhip]

Hope you dont mind me posting here. It's quite likely i will have another section in 3 weeks. My husband is going away 10 days after it & i need some coping tips.

We have 60 stairs in our house on 4 levels, Kitchen on level 2 - bedrooms / bathroom / tv is on level 4. I will be on my own with 2 year old.

Anyone done a c-section recovery like this and got any tips? I remember i could hardly move last time - and that was when we were in a flat. I'm dreading it & don't know how i'm going to manage the recovery.

We were supposed to go to family but need to stay here now.

Hi toddlerhip,

Sounds like you are going to have your hands full!

Could family come to stay with you and give you a hand?

Do you have friends/neighbours who would be willing to help?

Cook loads of food and freeze it ready for when needed and maybe buy your 2 year old a new toy (present from baby?!) that could keep him occupied while you take it easy.

Good luck. You'll be fine

Maybe ask if your local sure start has anyone who could help you for the first couple of weeks.

Hire a mother's help even if it is only for a couple of hours a day.

Or ask a friend to come and stay, I had a wonderful friend travel hundreds of miles to help me out after an op (Thanks Tigerfeet), so it is worth asking however far away they are from you.

Or at very least get husband to drag fridge, kettle, toaster and microwave up to the level 4. So you can make sandwiches, soup, beans and cups of tea etc on the same level as the bedroon/bathroom and TV level.

Teach your toddler now to climb in and out of high chair, bed (if not in cot), buggy and car seat. Get your toddler used to showers as well in advance - basically anything that prevents you from having to lift him at all. It took me 3 weeks to be able to lift my 2 year old out of the bath and into the cot (but it hurt like mad) and 5 weeks before it didn't hurt.

Do not be afraid to use the TV as a babysitter, esp if you are breastfeeding it is a good distraction for 30 minutes whilst the baby feeds. Also - get some books about having a new baby in the house to help your toddler understand what is going on.

Rest whenever you get 5 minutes. Have enough clothes ready that you don't have to wash them for the whole 10 days in case you just can't bend down to load the machine.

And find a good friend to come round and help you once a day (even so you can wash).