Upcoming hysterectomy 2/24: Managing showering/bathing post-op

I'm wondering when showering is allowed after surgery and how you managed cleaning down there. My doc will use my previous C-section bikini incision. I'm a plus size girl and I'm worried that I will have to do more bending/reaching. I just want to be as prepared as possible and if there is anything that I could get in advance to help myself I would like to get it.

Also, I have read that some doctors allow showers right away and some don't.

Thanks!

a detachable shower head is the best investment, you can gently rinse any delicate tissue without straining to lift/move surgical areas to reach the water flow.

Hi Ronda, nice to meet you!

I had my TAH last July and was in the hospital for 4 days/4 nights. On Day 3, they finally removed my catheter and 2 nursing assistants helped me to have a shower... it was awesome! They wrapped plastic wrap around me to protect my incision and staples. I did not have the strength or stamina to do it myself at that point. Once I got home, I put a stacking stool in the tub when I had my showers for the first few weeks. My daughter or husband would be near by if I needed them and for the first few times, I did need some help with drying myself off. A detachable shower head would have been a great idea! We don't have one of those.

I was told it was important to make sure that your incision was kept as dry as possible. Welcome to this wonderful community and feel free to ask as many questions as you like, we are here for you.

I had dissolving sutures under the skin with superglue on top, no dressing or anything. I was allowed to shower the morning after my surgery and it felt great even though the hospital shower was kind of lousy. I Did not have to bend or reach a lot to shower, it was no problem at all. I just patted my incision with a soft, wet soapy washcloth and then let the water run over it to rinse. I was easily able to wash my hair also.

I see you're having a TAH, as I did. Mine came with a three-day hospital stay. A nurse came by every morning and helped me with a sponge path of my upper body. When I was released, I was told that showers would be no problem. Soap the area *above* the incision and let the soapy water run down over it. Then let clear water run down over it to rinse. *Pat* (don't rub) dry afterwards. (Here I should perhaps mention that my incision was closed by 38 staples.)

I took a shower as soon as I got home! I'd been wearing compression stockings the entire time I was in the hospital. I was able to wash my legs and feet by leaning against the wall of the shower stall and lifting first one leg, then the other. (Other sisters have recommended a shower stool for this purpose.) I was also able to wash my hair, no problem.

Do *not* bath until you have your doctor's permission. You'll got all sorts of incisions healing, both on your belly and up your vagina. Most doctors will want you to wait at least four weeks before bathing. Check with yours. Until then, stick to showers.

Thank you sisters!! Your responses are helping to put my mind at ease.

My discharge instructions said I could shower on Day 3. I was discharged (my choice) on day 2. I had a LAVH and with my first shower I was still using a narcotic (Percocet) so I was a little concerned that I might be unsteady. I was not, but I had my DH stay with me in the bathroom just in case. I was easily able to cleanse my body with a soft wash cloth and wash and rinse my hair by myself. DH handed me my towel but I did not need any help drying off. I felt like a new woman after that first shower! I am now on Day 10 and have been showering every other day, but NEVER if I am home alone, just to be on the safe side.

I didn't have incisions, but I will say that besides following directions for your incision, your steadiness is just as important.

I took a shower by myself on day 4/5, but only because my husband was home. Shaving my legs was difficult (I probably should not have even attempted that in my small stand up shower).

Move slow and follow your gut if something doesn't feel right.