Tips for caring for older chidlren after C/S

[Br2me]

title says it all...

let's make this an easy place to find tips on caring for children (whatever their age) while recovering from a c/s...

[Br2me]

I'll start:

the first week home for sure I liked to have someone else with me or be close by...DH would go outside and work in his shop but knew that if I called then I needed help and to come right away...

Don't pick up OC until released by the dr: dd1 was 27months old when dd2 came along...I couldn't pick her up for 6 weeks (dr. orders) so instead i would sit on the couch and then she would climb up and sit on my lap so that we could still snuggle, or lay with her head on my lap.

changing diapers: have child climb onto couch and change diaper there...I put a towel on one end of the couch and used it as my changing station. I couldn't pick dd1 up and I couldn't get down on the floor so we met in the middle

table eating: high chair vs. booster seat...we had already moved her to a booster seat at the table so that she could climb into it so that wasn't a big deal but it helped soo much!

Bed time: oh and little things like her climbing into bed ...she likes to be carried to bed and then layed down...we made a deal by her holding my hand and then climbing into bed...I could get her to stand on teh bed and give me night kisses and then she could lay down and I could cover her up...mind you this is close to week 2...when we first get home...DH or someone else is in charge!

hope this helps and that we can gather up several other's ideas on dealing with other children after a c/s

[Lovinmama3]

Great help from friends/relatives! My mom stayed with us for the first week after I left the hospital and I don't know what I would have done without here as I had a 20mo and newborn. My tips are if you have younger kids like I did get a highchair that sits on the floor and feed you LO like that instead of picking them up and down from a highchair. Change diapers on couch so you don't have to get on the ground. And try and involve your older children with the newborn - ask for them to get a diaper for you, a blanket, paci, etc..

[magoose]

I was actually going to post something along these lines. I'm so worried about how DS is going to react to not only a new baby in the house, but the fact that I can't carry him around anymore. DS is such a sucky boy, especially with me. Luckily DH will be taking at least 4 weeks off work to help me out and my mom will be around too. I'm just so worried that DS is going to have a hard time adjusting to everything

[Lovinmama3]

Originally Posted by brendaRN I was actually going to post something along these lines. I'm so worried about how DS is going to react to not only a new baby in the house, but the fact that I can't carry him around anymore. DS is such a sucky boy, especially with me. Luckily DH will be taking at least 4 weeks off work to help me out and my mom will be around too. I'm just so worried that DS is going to have a hard time adjusting to everything

It's amazing how much your first will grow up with a new baby in the house. My first was only 20 months when I brought home our second and he adjusted pretty well. It did take him a few weeks to totally adjust (in that time he wanted bottles whenever baby did, wanted to sit on my lap more, and wanted to hug/kiss the baby a little too much ) but now he's awesome with his baby brother and it's only been 3 months!