Abdominal surgery recovery

[namasteak]

csection tips would work too!
I am having my diastis recti repaired and need some tips on things to wear/have to make recovery easier.

I’m also having a breast reduction & lift if that changes your recommendation.

[VillainV]

Not sure about the breast reduction, but you will probably want some kind of abdominal binder to wear for a while. After my c-section I used a maxi pad over my incision to cushion it (stuck it to the front of my underwear so the pad part was against my incision).

[namasteak]

Jun 21, 2020 20:01:24 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Not sure about the breast reduction, but you will probably want some kind of abdominal binder to wear for a while. After my c-section I used a maxi pad over my incision to cushion it (stuck it to the front of my underwear so the pad part was against my incision).

Oh the pad is a good idea! I know my surgeon will send me home with a binder.

[Patsy Baloney]

Yes to pad, or some kind of covering, over the incision. My 1st c-section, the rubbing didn’t bother me, but the second one was very tender to the touch.

Generally, get up after surgery. Don’t overdo it, but make an extra trip to the bathroom, do a lap around the house, just something to keep you moving a little bit. Keep up on pain meds, obviously.

If your furniture is well-loved and sits low/squishy, consider getting a bean bag or ultra firm foam pillow to hold you up a little higher while you relax. I found getting up HARD. I needed something to really post up on and heave myself up. I also slept in a recliner for both recoveries for probably the first week. It was just too hard to lie flat, or worse, turn to the side and have my belly fat shift and ruin liiiiife.

I wore a lot of dresses during my recovery, just cheapie old navy swing dresses. I would wear some skimmies underneath if I was heading out for a follow-up with a doctor, but generally just didn’t want a whole lot putting pressure on my abdomen.

I have no idea about the boobs! But I hope you feel so much better after your procedure and your recovery goes as smoothly as possible!

[namasteak]

Thank you Patsy Baloney !

We don’t have a recliner but I was thinking of getting some wedge pillows to use in bed.

About the boobs - I think the only things are to get dresses that would cover a surgical bra and Are loose enough I don’t have to raise my arms much.

[campermom]

Throw a step stool in the car for the the ride home.
Have cough drops and a pillow to press onto your abdomen for the ride home-having been intubated your throat will be scratchy and you’ll need to cough that stuff up and it hurts. Sneezing is the worst-use the pillow.

Use a travel pillow for when you are sleeping reclined so your neck doesn’t hurt.
I slept in a recliner for 3 weeks, get more pillows to have around.
Get an additional binder so you have one for when the first one is being washed. You’ll want the compression. I wore the garment for a few months for everyday use, and even longer when I exercised.
I used a walker for a week. You’ll be hunched over. I borrowed it. My dr said to get rid of it and stand up straighter or my back would hurt. I’m still happy I had that Walker.
Lots and lots of gauze.
Having a puppy pad to sit on wasn’t a bad idea for a day or two.

Stay on top of the stool softener or whatever your dr recommends.

High protein, low salt foods. Bloating and swelling is your enemy.

Comfy pants and button up shirts.
Cozy slip on socks-it’s hard to put socks and shoes on.

[namasteak]

campermom I was thinking of getting this group of pillows to sleep with
What do you think ?


I’m staying at the surgical center for about 24 hours after the surgery. How long do you think I’ll want the cough drops for?

[JayhawkGirl]

Have ready at home:
-journal and pen to track meds, note questions
-Gas-x
-Colace stool softener. Take with each pain pill.
-Milk of magnesia in case you need it for constipation

At places you may sit/rest (living room, bed, sunroom)
-water bottles with straw. I like angled silicone straws in a yeti tumbler.
-chap stick
-lotion
-ponytail holders/headbands
-snacks
-phone charger with extra long cord

I hope it’s a relatively easy recovery for you!

[namasteak]

Should I get some maternity shorts? Or just stick to dresses? All the high waist shorts I’ve seen have compression

[lemoncupcake]

Jun 21, 2020 22:51:38 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Should I get some maternity shorts? Or just stick to dresses? All the high waist shorts I’ve seen have compression

All of my maternity shorts/pants had a seam low on the hips where the belly band started - I imagine that se would be right on your incision.

Post c/s I just wore regular rise yoga pants in one size up and they were fine.

