3: Easy to Remove Clothing Button front tops and shirts, zip front clothing, and loose-fitting garments are also good options to have ready to use during this period. You need something that is comfortable to rest in and easy to dress and undress yourself, particularly if you don't have someone staying with you.
In most cases, patients will be instructed to wear a surgical bra for twenty-four hours a day. We recommend that you wear it for six weeks after your surgery.
Your Healing Time
Bartell highly recommends wearing looser fitting, more comfortable clothes in the first week after surgery. Do not go clothes shopping until your swelling has fully subsided.
You should be able to return to most of your normal activities within a few weeks of your operation but this will vary from person to person and it is helpful to take things gently at first try to avoid strenuous housework such as vacuuming, ironing or carrying heavy shopping for the first 1 or 2 weeks.
When you begin showering, take a shower every day to help keep your incision clean. Before entering the shower, remove your bra and the gauze pad covering your incision.
You can take your first shower the day after your drain or bandage is removed. This is usually within about 1 week. Sometimes doctors say it is okay to shower the day after surgery. Do not take a bath or soak in a hot tub for about 4 weeks.
Take it easy for one week. Take short walks, move slowly, take care of yourself, eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Do not try to exercise, diet or do anything more than rest and recover. You will need to sleep on your back for at least 2-3 weeks.
After six weeks, most swelling should have dissipated, and you should feel comfortable doing all of your normal activities. You should be able to engage in more strenuous activity as your motion will return to normal, and you can raise your arms as normal.
After sleeping with upper body slightly elevated on your back for at least four to six weeks, you can usually transition to just sleeping on your back, flat on your bed, for a few weeks.
Typically, most reductions bring the cup size down one to two sizes, though in cases of extremely large breasts, more drastic results may be achieved. For example, a woman who is a DD but wants a reduction to reduce discomfort, especially during physical activity and exercise may be able to go down to a B-C cup.
How to correctly wear your surgical bra after your breast surgery. Surgical bras should have no seam and fasten in the front with a zipper or clasps. Your surgical bra should be snug but not too tight. You should be able to insert two fingers underneath.
You can start moving by walking around the house for the first few weeks after the surgery. It is one of the best exercises to do post breast reduction as it promotes circulation, kick starts the healing process and prevents blood clotting.
Is the breast reduction procedure painful? Anesthesia will be given during the procedure, but you should expect to feel sore for two to three days after surgery. You will be prescribed pain medication, and your surgeon may advise placing wrapped ice packs gently over sore areas to help with pain and swelling.
You'll feel a bit tired for first few days: the effects of anaesthesia, your body using energy for healing, plus a sleepless night before, or after surgery (hospitals can be noisy!) all combine to make tiredness after breast reduction surgery pretty common.
Remember to avoid shampooing your hair until the third day. Patients should also steer clear of jacuzzies, hot tubs, pools, or natural bodies of water for at least two weeks after surgery. Soaking your incisions can cause an infection and lead to complications with healing.
Wash with warm water and gentle, fragrance-free soap. Gently clean your upper incisions and drain sites, and rinse well. Don't aim the shower stream directly at your breast. Aim it at your upper back or your arm.
If you have undergone a reduction or implant removal and don't wear your compression bra you may end up with more excess, sagging skin around your breasts.
The pain from the surgery will be highest during the first few days after surgery. However, you will most likely be on pain medications so the pain should be moderate at worst. During week one the pain will reduce and should be mild to moderate.
During your recovery, your activity level will be significantly reduced. This decrease in movement can lead to fluid retention, increasing your swelling and bloating symptoms. Without being able to engage in the physical activity you usually would, you may even recognise a small weight gain. This is completely normal!
Getting a breast reduction when you need one can change all of that. On average, a breast reduction patient in my practice will lose anywhere from ten to twenty pounds in the first six months after surgery.
Most women who get breast reduction are very satisfied with the results. Men with conditions such as gynecomastia (in which male breasts are abnormally enlarged) may also have it. Because it's major surgery, you should know the benefits, potential complications, and what's involved in recovery.
Breast reduction is a major operation that can help make your breasts feel smaller, lighter and give them a better shape. If you're feeling very distressed about the size of your breasts, or they're causing problems like backache, you might be able to have a breast reduction on the NHS.
Start in a Recliner
Whether you've had breast augmentation or a mommy makeover, you'll need to sleep with your upper body elevated. This helps minimize fluid buildup and swelling around the surgical site, a side effect that could occur during the first two weeks of recovery.