Toddler in Traction - A Mum's Survival Kit

I posted earlier this week about Dylan's survival kit for the four weeks we spent in hospital whilst his leg was on the mend, but now I am going to share mine.  For four weeks I slept on a pull out chair, and every night that I was there, so was Archie. As a breastfed baby he is too reliant on me to stay anywhere else and is still fed in the night so we had a rather cosy cubicle.

I could not have survived the month without my friends and family.  Every single visit, for however long made such a difference to our day and I am forever grateful to my Dad who drove up on his lunch break every single day to bring me a sandwich and let me get some fresh air.  Being stuck inside 24 hours a day means every little break is so important, even if it was just a wander up to the canteen.

I am a strong believer that chocolate is its own food group and it was my secret treat and guilty pleasure during our stay on the children's ward.  There were only a few minutes a day when both boys were asleep and I was not and I made the most of them with the help of some Dairy Milk.  Never underestimate the power of chocolate!

I was sent a beautiful baby friendly necklace from the people at Babyologie and this really cheered me up.  It was lovely to get something for me and it was perfect for keeping Archie occupied.  He has taken quite a shine to it and will happily sit on my lap for ages just playing and chewing it which was great for when I needed to do something with Dylan. 

Twitter was always there when I needed to talk to someone and I had so much support.  It was great to know that at the press of a button I could talk to an adult at any time day or night and I had some great advice too.  It can be very isolating stuck in a children's ward (especially when the other children and parents in our room didn't speak any English) so it was lovely to have this connection to the outside world.

The last part of my survival kit is my attitude.  I decided early on that there was no point stressing, wishing I was anywhere else or getting upset.  My job was to be strong for my boys and I tried my hardest to make sure that we had a good time.  I rested when I could, took people up on their offers and indulged myself whenever I needed it.  I really think that positive thinking goes a long way and despite the professionals quoting us 5-8 weeks, we were out within four and free to enjoy the rest of the summer.

Disclaimer:  I was sent this necklace as a gift from a company that sympathised with our stay rather than as a review.  I would buy it ten times over though as it is the only teething necklace Archie wants and it looks gorgeous with near enough everything!

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How to Survive a Hospital Stay - Staying Sane

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As you may well know, we have recently moved into our local hospital.  Dylan managed to break his leg just as the summer weather was starting and so the boys and I are now inmates.  Days are long and difficult as keeping two immobile under 2s occupied when they have such different needs is a challenge in itself.   Add in that the usually active toddler cannot wear himself out and the days go on for a long long time.

I am busy writing a couple of posts about how we are surviving our stay but I thought I should start with the most important lesson - staying sane.  

Being cooped up in a cubicle with your beautiful but exhausting children takes its toll and at the end of the day I have very little time for myself before I need to curl up on my chair-bed and try and get a little rest  It is very important to use this time wisely, and make sure you relax as everything else can wait.  A happy mamma makes for happy children.

My number one lifesaver comes in a purple packet and tastes utterly scrummy.  That's right, Cadburys produce sanity in shiny little bags called Chocolate Buttons.  I was recently asked to shop for Cadburys products in Asda and you really don't have to ask me twice when it comes to chocolate!

Every night, when the boys eventually drift off, I escape as fast as I can to the children's ward garden armed with a sugary snack.  Every day I reward myself for surviving, for keeping my cool, for playing all day long and for staying strong for them.  The fresh air revives me and the sugary treats relax me.

Every now and again I do share - not with the children of course, but with the friendly nurses who are helping make our stay bearable. Sometimes they come and talk to Dylan, sometimes they take Archie for ten minutes for a walk around, sometimes they bring Dylan gifts for his stay, toys, books and stickers and they are always there when I need to hear a friendly adult voice.

My secret stash is hidden in  . . . well obviously I won't share that information, just in case you know where we are! But lets just say I don't let my stash get too low.  

Parenting can be hard, there are ups and downs and many hurdles along the way, but thank goodness there is always chocolate to brighten even the cloudiest of days!  It didn't take me long to realise how easy it is to run yourself into the ground in this situation and spending my day out of hospital unable to get out of bed was a bit of a wake up call.  Now I make sure I relax when I get a chance and of course a chocolate biscuit or two doesn't hurt!

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