House Arrest or An Opportunity?
I’m two weeks in to my stint of 6 weeks of rest. Or is it house arrest? I have had a c-section which is considered major abdominal surgery. Trust me, it is most definitely major abdominal surgery. Any surgery that involves taking internal organs out, moving them about, rummaging around and pushing and prodding to make sure everything is put back in the right place is most definitely major abdominal surgery.
This major abdominal surgery was a medical necessity to ensure that my son, Sam, arrived safely and that I would be able to be around to be his mother. For this, I am eternally grateful. But I am stubborn. I tried to pretend that I could “take it easy” but still do what I usually do in addition to being a mother to Ella and new mother to Sam. That may or may not have involved mopping the kitchen floor on my hands and knees the other day, setting goals for myself, taking out the laundry, making the bed, loading the dishwasher and tending to Sam and Ella’s needs.
On Tuesday, Mark went back to work and I had everything all sorted. Ella was dressed, fed and ready for school. Sam was dressed, fed and ready for the school run. I was bathed, dressed and ready for the school run. But the school run (all of 5 minutes from our house to school) was a cold and blustery one. I may have walked a bit too fast because of the cold. When I managed to sit down to feed Sam and relax for a bit, I began to feel really rough. I was FREEZING, exhausted and totally devoid of any energy whatsoever. The most I could muster was enough to go to the toilet, get Sam’s bottles and tend to his needs (happily I might add). Sam slept on me the majority of the day and I dozed off and on between rubbish daytime telly. I had over-done it!
I suffered through Wednesday with the same lack of energy and realised that, like it or not, I need to slow down. I need to stop thinking I can do everything and take advantage of my house arrest to recover. I need to spend time with my son, enjoy moments with Ella and just get through the day. I don’t like NOT doing. It’s very hard for me. But I have experienced the effects of doing too much and I like that even less. It’s hard to know just what I can and can’t do and how my body will respond but that’s part of recovery. Living and learning.
What I’m wondering is, instead of looking at this as house arrest (I can’t drive for 6 weeks and have very few people who visit), should I look at this as an opportunity? I could do some holiday baking (can be done from a sitting position at the kitchen table), write our Christmas cards, create some crafty projects for Ella and I to do. I have managed to sort out the online grocery shopping and should really start Christmas shopping online too (is it too late??). But what else? Who’s got some things for me to do? I need inspiration, links, ideas, clues, tips and tricks. Hit me with it. Share your links and help me fill the remaining four weeks of house arrest. I’ll try to document our attempts at your suggestions and let you know how we get on (and of course give you link credit).
Ready, steady…INSPIRE ME!
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I would feel the same. It would drive me insane but yes you have to see it as an opportunity. You know you will do things around the house so make a list of maybe 2 tasks that need to be done everyday of the week like loading the washing & hoovering the ground floor and make sure you do not do anything extra. The rest is a frame of mind: be sure that after that you will be too busy for ….well forever. If you are a “doer”, see doing nothing as a project: movies to watch, books to read, sudoku,…. If you like sewing, you could make curtains, cushions,….or you can knit (not my things but good opportunity to learn). Good time to do lots of crafts with the kids. Organise your garden for next year (choose plants, order seeds). If you are like me, you will have lots of pictures to organise on your hard drive: go through them, delete some, organise them, print the best and make albums. And most of all, but you know that, spend time with Ella and watch baby Sam (what’s better than watching a baby for hours?). In a few years, when you are so busy, you will look back at that quiet time with envy and know that it was not wasted after all.
Good luck!
Erm, I think the 6 weeks is meant for you to recover, not walk to school!! Put your blinking feet up lady!!
I feel for you. I had a c-section with DD and tried to pretend I didn’t need any help!
Take it easy. if you’re really hard up for something to do, you could listen to my radio guest appearance with Nick Coffer! Link’s on my blog but it drops off iplayer after today :0)
x
I feel your pain. I find pregnancy rather hard going at times – even at just 20 weeks – but I am not one to sit still and I really don’t want my daughter to suffer or miss out on stuff because of me trying to take it easy. For this reason I find myself pushing myself just that little bit further than I really should do. It’s OK for now but I really do have to learn to get the balance right in the last few months when I know I’ll find getting out and doing stuff hard.
It must be so hard being stuck inside recovering after a c-section but you need to learn to not to push yourself. 6 weeks is nothing in the grand scheme and how wonderful really to have this time to hibernate out of the cold with your children and just get up to lovely fun stuff at home. Lots of crafts and games and things with Ella and lots of cuddles with Sam. You can be sure they won’t mind a bit. And as for housework… that can most definitely wait. Six weeks without scrubbing the floor is hardly the crime of the century.
And as for ideas for things to do for yourself. I bet if you sat down with a pen and paper you could come up with a huge list of things you’ve been meaning to get done for ages and never get the time. Things such as getting photos printed for the albums, reading books, sorting out drawers, catching up on some letter writing.
And just think what the alternative was. Remember when you thought you’d be spending weeks in hospital still pregnant. Doesn’t make house arrest with your two kiddies seem too bad eh!
Are you sure you can’t drive for 6 weeks? Check with your insurance but I was able to drive after 2 weeks with mine as I felt fine and my MW said she was happy when I was so the insurers were cool with it.
Being stuck in is the worst, I get so cranky if I have to stay in for long periods (illness recently for example).
Lots of light cooking, watching films, cozy duvet days are in order I think. Just don’t overdo it as you will pay for it. Nothing worse than over doing it after a c-section and ending up feeling rotten.
x
Feel better lovely. Rest and then maybe you will recover more quickly and be driving again sooner than you think. My sis-in-law had a c section on 28th Sept and was driving within 3 weeks of giving birth. Don’t pressure yourself to do this though, but it might happen if you put some sofa time in. Hugs. xxxx