Back home

[extraordinary]

Now that i have flight back home and back to my angel 5 and half months old baby, I'm just so tempted to carry him but the doctor told me not to, all i can do is have him in my lap, and sometimes he cries and want me to carry him but i can't, they told me not to until 3 months passes over, do you all really follow that period of time ?
I know it's not a big deal for all of you as I'm sure most of you doesn't have to deal with a new born baby

 

[pellicle]

Hi

...I'm just so tempted to carry him but the doctor told me not to, all i can do is have him in my lap, and sometimes he cries and want me to carry him but i can't, they told me not to until 3 months passes over, do you all really follow that period of time ?

well I would if I was you. The reason (which should have been explained to you) is that your sternum is only held together with a few wires, until that bone (the sternum is a bone) knits properly it may break again.

I can not stress sufficiently : you do not want that to happen.

Certainly after a month or so I began lifting more than they recommended, but their recommendations were light and I was very conscious of my posture and technique.

Consider that your arms are attached to your body and that your ribs and sternum are like an stone arch. Much stress is placed on the sternum. Consider the anatomy.

If you kid squirms or fell and you grabbed for them ... you could damage that.

This would be a setback (and maybe even cause permanent ongoing problems).

 

[ManiSham]

I would think twice before carrying the baby since your wounds are still fresh, but you are lucky to be back with him you'll have many more years of 'carrying' in the future so better rest the next 3 months

Good luck!

 

[AZ Don]

I would be very careful at first for the reasons already given. I was given the ok to drive at around 6 weeks time. If all goes well perhaps your Dr. might let you carefully hold your baby earlier than 3 months. FYI, my sister had severe back issues after delivery and used to lie on the bed with her babies (twins). There may be ways for you to cuddle with your baby without the stress on your chest of holding him.

 

[cldlhd]

Now that i have flight back home and back to my angel 5 and half months old baby, I'm just so tempted to carry him but the doctor told me not to, all i can do is have him in my lap, and sometimes he cries and want me to carry him but i can't, they told me not to until 3 months passes over, do you all really follow that period of time ?
I know it's not a big deal for all of you as I'm sure most of you doesn't have to deal with a new born baby

I'd wait , I haven't had surgery yet and my "baby" is a 60 lb 7 year old son but there must be a good reason they said that. Time flies, 3 months in a blink of an eye ,, and if you cause an injury it could be a lot longer before you can hold him.

 

[Jkm7]

Actually there are more young moms and dads here than you imagine. You are not a rare exception and we understand your strong desire to lift your baby but you make a big mistake to do so.

ALL of us heal at different rate and you do not know how fast your sternum will heal. The price you would pay for lifting too much weight before the sternum is fully healed can be extremely high. You could suffer the rest of your life if it does not heal well first time through.

The wait for an additional month is so worth it.
We are all given a strict weight limit for designated length of time. Not EVERY surgeon would do that if it was not entirely necessary.

Wishing you a full, easy, bump free recovery and the ability to fully enjoy your wonderful baby for a great many years to come. This surgery saved your life so you can raise your baby.

Wait to lift Baby......... it is SO worth it.

 

[maisiejane]

Hi,
I know it is so tempting but you wouldn't want to drop your baby and that may happen if you lift over the weight advised to you!
I have a aged disabled dog who is struggling on our wooden floors and falls over all the time, at first when I was alone and he fell there was absolutely no way I could have lifted him, but at about 8 weeks post op I was able to without any discomfort! so I know my old boy, is no comparison to your lovely baby, but try to be patient just a little longer, it will be worth it honest
For all you dog lovers, Jake did not have to remain on the floor for 8 weeks! if I was alone and he fell I managed to push him gently on to a rug and he could then get up, we currently have more anti slip rugs than wooden floors I am now waiting for the doggie slipper socks to arrive which are for arthritic disabled dogs, bless him.
Deb x

 

[dornole]

Did not have OHS but was still sick and ill from the heart stuff when I had newborn twins (being pregnant with them triggered my heart symptoms). There were tons of things I wasn't able to do for them that I feel every baby deserves, and I missed the close bodily contact a lot compared to my older three. That said, we all got through it, they bonded to me just fine, and nobody got scarred for life emotionally. Babies are resilient but you're not right now. Try to get as much help as you can in the baby cuddling department (most people are TOTALLY good with that!) so that you don't have to feel sad about your baby crying, and make sure you follow those limits you've been set. In 3 months you'll probably HAVE to grab a fast moving baby (or hire a helper!) So you don't want any kind of setback or delay in healing.

 

[AZ Don]

FYI, This article criticizes the vague and overly restrictive guidelines that are often given following open heart surgery, which would often preclude patients from a variety of normal life activities, including opening a standard doctors office door. The article also lists a number of weight lifting exercises and when it is safe to do them. For those recovering from CABG (similar to valve replacement in that it involves a sternotomy) it states that it is safe to do exercises involving the chest muscles as early as 6 weeks. My restrictions were removed at 8 weeks and I was even able to start swimming at that time, but I started off very easy.

http://www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com/Files/1.SPNT.pdf

 

[ski girl]

Yes, wait! After my first OHS I was very eager to get back into things and started lifting light weights at 4 weeks. Ten months later my sternum was STILL causing me bad pain on a daily basis. Cue 2nd OHS and I was stuck in the hospital for a month and this time followed all the instructions - no pain.

Be patient!

 

[river-wear]

extraordinary, I can understand your desire to carry your son, but this was your third OHS, right? That bone needs time to heal and be strong. Maybe you could ask your doctor after eight weeks and see what he says, but your son will be heavier then too... just be careful so you can heal as quickly as possible!

 

[neil]

go with what the docs say, isnt it just great that your home with your baby, just stick to what your doing even though its tough

 

[ChicagoMammy]

My daughter is almost 2. She's 21 pounds. I was told no lifting more than ten pounds for 6-8 weeks. Today was the first day I picked her up and held her on my hip. I'll be eight weeks on Thursday. It was virtually painless but I think I'm going to hold off another couple of weeks before doing it again. It was such a lovely feeling to hold her again and she just kept kissing me and saying mama over and I've, but virtually painless is not completely painless. I still have a small amount of pain when I sneeze and moderate pain when I lie on my side, so I guess I'm not ready.

I know how hard it is. My oldest was six months old when I had my first OHS a and not holding her was tough. I'm lucky in a way now that my daughter understands I won't pick her up. I probably just messed with her head by picking her up today