Do you already having someone doing laundry, grocery shopping, preparing meals, etc? If not, I would start there.
My husband ended up having to take a job about 12 hours away that started when my fourth was just a few days old. Other kids were 6, 4, and 2 at the time.
One thing I did a lot was give the baby a bath during the day when I had help. In the evenings, i put his pajamas on while the other kids were in the bath/shower. Then we would watch Bill Nye on YouTube while I nursed the baby and put him to bed. Afterward, I had the older two do their "science journals." While I put my two year old to bed. Then I put them to bed.
I do want to warn you that those were the good months. Everything got harder when I went back to work.

Get a new husband who will participate in the act of raising children. This should not just be on you.

Anonymous wrote:You have a nanny 10hrs a day.., geez. You can be a parent for 3 hours in the evening, no?

She JUST gave birth....have you never given birth or been around someone who has? It's exhausting! (And I'm a nanny who has never given birth and I get that!)

Would your nanny be open to shifting her hours temporarily? (I'm a nanny and I don't have kids so that's something I'd be open to, but it might not work for everyone.) Could she work 12-8 or 11-7 for a month or so until things settle in for you? Is your husband's job such that he can go in earlier and be home at a reasonable hour? Can your nanny do dinner and baths before she goes and then you have some TV time and bed after she leaves at 6? Is there a teen girl or two who live nearby that would be up for helping out a couple evenings a week?

Just tossing out some ideas of how you can get a little help for the first month or two while you recover from the pregnancy and birth.

Anonymous wrote:You can offer it to your nanny, but I would worry about burnout. I would just hire a second evening nanny for a mother's helper role. Have her play with big kids while you nurse, then you spend time with all three while she helps get dinner on the table (not cook, just the logistics of serving prepped food), then she holds the baby while you eat with big kids and do bath, she gets kids into jammies and brushes teeth while you nurse baby again, you do the final story and tuck in.

This is what I did. I hired someone for a few months to do mornings (that was my problem time). I did have to offer 20 hours a week to find someone good, but it was worth it for about 6 months. I advertised it as a mother's helper/household assistant, and she ended up doing laundry, making the older kids' lunches, watching the baby so I could nap, sometimes doing dinner prep, and grocery shopping.

You have a nanny 10hrs a day.., geez. You can be a parent for 3 hours in the evening, no?

You can offer it to your nanny, but I would worry about burnout. I would just hire a second evening nanny for a mother's helper role. Have her play with big kids while you nurse, then you spend time with all three while she helps get dinner on the table (not cook, just the logistics of serving prepped food), then she holds the baby while you eat with big kids and do bath, she gets kids into jammies and brushes teeth while you nurse baby again, you do the final story and tuck in.

Anonymous wrote:See if your nanny wants extra hours three days a week and if she does pay her til nine. Do baths on those nights. Manage the other two nights yourself from when she leaves at six until bedtime. Keep it simple as far as dinner and expectations.

This seems like a good idea, but make it clear to her that she can say no and offer that she run personal errands if necessary. Is your husband home on the weekends?

See if your nanny wants extra hours three days a week and if she does pay her til nine. Do baths on those nights. Manage the other two nights yourself from when she leaves at six until bedtime. Keep it simple as far as dinner and expectations.

Definitely get an evening helper.

I have three children- newborn, 2 years and 5 years. My 5 year old is in school 9-3, and I have a full-time nanny from 8-6 for the 2 & 5 year old, and am just starting my 3 month maternity leave. My husband works most evenings and is typically not home until after 9 pm, at least 4-5 nights a week.

I know 3 children is going to be a challenge- my 5 year old in particular can be very difficult/needy and reacted horribly when my 2nd was born. Plus, my 2nd child is still so much a baby herself.

The plan was for my mother to stay for a month to help but was just here for a week before the new baby was born, and is not up to the task health-wise. She is currently en route back to her home state.

Today was my first day back from hospital.. I have a cold from my older 2 children, a low-grade fever (possibly from milk coming in), & breastfeeding was very difficult with 2 other children needing me at the same time.

I am thinking I need to hire additional help.. Do I need a baby nurse (but baby is seeming easy compared to the other two, and I'm breastfeeding so sleeping isn't really an option for me)? An evening nanny to help with the older 2 (but I feel like they still want me to bathe them/do bedtime & need time with me as well)? Or, do I just bare with it until we eventually figure out our own routine?