Take a little time right now---it will all work out. I don't have a recliner either and I used a bed quite successfully to heal. Most of all, recognize that this is a long process. The first two weeks are a blur of pain meds and fatigue---you just had major surgery and anesthesia, you need to recover from both of them. Having such a young child will be difficult for the first week or so, but it will get better.
The pain meds eventually don't make you so tired---the pain abates a bit after tweek two or three and you can take milder pain meds then. You will need help with the child for at least two weeks. Your job now is to rest and allow those soft tissues to heal.
When the Pt is there, his/her job is to help you strech GENTLY and to massage your swelling to help get it down. I did a few heel slides and not much else the first two weeks. Don't let the PT push your leg---they cannot do anything if you tell them to stop, they have to listen to you, the customer. If you allow pushing which causes pain---the leg will swell more--delaying your recovery.
I never had one minute of pain in PT. I never took extra pain meds for pt---I was afraid I would hurt myself and not know it. I have great rom now---you do not have to endure pain to get here. My rom is 145, so don't allow anyone to hurt you.
The first two weeks, I mostly lay in bed with my leg propped up with three pillows
Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Using ice
I would get up every hour or so to go to the bathroom or get something to drink. Otherwise, I was in bed resting and sleeping. I did get up and go to pt, but gentle stretches and massage were all that we did.
week three will be different, you can begin some simple exercises then---your quad will wake up and you can do quad sets and simple leg lifts when it does. by week four, you will begin to feel much better---but it really does take that long before you will begin to feel like yourself. So, for now, rest is what you need.
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