If you're lucky, you'll be cleared by your doctor to start driving again (freedom!), but you still want to avoid lugging around that heavy car seat. Instead, keep the infant carrier in the car and take your baby in and out, rather than carrying both together.
But just because you can leave the house without a chaperone doesn't mean you should be fully back into the swing of things. Use your recovery as an excuse to have someone continue doing your laundry for a few more weeks — lifting a basket of clothes and even bending over repeatedly will aggravate your wound just as you've entered yet another phase of healing.
The remodeling phase can start as early as 21 days after surgery and continue on for months — and is more important than ever if you're worried about what your scar will look like. According to the Journal of Korean Medical Science, "The remodeling phase is the most responsible for . . . variations in scar qualities. A healing incisional wound can become an unsightly scar during this period." So, when you're itching to feel like a "normal" person again, let your vanity give you yet another reason to rest.
