You might find that it takes a few weeks for the swelling to go down after a tummy tuck. During the first week after surgery, you won’t be able to stand up straight. This means that you won’t be able to help yourself get out of bed or sit up without help.
During this time, try to keep your head and shoulders up by using pillows and keeping them as clean as possible. If you can, have family help you with this task for the first week after surgery so you don’t have to do it yourself. You should start to feel better and be able to stand up more easily after about 10 days. But it will still take a few months for the swelling to go away completely, so don’t hurry!
Read on to learn more about How Long After A Tummy Tuck Can I Stand Up Straight , How To Improve Sleep After A Tummy Tuck and Lying Down On A Bed After A Tummy Tuck
How Long After A Tummy Tuck Can I Stand Up Straight
A tummy tuck is a big surgery! The better prepared you are, the better your recovery will be. Knowing these things before your tummy tuck surgery will help you know what to expect and will help you to prepare. Here are ten things that you may or may not know about recovering from a tummy tuck:
1. YOUR SCALE WON’T CHANGE THAT MUCH AND YOUR CLOTHES MAY NOT FIT
A San Francisco tummy tuck with San Francisco liposuction is a body contouring procedure, not a weight loss procedure per se. To the disappointment of many patients, the scale actually may go up for the first few weeks after surgery. This is due to swelling and inflammation during which the body tends to retain more water than it usually does. It typically takes 4 to 6 weeks before the swelling goes down significantly, and with it the scale goes down too.
Because of the swelling, your pre-surgery clothes may feel a little snug. As the swelling dissipates, you’ll be happy to find that your clothes may now be too loose! My advice is to be patient, as this is a process and it may take 3 to 6 months, sometimes even up to a year for the swelling to resolve completely.
2. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO STAND UP STRAIGHT FOR A WHILE
During tummy tuck surgery, your muscles are tightened and excess skin is removed. There are multiple layers of sutures inside holding everything in its new configuration. Because skin is pulled taut, you’ll be bent over for the first week or two until the skin begins to relax and you can stand up. You may feel achiness or soreness in your lower back from being bent over and from spending a lot of time in bed. Here are some things that can help:
- Rest in a beach chair position. Although it may not be as fun as sitting on a real beach, it’ll be a comfortable way for you to rest. This means having your back elevated, and your hips flexed by placing pillows under your knees.
- Ben-Gay and Icy Hot can ease the achiness in your lower back. Be careful when using heating pads because your skin may be numb and you may not feel it get too hot!
3. YOU’LL BE IN PAIN, BUT IT CAN BE MANAGED!
Pain after a tummy tuck, especially during the first 7-10 days, is normal and to be expected. Your San Francisco plastic surgeon will prescribe narcotic pain medications, as well as muscle relaxants to help you through the process. In my practice, I also use non-narcotic medications to help reduce overall pain. Other medications such as Exparel can be used during surgery to reduce your overall pain significantly for the first 2 to 3 days after surgery. There is an extra cost for Exparel, but I think it’s well worth the cost for the comfort it brings.
One issue with narcotic pain medications is that they may make you feel “out of it” and will surely make you constipated. Straining to go to the bathroom will be the last thing you want to put your newly tightened and very sore ab muscles through, so it’s a good idea to have a stool softener on hand such as Miralax or milk of magnesia. Both of these can be purchased over the counter.
My biggest pain management tip is to stay on top of your pain meds. Don’t wait for the pain to start before taking your next dose. Set a timer and take your medications as directed, and always take pain medications with food to avoid an upset stomach.
4. YOU’LL NEED LOTS OF HELP AROUND THE HOUSE FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS
It’ll be the difficult the first week to do even the most basic things for yourself. You will need an adult to help you with everything- preparing meals, getting in and out of bed, getting dressed, and washed. After surgery is your time to recover so let whoever is with you help as much as you need. Even though you may be used to doing most things around the house, this is your time to relax and focus on your recovery!
