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.
Simply put, sleeping on your back keeps your breasts in an optimal position for healing. We therefore recommend you keep this position for eight to 12 weeks post-surgery. Some online sources suggest four to six weeks are enough, but you will continue healing beyond this short window of time.
Tips for Sleeping After Breast Reduction
Keeping your head and feet elevated helps to reduce swelling by promoting circulation and preventing fluid buildup around the surgical site and extremities. This can greatly increase your comfort and help promote the body's natural healing process.
After several days, when swelling and bruising have gone down, you can usually sleep flat on your back if you feel comfortable doing so. However, it's important that you don't sleep on your side or roll onto your side in your sleep.
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.
Don't lift, push, or pull objects heavier than 5 to 10 pounds (2.3 to 5.4 kilograms) for 6 weeks after surgery. Keep this in mind when grocery shopping, lifting children, or doing laundry. Don't do strenuous exercises (such as running, jogging, or jumping) for 6 weeks after surgery.
2-4 Weeks Post Surgery
Between two and four weeks, you will be returning to your normal activities, although some movements may cause minor discomfort. It is not uncommon to have itching as your incisions heal. Swelling should be noticeably reduced. You still need to remain in a soft bra without an underwire.
While it is possible to sleep on your side after breast surgery, it comes with some medical concerns that aren't worth the risk. Instead, most plastic surgeons recommend that patients who have had breast surgery sleep exclusively on their backs until they are fully healed.
One should really wait at least 6 months prior to assess the final size and shape of the breasts after undergoing your procedure.
You should avoid going braless before the six-week mark after your surgery. Dr. Howland requires patients to wear their compression bra for several weeks at all times except when bathing to aid the healing process.
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.
Immediately after surgery your breasts will be swollen, quite high on your chest, and cone-shaped. The nipples may also appear to be too low. In the first three months the shape changes significantly.
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!
When can I sleep without a bra after breast reduction? Patients should wear a compression bra throughout the recovery, that is for about 8 weeks (it can be underwire-free bra or front closure bra, or any other type of bra).
The pain is usually caused by bruising, stretching or damage to nerves during surgery or when scar tissue forms. It seems to affect more people who have had surgery to the upper outer part of the breast and the armpit. These areas are particularly vulnerable to nerve injury.
The most dangerous threat from flying after plastic surgery is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) which occurs when potentially fatal blood clots form, most likely due to immobility. It's therefore generally advised that you wait a minimum of two weeks for short-haul flights and four weeks for long-haul trips.
Avoid any physical activity that might place stress on your incisions. Don't bend over, lift objects or lift your arms up over your head.
One of the first things you need to do is 'walk every single day' post breast reduction. Walking is amazing for increasing blood flow which eventually leads to quick recovery of body tissues and muscles. It is a good idea to gently stretch once your incisions are fully healed.
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.
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.
While you won't lose much weight from a breast reduction surgery, your appearance will change, and you will look slimmer. Large breasts tend to change the proportion of your figure and make you appear bigger. When the breast size is altered, it has a slimming effect.
Typically, most women drop one or two cup sizes with breast reduction surgery. This is usually sufficient to alleviate the many problems associated with overly-large breasts, while still maintaining an attractive and proportionate body shape.