How long after surgery can you lift 1 yr old?

Can anyone give me any advice on how quickly I will be able to look after my 1 yr old and 5 yr old children post op? My hubbie is going to take two weeks off work but I can't help thinking would it be better for me to wait another year until my beautiful baby is more independent. I am desperate to get my new boobs but am feeling selfish as feel like I am putting myself first. My lil one is so cuddly and loving at the mo, it will be heart breaking not being able to hug him. Everything is good to go, hubbie's holiday is confirmed at work, mother in law happy to have children and surgeon available for 19Dec. Why do I have the nagging feeling in my head doubting it. My heart says go go go......????

Hey!

I would ring your PCC and ask them... they're pretty good and do have a font of knowledge, also you may be able to get hold of your surgeon who can advise you as well..... i know you have to be careful depending on what stitches you have as well cos obviously you don't want to over stretch and tear the scar anymore..... xx

Hi Both PCC and PS said should be ok after two weeks but just wanted to speak with someone who has had it done and had to look after children. An honest opinion as my PCC has had a breast enlargement but has no children. Good Luck with your op, wow only 6 days you must be so so excited x x x

I hope I will be able to lift children after 2 weeks as I am a Registered Childminder, am having my BA on the 21st Dec and then start back to work on the Tuesday after Bank Holiday. This is a good time for me as my husband will be home or most of the 2 weeks anyway - but you have to do whatever feels right for you.

Yes, in a years time your one year old will be more independent but also may be going through the terrible two's and not want to cooperate anyway and will be alot heavier - the youngest child I look after is nearly one, is heavy and not walking, I also look after 3 two year olds and am trying to persuade them to be more independent (climbing into car and getting into car seats/booster seats at table/travel cots. So I must admit it is the baby I am concerned about - I have provisionally asked a friend to work as my assistant for a couple of days on my first week back to work - is your mother in law local, can she come round and help a little when your husband goes back to work? Surely you can still hug your little one to start with just not pick up on your own - depends how bruised you are and whether you have unders or overs I suppose. xxx

Hiya. I'm having my op on 17th and I have a 4 year old and a 4 month old. I too had worries about picking them up, cuddles etc especially as my husband can't take any time off (self employed high pressured job) - my Sis is going to stay with me for a week and then I will be on my own after that. I came to the conclusion that I started this journey to help ME, to give myself confidence and ultimately make me a happier woman then as a knock on a happier mum and wife too. My 4 year old will need to understand mummy is poorly and not to jump on her and luckily my 4 month old hasn't quite got to the stage of being clingy so it's just the picking up thing after a week that concerns me slightly but I suppose it's like having a broken arm (maybe?!?) where you just have to do your best and make sure you don't overdo it.

In fear of sounding harsh, which this isn't meant to be, even if you can't full on squeezy cuddle your child for a week or two, I doubt very much that they will be mentally traumatised for the rest of their lives and hold it against you forever! You may even find that because mummy is out of action for a bit that their bond with daddy is enriched (I'm not saying it isn't already but I know that when I'm out of action my kids really love their time with daddy even more). I'm soooooo hoping the above isn't taken the wrong way!!

Anyway us mums have to put ourselves first at some point in our lives so why not now, a nice Christmas present! X

i waited as close to 4 weeks as I could before lifting my children. It wasnt easy though

Do you know if you're having overs or unders mummyroo?
I had overs and waited a week to lift my big 1 year old and was absolutely fine after that, and was lifting my 3 month old baby the day after my op (but he didn't weigh much).
If you're having overs you'll be fine after a week I reckon, I only waited cos I was told to.
If you're having unders it will take longer.
xxx

Hi hun
My surgeon made a big thing about asking what childcare help I had for afterwards.Obviously Im not being done until 3 weeks time so cant tell you from experience how it will feel, but she told me no lifting my 19mth old for 4 weeks and no exercise which involved any kind of bouncing for 6 weeks. When I asked why? she said it can cause unnecessary problems in the healing inside if you do.
I will try to hold off till the 4 week mark but its gonna be hard thats for sure.
Love Dee

I have a 2 yr old and a 10 (nearly 11) yr old. It's going to be hard as the baby always wants to climb on me, have me carry him, cuddle him etc. It's going to be so hard not to cuddle him :tears:

My b/f will be here for 2 weeks (apart from 2 night shifts) and it's over xmas so I hope that there'll be lots of people around as a distraction for him. I'm lucky that my older boy is so helpful and lovely - he will help me too! I am having overs so hope that I'll be ok after a week or so!

