Recovery question for 2+ moms

Gipper0809

I had a seriously awful recovery from my c/s with DD1 and am having a repeat c/s next Thursday.  Here are my questions:

1.  If you live in a 2 story house, did you have to sleep downstairs for a few days/weeks?  I feel awful that I might not get to put DD1 to bed for a number of nights because I won't feel up for taking the stairs.  Did you pretty much live on the first floor? 

2.  How did you help DC1 to understand they needed to take it easy on mom?  DD is always sitting on/with me and I'm always running around with her.  I worry about how she's going to handle my immobility and sensitivity.

TIA

disbride061103

Gipper0809:

I had a seriously awful recovery from my c/s with DD1 and am having a repeat c/s next Thursday.  Here are my questions:

1.  If you live in a 2 story house, did you have to sleep downstairs for a few days/weeks?  I feel awful that I might not get to put DD1 to bed for a number of nights because I won't feel up for taking the stairs.  Did you pretty much live on the first floor? We have a 2 story house.  I had no issues at all with stairs.  I did try to limit my trips up and down, but I did not live on the 1st floor.  DH has pretty much always done bedtime for DS1, with the exception of baths.  I stopped doing baths for 2 weeks and started again when we realized that the reason it was taking DS 90+ minutes to go to sleep was because I wasn't doing baths anymore.

2.  How did you help DC1 to understand they needed to take it easy on mom?  DD is always sitting on/with me and I'm always running around with her.  I worry about how she's going to handle my immobility and sensitivity. Does your DD understand booboos?  That's how I explained it to DS.  I even showed him my incision (a year later he still asks if my boo boo is all better and if he can see my scar).  That seemed to help him understand.  We were lucky and only had one meltdown about me not being able to pick him up and that was on our first day home from the hospital.

TIA

Soon2BMrsN

No advice, but I'm worried about your second question, too!  I, too, am nervous about my RCS.  Good luck to you!!!

+diana82+

1. No. At first I tried to limit my trips up the stairs but that wasn't really practical. It wasn't a problem for me to walk them I just did it slowly.  I was walking to the NICU several times a day by the day after my c/s though.

2. Ditto the boo-boo suggestion - that worked really well with DS (who is nearly 2.5).  In fact, he still points to my stomach and talks about my "booboo" haha.

InLovewSB

1. No. I did go up and down the stairs slowly everyday. I tried to limit it to morning, nap and evening. I only carried at most the new baby. Going up the stairs never bothered me though, the first or second C.

2. I held the boppy pillow on my lap for about a week any time G was near me. We told him, but he was 1.5 yrs old and careless. I DID need help with him, though. Thankfully, my MIL was available to come down and stay a month with me and the babies. She and I get along well, and she was a TREMENDOUS help with G during the day. He needed to be picked up all the time, and I just couldn't do it.

akayf

My 3 yr old was fascinated with my "big bandaid"(abdominal binder) and it helped him understand that mommy had a big boo boo and he had to careful.  

jonnygurl76

Came home day 3, stairs were slow go at first but I did them--DH helped getting DD up and down and would carry DS. So, no I am not living on the first floor. I can't get DD into her crib/booster seat yet but hopefully in another week I will. You have to stay on top of the pain meds--i am only taking the motrin but it is every 6 hours and I have been fine. Also--DD has been fine with not climbing all over me, as long as she gets her hugs and snuggles up on the couch, she is ok. Hopefully you will have your DH or someone to help you with her--you won't be 100% for a couple weeks. GL!!