[ellipses84]

When I had my total hysterectomy, my friend who had been through it gave me a hysterectomy pillow. It’s basically a small square pillow with pockets and a hot / cold pack you can slip into it. I haven’t had a c-section, but I think it would be great for any kind of abdominal discomfort. I can’t recall the brand but there’s tons of different ones online if you google it. I’d mail you mine but I’m not at home for the next month+, I’m at my mom’s to help her recover from a surgery.

[JayhawkGirl]

Jun 21, 2020 22:51:38 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Should I get some maternity shorts? Or just stick to dresses? All the high waist shorts I’ve seen have compression

Oh! Maybe some “granny panties.” You’ll have some swelling and won’t want anything on your incision. Good old fashioned cotton briefs will help.

[campermom]

I guess that could work if you have a lot of help, although it looks like it would be hard to get out of. Can you borrow one from someone?

Having a recliner made it easier to get up. I needed my husband to help me get out of a chair for 3 days and he stayed home for a week. After that I was on my own, but was taking the kids to daycare/school for the day bc there’s no way I would have been able to care for them.

Have you watched any YouTube’s about recovery? There’s a lot out there. The cough drops I only needed for a day or two.

[thebreakfastclub]

Although it is kind of hard to get up, I got around that by just buying a tray table that you can put by the couch to have a drink, remote, food, etc on it. I would get high waisted underwear one size larger. Otherwise, I had a C/S in winter so I just wore sweatpants around the house, and it was fine. You would likely get a binder to wear with it.

[rooster222]

I've had 2 c sections and another surgery last week, though not as intense as what you'll be getting.

The couch and bed are both uncomfortable and hard to get in and out of. I've been sitting in a club chair lined with pillows upstairs and more of an upright/side chair downstairs.

Always have cough drops, water with straw and small stomach pillow with you.

I have a little computer table on wheels that adjusts height wise that has been super handy because I can easily pull it closer or push it away.

A U-shaped neck pillow for napping in the chair.

I've never needed special underwear. Clothing wise loose, soft pants and tops.

Ginger ale, saltines, applesauce, brothy soup. I had some problems with nausea after surgery and when getting up in the morning. You do not want to vomit so have this stuff handy in case the nausea hits.

I took a magnesium supplement and digize oil to help regulate things. I was also careful to eat lighter, high fiber meals for several days.

Try to walk as much as you can, without overdoing it. Sitting for really long periods just makes everything stiff.

Good luck with your surgery!

[namasteak]

Thank you!

[CloudBee]

If you have staples, be very careful with adding gauze at home, or anything that might pull on the staples before they come out. I had a staple rip out after my c-section because it caught on gauze. So painful.

I also found holding a pillow in the car after various abdominal surgeries to offer a lot of support.

Are you having any liposuction? I had a little liposuction done when a chest muscle behind my breast was repaired a few years ago. They took a small amount of fat from my stomach and relocated it to one of my breasts to even them out. I was not prepared for the pain in the area the fat was extracted from. I wish I had listened to my surgeon and stayed on top of pain meds those first few days. Lots of bruising and discomfort in the harvest area.

I also put a rolled up baby blanket or small travel pillow over my chest (after my breast surgery) while in the car. The seatbelt did not feel comfortable directly contacting my chest for weeks.

Good luck!

[glitzy07]

I had a breast reduction in September and it was the very best thing I've ever done for myself.

I highly recommend a wedge pillow. (Something like these) I wasn't able to sleep flat for a few weeks and this saved my life. I slept in our recliner in the living room for the first handful of nights and then moved to the bed with a wedge pillow that I borrowed from a friend who had recently had a mastectomy. 

You'll want zip front sports bras for awhile so you don't have to raise your hands above your head to get into anything tight. These were my favorite. 

Good luck! I'm happy to answer any specific questions you might have too.

[namasteak]

campermom I’m sure I can find someone that I trust that has one or could just buy a cheap one for the price it costs to rent one.

CloudBee He said lipo on the love handles would give a better aesthetic result so I’m getting some done there.

glitzy07 what did you wear for the first few days and then weeks after? I’m looking at loose maxis or even old lady button up house coats.

[glitzy07]

Jun 22, 2020 9:49:09 GMT -5 namasteak said:

campermom I’m sure I can find someone that I trust that has one or could just buy a cheap one for the price it costs to rent one.

CloudBee He said lipo on the love handles would give a better aesthetic result so I’m getting some done there.

glitzy07 what did you wear for the first few days and then weeks after? I’m looking at loose maxis or even old lady button up house coats.

