Help me plan my nanny?

In Aug I am having a LBL and a breast lift.  Oddly I am not scared, just ready!  I am a big scardy cat, but right now I am just feeling like planning.

So I have a (almost) 5 year old and a 3.5 year old.  I am hiring a nanny for 3 weeks.  The first week my husband will be taking off work.  But he will be tending to me in the hospital and at home, so having a nanny will help.  But what I wonder is if I should hire her to live in for any of the 3 weeks?  When should I be able to take care of them for a few hours (I dont have to lift them, just feed them, etc)?  When will I be able to drive them to school? 

If you had young kids, what did you do?

Will your husband be there when the nanny is not (in the evenings for example?) I would say that you probably will want another adult with you 24/7 for the first 10 days just in case something happens and you have to "act fast", will be hard to do with the LBL. You also may be too tired and sore to be getting up and down to feed them and they are a little young to fend for themselves.

I had a TT when I had a 3 and 7 yr olds and I needed an adult with me because they did kid things like for example when it was time to bathe them, there was no way I could bend over and stand up to dry them and that kind of thing.

Ok..now i am rambling...good luck!

Thanks so much.  Really trying to debate the best move.  Nanny + Niece at night or live in nanny or best friend + niece.

Its just too hard of a decision!

If you use a best friend and/or a niece, here's something to think about - do your kids like and respect them enough to listen to them as they would to you?  Have your best friend and niece been around your kids when they're tired, cranky, most all types of mood swings so that they know how to handle them?

I don't have kids, but I have 8 nieces and nephews... my sister's 4 kids, I had no problem no matter their mood/behavior.  They knew that if I was watching them, they were to listen.  My brother's kids, I wasn't around as much and if I told them to settle, they'd go right to their parents.  KWIM?

A well trained nanny might be better equiped to deal with all types of situations. 

Yeah the nanny would be better with them.  My best friend loves them but doesnt know them that well.  We dont live in the same state.   But she really wants to come and cant take time off so she has been hinting pertty strongly about doing the nanny job.  I know if she was here, I would have someone to keep me distracted though, she is always fun, even when I feel bad. 

If we did nanny + my 16 year old neice, we wouldnt have to worry so much about what time my husband gets home at night, cause she could give them a bath and dinner.  She is great with kids, but I would always be around.  And help them in the morning too.  She could also keep me company some durring the day.  So I think nanny + niece is the way to go.   LOL yet a big part of me would LOOOOVE it if my best friend could come still.

I agree the nanny and niece. We scheduled mine in my DH's down time so he could be off and they would be in school during and he would be home at night. Then I got ill with an infection and life sped out of control. We had to call my 19 year old step daughter and she came down for 2 weeks (I went back into the hospital for 8 days at 3 weeks out). She was able to control them and love them. I had a lot of people offer to help but they need someone who was used to them and their eccentrities and who would follow "my plan". People mean well but some think they don't need to follow mom's plans or rules and while that's fine with a snack or something for schedules and general routines it sucks.

I drove about 14 days out. I was fine but careful. Your doctor might have different restrictions. Even in the best of cir****tances I couldn't have bathed them or picked them up for 4-6 weeks and my kids are little (40 and 30 pounds respectively). I put lots of stuff on lower shelves in the fridge that they could reach and stuff.

I am SO happy for you!!! How exciting.