Good luck!

Hi mrsm ps advised overs as will help fill the empty space LOL!!! Thank you for your advice. My lil one is nearly 15 months and walking about lots but still very needy. My main worry is the buggy for the school run. Lifting in and out the car etc. Hopefully will be ok as the oldest isn't back at school till 16 days after the op. Just hope I won't be too delicate for Xmas day x x x

I think you'll be alright, it's mainly unders that cause problems with lifting, I was driving again within a week too, you just have to be carefull and try things out slowly.
You know you said about feeling selfish and not being able to cuddle the baby, I was SOOO worried about that and it almost made me want to delay my op, the thought of not being able to cuddle the children properly, but the recovery was much easier than I was expecting, I carried my own bag out of hospital even lol
And then once home I was still able to hold the baby on my chest and cuddle my toddler.
I think it's much easier recovering too if you're filling out existing tissue, rather than being completely flat chested and having to stretch everything, if you see what I mean.
Fingers crossed you'll find it as manageable as I did.
xx

o dear now i'm worried -- i am having unders and am very flat -- and have a 1-1/2 year old. husband has sorted work so he can help for the first ten days but i will have to do a bit myself on days 11 & 12. anyone else been in this situation and managed?? i can't get help from anywhere else as the rest of my family all working ...

Hi Ava
Im having unders too so am worried. I change my 19 month old on the floor so dont have to lift. Trying to come up with ideas just in case i have no option, Popping him over my foot and lifting it to put him in high chair lol no idea if it will work, But i too have help first 10 days and then who knows.
Love Dee

Hi Dee
Yes - I'm thinking going to have to do everything on the floor too -- thought she squirms a lot and likes to try to wiggle out of my grasp as much as possible. It's bedtime I'm really worried about -- I can forget the bath for a couple of nights but getting her upstairs and into her cot is going to be a challenge. I am thinking of sitting her on my knees and shuffling backwards up the stairs! When's your op?
Ava
x

Hi Ava
My op is 29th November I am so excited,nervous you name it. I am not so worried about nite time as hubby here, but day time will be harder im sure. A few friends may come and help though so we will see. Do you mind if i ask your stats? I am 5ft4 and a 32a, reckon im having 225's moderate round but surgeon will try them and see during op with sizers
love dee

hi Dee
not at all -- i am 6 ft 1 and 32aa, having 270s anatomical unders -- always been flat and ok with it until breast-feeding my two lovely daughters really finished off what wasn't there to begin with ... my op is 19th of november. NERVOUS!!!
Ava
x

I worried endlessly about this as I have an 18month old and a 4yr old.
I did have help for the first 2 weeks and I made sure to take advantage of that and I really did nothing in those two weeks, since then I have had to be careful but It has been easier than I expected... when we have to do something we find ways of doing it. I really have tried to lift my little guy as little as possible and I would not carry him any distance... and up until a few days ago (at about 4 wks post op I did not feel comfortable yet doing anything heavy, but I just made due and it has been fine. I am now 5 weeks post op and although I feel perfectly fine I promised my ps that I would not do anything strenous until 6 wks post op.
All and all for a few weeks u will have to make adjustments to your scheduale and be careful with the kids but its not impossible and the time goes fast and before u know it you will be back to normal. I too was really worried that I was being selfish and I should wait unitl they were older but now I am sooooooooooo glad I did it, one of the best things I have ever done for myself and I would do it again in a minute!!

I am going to have to be really careful as I think I have a high pain thresh hold, (carried on childminding with various riding injuries over the years - damaged achilles tendon, broken bone in hand and foot and now a frozen shoulder) but the issue here isn't really about whether it will hurt or not it is about whether you will do internal damage to implants or stitches and it will have cost too much money to **** up!

i know its funny too when you are on painkillers. I remember after having my c section and being given voltarol painkillers which were fab. Only problem was they were that good that I felt totally normal. I eventually decided after a week to come off them so i could actually feel pain and discomfort otherwise i reckon i could have carried on quite normal and did some internal damage.
Dee

aww ladies having unders, I obviously don't have experience of unders but I did have a c-section when my daughter was 18months so I had to not lift her for a while, it is very hard but I just had to figure out ways she could do things herself, like the stairs and going to bed, the hardest thing is stopping yourself just lifting without thinking and hurting yourself. xx