Managing home and kids while in hosipital with newborn

amother

Sun, May 04 2008, 11:39 pm

I am due in a few weeks and very nervous about how my husband and kids will manage while I am away in hospital. Last time I had a baby I came home and my house was a disaster. I was so embrassed as shortly after I came home the mohel came to look at the baby. My husband does not do housework -even straigtening up. The laundry will need to be done as my kids have limited amount of clothing. If I am in hospital over the weekend will be harder as the kids are home..

I know everyone will reply to get cleaning help and high school girls. I have a cleaning lady who comes in once a week for a couple hours but I normally spend an hour straighting up before she come. We dont have much money to spend on help but it might be a nessecity. I will need someone to get the kids ready for school in the mornings. I dont have to worry about meals as friends normally send over and I am planning to stock my freezer with meals before I have the baby. What should I do to organize my house for my absence?

supermama2

Sun, May 04 2008, 11:50 pm

Would boxing things that make the mess on a daily basis help? Like boxing most of the toys in the house and extra papers and the like until you are settled in with the baby. Perhaps switching to paper plates, cups, etc. until after the baby is born and perhaps for a few weeks after :-)
If the things that normally make the mess aren't so readily available, maybe it would help keep things tidy. Also, if your children are old enough, maybe this is a good time to teach them how to do their own laundry?

All the best to you,
Sarah

DREAMING

Mon, May 05 2008, 9:08 pm

Laundry
can you get sep bins for laundry so the stuff is already sorted when you actually wash them? (start teaching the kids now)
Write a list for dh (tape to wash/dryer) with detailed instructions as to how to run the load... if it's all washed can the cleaning lady fold/iron? can teh kids put away the folded stuff?
or maybe you can take stuff that isn't "special care" to a laundromat? They are pretty cheap (at least here in NY)

as a side there are organizations that help women after giving birth (sending someone to watch the baby /family so Mom can rest, or sending $$ so that you can have a cleaning lady a few extra hours the first week or two)

----------------
perhaps it's possible to sit down with your dh and talk about how to manage the first few weeks after the baby? (ie: what he can do to help you?)

raizy

Fri, May 09 2008, 2:57 am

my dh does know how to clean but I still came home to a huge mess. there was still crumbs on table from 3-4 days ago. etc. the kitchen stank bc he didnt take out the garbage. etc. so I suggest before you come home from the hospital get a cleaning lady and let her clean up for you so at least when u come home u start out with a clean look. that what I am planning to do.