I bought a couple of sets of button-front PJs like these that I wore around the house. I also honestly spent a bit of time just in the sports bra, shorts/leggings (not compression - something that was easy to get on and off without much effort), and a fluffy robe.

I was able to move a little more quickly and easily than I initially expected and was able to get myself dressed in regular clothes about a week after. When I went back to work (17 days post surgery) I was wearing any of my regular work tops that I could wear with a sports bra. I eventually bought a few wire free bras from Target that I'm still using. I'm 9 months out and I can't wear an underwire for a full day, though I've worn one for a few hours to a wedding a couple of times.

[glitzy07]

namasteak I just wanted to add one other thing. In my personal experience, the worst part of the recovery was while I had drains. I had mine for a week, and I felt instantly better/more comfortable once they were removed. It also made it easier to wear regular clothes because they weren't bulging underneath everything I wore.

[loira]

I would also add glycerine suppositories and prunes to the post-surgery poop recommendations.

[sugarbear]

I had a mastectomy with reconstruction from abdominal tissue, and they threw in a diastasis repair for good measure while I was there.

Will you have surgical drains?

I was in the ICU for a week. Then at home, I had a lot of pain for a week, and then two weeks of marginal pain with minimal function. Like, I could make myself a cup of coffee and get up / down the stairs. Otherwise, I stayed in bed or in our recliner. I was off the narcotics pretty quickly, before I even went home, but relied heavily on the prescription strength OTC meds they gave me.

H had to help me in / out of bed for several weeks (but I basically had a tummy tuck, and I was open from hip to hip).

[namasteak]

Jun 22, 2020 16:11:19 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

I had a mastectomy with reconstruction from abdominal tissue, and they threw in a diastasis repair for good measure while I was there.

Will you have surgical drains?

I was in the ICU for a week. Then at home, I had a lot of pain for a week, and then two weeks of marginal pain with minimal function. Like, I could make myself a cup of coffee and get up / down the stairs. Otherwise, I stayed in bed or in our recliner. I was off the narcotics pretty quickly, before I even went home, but relied heavily on the prescription strength OTC meds they gave me.

H had to help me in / out of bed for several weeks (but I basically had a tummy tuck, and I was open from hip to hip).

I will have drains.

I will stay at the surgical center for 24 hours post op.

Right now we are figuring out exactly how to schedule help. DH is still WFH so he may do half days for a few weeks.

I will have a tummy tuck as part of the muscle repair because my separation is big enough and I have extra skin.

[sugarbear]

Jun 22, 2020 17:36:41 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Jun 22, 2020 16:11:19 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

I had a mastectomy with reconstruction from abdominal tissue, and they threw in a diastasis repair for good measure while I was there.

Will you have surgical drains?

I was in the ICU for a week. Then at home, I had a lot of pain for a week, and then two weeks of marginal pain with minimal function. Like, I could make myself a cup of coffee and get up / down the stairs. Otherwise, I stayed in bed or in our recliner. I was off the narcotics pretty quickly, before I even went home, but relied heavily on the prescription strength OTC meds they gave me.

H had to help me in / out of bed for several weeks (but I basically had a tummy tuck, and I was open from hip to hip).

I will have drains.

I will stay at the surgical center for 24 hours post op.

Right now we are figuring out exactly how to schedule help. DH is still WFH so he may do half days for a few weeks.

I will have a tummy tuck as part of the muscle repair because my separation is big enough and I have extra skin.

I didn’t need to bro go in any extra help and after a few days, H went to work for a few hours each day. If there was prepared food available, I was fine. He did have to come home to get me out of bed.

[namasteak]

I think we can actually make this work w/o DH taking too much time completely off and/or paying a lot for help! Ds3 normally takes his first nap at 9am so DH could start work at 9 and the big kids could watch TV until 1030 when we could have help come. Help would stay until 2 when it’s time for the baby to go down for his second nap and the big kids have rest time. That means DH could work almost a full day (9-3)! I’m not sure how long I’ll need him to do that for...maybe 2 months? What do y’all think?

My mom said she would take the big kids for about a week but then said she is going to talk to her boss about taking some vacation so she can help more!

[lo]

This sounds more intense than a csection, but I wasn’t too sore after 2 weeks with one, so 2 months sounds like it would work.

[starryfish]

Jun 21, 2020 22:51:38 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Should I get some maternity shorts? Or just stick to dresses? All the high waist shorts I’ve seen have compression

Yes. Get the yoga fold over maternity shorts or capris from old navy, Great for after since soft and not tight. Also granny panties too