Most women coming in for a tummy tuck have kids at home who need help too. You should arrange for adequate help take care of your kids, and don’t forget about your pets!
5. YOUR FIRST SHOWER WILL BE HARDER THAN EXPECTED
You’ll need to wait at least 3 days before taking your first shower. Once you’re ready to take a shower, you may realize that it’s not as easy as you thought! It’ll be difficult to reach some areas on your body because you’ll be sore and feel tight. You will probably need help getting in and out of your compression binder, and on top of this you’ll still feel very tired.
Some things that you can do to help with your showers are:
- Place your toiletries and shower items in an easy to reach places prior to surgery
- Buy a cheap plastic lawn chair or a shower stool to sit on when you feel tired
- Have a cold drink with electrolytes nearby to sip on in case you feel light headed
- Get back into your binder as soon as you can to keep the swelling down
6. EXPECT EMOTIONAL SWINGS
A tummy tuck is a huge surgery! Combine that with feeling loopy from narcotics, feeling sore or in pain, and you may find yourself experiencing several different emotions in the span of a few minutes.
- You may feel depressed, sad and regretful
- You may have feelings of unattractiveness
- You may feel frustrated by the healing process
This is totally, and completely normal! There is nothing wrong with you, and these feelings are temporary. So if you get the post surgery blues, here are some things that you can do:
- Let your spouse/significant other/caregiver know ahead of time so they can remember to not take things personally and to help remind you to keep your chin up!
- Remind yourself that these feelings are only temporary. Every day will get easier and easier. This too shall pass.
- Look for support from other woman going through the same healing journey. You can connect online with others who have had tummy tucks on forums such as RealSelf or Reddit.
7. BE PREPARED FOR SWELLING. LOTS OF SWELLING.
You’ll have a love hate relationship with your compression garments.
The one thing that annoys people the most after surgery is the swelling! Some even refer to it as “swell hell”. Swelling and inflammation is the natural process the body goes through to heal. If you had a San Francisco liposuction procedure in the past in addition to your tummy tuck, then you may experience even more intense swelling. The swelling will get worse for the first 3-5 days after surgery before it begins to slowly subside. Remember, it may take 6-8 weeks before you notice an appreciable improvement in the swelling.
Many of my patients also report the sensation of itching as the swelling goes down. This occurs because the nerves in the area start working again, bringing new yet annoying sensations to the skin.
Here are some tips to keep the swelling at bay:
- Keep your compression garment on: It may at times be uncomfortable, but it helps to reduce swelling
- Make sure to stay hydrated: drinking plenty of water actually helps the body to heal and reduce the swelling.
- Drink a protein shake 1-2 times per day: Protein helps to pull water from the skin into the circulation so it can be excreted. It also helps with the overall healing process!
- Get up and take a short walk: Walking causes your muscles to squeeze blood vessels, improving your overall circulation
8. YOU’LL BE SUPER FATIGUED
You’re recovering from a major surgery! Women who are usually ok staying up late will find themselves needing to get to sleep around 730pm. It’s ok, let yourself sleep when you need to. You will heal best when you’re allowed to rest. The energy that your body will use in healing can also make you feel sleepy, too.
Even though you’ll be really tired, it’s best to force yourself to get up and take short walks throughout the day. You may however find that if you’re active one day, you’ll be extra tired the next day. Surgery can cause you to not have much of an appetite, further contributing to the feelings of fatigue. Make sure you’re eating and drinking to keep your energy levels up!
9. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DRIVE FOR 10 -14 DAYS.
You also shouldn’t be operating other heavy machinery. Because you will likely be on narcotic pain medications after surgery, it’s best to let someone else drive you to important appointments and places. You can go back to driving when you’re no longer taking prescription pain medications and when you feel as though you can react and respond safely if there were an emergency while driving. This is your time to relax and let others chauffeur you places.
