Hi everyone,
I have a 3-yo son who was a micropreemie (26 weeks, 1.7 pounds) and am currently almost 32 weeks pregnant with our second child. Our 3-yo has many special needs - he has a lot of respiratory trouble (chronic lung disease, reactive airway disease, frequent pneumonias), as well as being developmentally delayed, non-verbal and entirely G-tube fed with severe reflux. (He's had two Nissen procedures in the past to try to help with this but still has a lot of trouble). He is currently in preschool four mornings a week and loves it. He just started walking this summer after recovering from a major airway surgery earlier in the spring when he was able to have his tracheostomy tube removed, and he finally is able to have enough freedom (from oxygen tubing and all that goes with a tracheostomy) to actually move around freely and play.
My question is, I also work at home and my income covers a good 50% or more of our family bills, so it is definitely needed income. However, it is a struggle already to balance work, the many needs of our 3-yo (which of course I feel like I'm never doing quite enough with him as it is), along with the day-to-day household necessities and I am more than a little concerned over how to fit in the inevitable needs of a newborn. My husband works long hours so really isn't here most of the time to help with kids and household stuff. I guess I'm wondering how anyone has dealt with this in the past? I am also very worried about our son's health this winter, as he has yet to get a cold that hasn't turned into pneumonia, and this is his first winter in preschool (we always hibernated the winters away in the past to try to avoid infections, but ended up with many hospitalizations anyway from people coming into the home.) I know we'll just deal with whatever comes our way and we will get through it, I was just looking maybe for bits of wisdom that anyone might have. I have considered hiring an in-home part-time sitter, but I've had some homehealth care workers in the past come in and maybe it was just the ones I had, but I actually didn't feel like it was worth it. If we can't keep our 3-yo in preschool due to health reasons he would qualify for homebased therapy services, which I have mixed feelings about going back to. Any insight? Thanks a bunch! Maybe after the baby comes these pregnancy hormones will settle down and I will feel better about it all anyway? I am very happy to have another child, so that isn't the issue at all, just how to make it all work together so that everyone's needs get met? Thanks again!
I have a 3-yo son who was a micropreemie (26 weeks, 1.7 pounds) and am currently almost 32 weeks pregnant with our second child. Our 3-yo has many special needs - he has a lot of respiratory trouble (chronic lung disease, reactive airway disease, frequent pneumonias), as well as being developmentally delayed, non-verbal and entirely G-tube fed with severe reflux. (He's had two Nissen procedures in the past to try to help with this but still has a lot of trouble). He is currently in preschool four mornings a week and loves it. He just started walking this summer after recovering from a major airway surgery earlier in the spring when he was able to have his tracheostomy tube removed, and he finally is able to have enough freedom (from oxygen tubing and all that goes with a tracheostomy) to actually move around freely and play.
My question is, I also work at home and my income covers a good 50% or more of our family bills, so it is definitely needed income. However, it is a struggle already to balance work, the many needs of our 3-yo (which of course I feel like I'm never doing quite enough with him as it is), along with the day-to-day household necessities and I am more than a little concerned over how to fit in the inevitable needs of a newborn. My husband works long hours so really isn't here most of the time to help with kids and household stuff. I guess I'm wondering how anyone has dealt with this in the past? I am also very worried about our son's health this winter, as he has yet to get a cold that hasn't turned into pneumonia, and this is his first winter in preschool (we always hibernated the winters away in the past to try to avoid infections, but ended up with many hospitalizations anyway from people coming into the home.) I know we'll just deal with whatever comes our way and we will get through it, I was just looking maybe for bits of wisdom that anyone might have. I have considered hiring an in-home part-time sitter, but I've had some homehealth care workers in the past come in and maybe it was just the ones I had, but I actually didn't feel like it was worth it. If we can't keep our 3-yo in preschool due to health reasons he would qualify for homebased therapy services, which I have mixed feelings about going back to. Any insight? Thanks a bunch! Maybe after the baby comes these pregnancy hormones will settle down and I will feel better about it all anyway? I am very happy to have another child, so that isn't the issue at all, just how to make it all work together so that everyone's needs get met? Thanks again!