10. IT’LL TAKE UP TO A YEAR TO FEEL TOTALLY BACK TO YOURSELF
Most of the swelling, pain, and fatigue resolves by weeks 6-8, but you’ll notice continuing changes for up to one year. There are many sutures inside which will cause a pulling and pinching sensation for 3-4 months. As these dissolve those sensations should as well.
Areas treated will also be numb. As the swelling resolves, these sensations should slowly return back to normal.
It takes your incision a year to totally heal. It’s normal for the incision to look red from 3-6 months. This redness is from the body putting new blood vessels in the area to help the healing process. Incisions general fade between months 6-12.
As your energy comes back and the feelings of tightness fade, you’ll find yourself feeling more like you’re back to “normal.” Remember, this is a process that takes time, so be a patient patient.
How To Improve Sleep After A Tummy Tuck
Tummy tucks involve removing a large amount of tissue. The natural reaction of the body is to send inflammatory markers to the site of the operation, which can result in swelling and pain. It can be difficult, therefore, to get quality, restful sleep after a tummy tuck. So what can you do to ensure that you get the rest that you need to recover?
Undergoing a tummy tuck can be a daunting decision to make. There is both a financial investment as well as a time investment in the recovery process. Above all else, however, there is concern of the unknown. Many of my own Scottsdale patients wonder:
- How much discomfort will I be in?
- How do I sit or sleep?
- How do I walk when I am supposed to be bent over?
- What do I do with the binder?
- How do I go about using the restroom?
- And many more.
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Sleep position after tummy tuck
Tummy tuck can be a great way to shift unwanted excess skin from your abdomen when diets and exercise don’t seem to work. But, as a major surgical intervention, tummy tucks can affect how you sit down, stand up, and most importantly, sleep.
Tummy tucks offer a range of advantages. These include feeling more confident about the way you look, not having to carry around so much excess weight, being more athletic, and removing skin that has lost its elasticity. But because tummy tucks involve removing a significant amount of tissue, it’s vital that you do everything you can to ensure a speedy recovery. Tummy tucks are a significant surgical event that requires proper consideration.
Sleeping After Tummy Tuck
After a tummy tuck, you need sleep to recover. During sleep, your body will repair the affected area and finish off the job that the surgeon started, helping you to achieve a beautiful, natural-looking midsection. The way you sleep after a tummy tuck, however, will have a profound effect on the rate and quality of your recovery. Sleeping in the wrong position could compromise your results and prevent you from getting the rest you need.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at how to sleep after a tummy tuck. The advice is straightforward, but you’ll still need to spend a little time making preparations ahead of the operation.
Use A Recliner To Sleep
Performing a tummy tuck involves making a long, thin incision between the hip bones and just above the pubic mound. The surgeon will make the cut, remove excess fat from the abdomen, and then pull down the skin from above over the incision line. Excess skin is removed, and then the stomach stitched back up, leaving a tight, flat finish.
As you can imagine, laying flat on your back after surgery might not be a good idea. Laying flat stretches out the abdomen, putting a strain on the freshly-stitched skin, leading to pain and potential damage to the sutures. When you go to sleep, therefore, experts recommend that you sleep in a slightly bent position that avoids pulling on the stitching. Instead of sleeping flat on your bed (like you would usually), surgeons suggest using a recliner.
A recliner (a type of chair that folds in the middle) provides you with a comfortable and safe way to sleep while maintaining a bend in the middle of your body. The recliner gives you the ability to get a restful night’s sleep without the risk of tossing and turning or damaging the stitching. A good recliner should allow you to adjust the amount of bend in your body, depending on your needs.
How long do you need to sleep on a recliner (or in a reclined position)? The length of time that you need to sleep on a recliner depends on the type of tummy tuck that you had performed. Recovery from a “miniature tummy tuck” – one in which the incision does not run from hip to hip – takes about one to three weeks. Recovery from a full tummy tuck – where the incision runs from one hip to the other – takes about four weeks. (Exercise should be limited for six weeks). Thus, if you’ve had a full Tummy Tuck Recovery, you’ll want to sleep in a reclined position for a couple of weeks while the tissues heal. Most surgeons recommend maintaining a bent position for at least the first week, whether lying down, standing or doing anything else.
Lying Down On A Bed After A Tummy Tuck
Because the tissues of the lower abdomen are stretched tight after a tummy tuck, it’s critical to maintain a “bent” or “jackknifed” body shape, whether walking, standing or climbing into bed.
When going from a standing to lying down position, pay particular attention to the shape of your body. Ideally, you’ll want to maintain a bent shape throughout the process, ensuring that you do not put any undue strain on the stitching.
Before getting into a lying down position, make sure that the bed or recliner is the right shape to accommodate a bent posture. Next, sit on the side of the bed with your knees facing outward, maintaining the flexion in your core. Next, swivel your legs onto the bed so that they face in front of you. Finally, lower your torso down. You should not have to lower yourself over too far a distance if you are sleeping on a recliner or a bed that raises.
Practice Sleeping On Your Back
If you’re a front or side sleeper, sleeping on your back after a tummy tuck can feel unnatural. It’s a good idea, therefore, to practice sleeping on your back for a few weeks before the surgery so that once you’ve had the operation, you’re better able to get the shut-eye you need. Being able to sleep will help the recovery process, allowing you to get back on your feet sooner.
Sleeping Options After A Tummy Tuck
In general, you’ve got two sleeping options after a tummy tuck. The first is to modify your bed with pillows to provide a raised-up section for your torso so that you can maintain a bent posture during sleep. This has the advantage of being a simple solution – all it requires is a few extra pillows. But there are disadvantages, namely the fact that when you’re sleeping on a bed, you’re free to toss and turn. Moreover, the pillows supporting your torso to maintain a bent posture can slip out from underneath during the night, putting your stitching at risk.
The alternative is to sleep on a recliner. Recliners hold your body in position and discourage turning during the night. Some recliners can be set to raise both your head and feet, maintaining a comfortable V-shape throughout. Of course, if you don’t have a recliner already but want the benefits, then you’ll have to go out and buy one which could be expensive.
Wear Compression Garments While You Sleep
Compression garments are items of clothing that support your midriff and temporarily and offer support to the abdominal muscles after surgery. There are many different kinds of compression garments you can use – everything from binders to girdles. Where possible, follow the advice of your surgeon and wear compression clothing according to their instructions. Compression clothing should be worn at all times of day, including during sleep.
Following surgery, you are likely to experience a degree of inflammation in your abdomen. Compression clothing helps to support your stomach while it is inflamed, assisting the recovery process.
How To Get Out Of Bed
Because of the nature of the incision after a tummy tuck, patients need to be careful when getting out of bed not to over-stretch the skin of the lower abdomen. When getting out of bed, roll onto your side, maintaining flexion at the hips, and then use your hands to push yourself up into a seated position. Once in the seated position, rock forwards and use the muscles in your legs to help you stand.
Maintaining a bent position at all times is essential. Not only will this prevent damage to the incision site, but it will also help to reduce the appearance of the scar once all the stitching is removed.
Take Pain Medications
Pain medications can be taken before bed to help ease discomfort as you try to sleep for the first few days after receiving a tummy tuck. Avoid using painkillers which contain stimulants as these may prevent you from sleeping.
Make Getting Into Bed A Ritual
Much of what our brains do is unconscious, including getting ready for sleep. It’s a good idea, therefore, to train your mind to be prepared for rest as soon as you hit the sack. You can do this by turning the process of getting into bed into a ritual. Before you undergo surgery, start sleeping in a recliner, or a reclined position. Train yourself to expect sleep once in this position by turning off the lights and electronic devices.
Talk To Your Surgeon
Your surgeon will likely have a lot of experience helping patients sleep after a tummy tuck. Speak to them about your options and how you can sleep better during the most critical phases of the recovery process.
Tummy Tuck Vs Liposuction
Tummy tucks differ from liposuction. Tummy tucks involve removing skin, while liposuction refers to the removal of fat under the skin.