Lifting restrictions post hysterectomy?

Oh wow I'm so pleased to hear that very pleased

Thanks Mystery! You've been a great help! Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Gee I had no idea. Dr took out the cervix and everything else but said I could go back to whatever I used to do but go back slowly. I used to lift a lot if heavy things.not sure what to do about going back tot he gym now either. I feel like I aged 20 years bc of this.

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Originally Posted by HopeNJesus Hello. My surgeon told me at my 7 week checkup, "don't lift more than 20 pounds." I asked, "for how long?" She looked up at me surprised and said, "Forever." She said any woman over age 40 should be careful not to lift over 20 pounds due to prolapse risk!!!! I was stunned. I asked a friend who had a different surgeon and she said that surgeon told her the same thing!! Both surgeons seem to do a lot of prolapse surgeries and are warning women against lifting. I'm a little nervous now because I went back to work this week at 8week post tah and I'm an outside sales rep and can't seem to get around lifting my heavy rolling bag in and out of car. I need it for my job. Has anyone else had a Tah and lifted afterwards or had their doctor give them lifting restriction?

I am going to be 36 and am 8 weeks post op tah. My doctors did not give me this restriction but just told me to listen to my body and pay attention to how I am lifting. After reading this though I will pay extra attention to how and how much weight I lift. Good luck and please be careful.

@ mysterylady there is only 1 child and he's almost 2. I only lift him in and out of the crib at least once each and in and out of his booster seat to eat. That he can pretty much slide off of and the crib deal takes maybe 2 seconds each time.

I should stress my first week back I only worked 2 days and had a day off in between. The next week I worked the full 3 days in a row without a day off. Also my help that I had lined up flaked on me ( that's what I get for relying on my niece for help). Plus he's really good at playing by himself and doesn't really need me to constantly keep an eye on him. I am able to sit and rest anytime I want to and I can nap when he does.

I also don't have to go back to see my Dr until June. I should stress the only reason I had to have my hysterectomy was because I had uterine cancer. My Dr is head of the Gyn Oncology department at a major teaching hospital in the city close to where I live.

I am getting very concerned by all that I am hearing here. I am due for my 6 week check in 2 days. I was told at my 2 week no more than 10 pounds that required abdominal pressure. (No squats and/or lifting with anything that required abdominals) I lift weights, haul books and own a small cafe for a living. My doctor suggested kegel weights once I am cleared to help strengthen the pelvic floor because of how active I am. I just ordered a set from Amazon. Already, I am on forced medical leave from one job, I can train others at the gym, but not myself and I have had to close and rethink things at my cafe. Personally, I can curl up to 20 pounds sitting down and a gallon of milk weights almost 10 pounds and am very concerned about my future after reading all of this. Has anyone out there not had problems with lifting after surgery? How do you know if you have over done it?

Thank you Mysterlady, i am trying to change my lifestyle now. Very sad to see what is happening now. I already had health issues prior to surgery like acid reflex/IBS and insomia.
Heavy strength training made me sleep in the past and now that is out of question.
I am having non stop stomach pain/acid reflex (I have quit smoking and drinking about 4 months now) from last week thought it will go away but no.
I will call my GP tomorrow about it.
Only thing i am exercising walking on treadmill
Thanks for support sisters.

Neha

My dr also said no lifting over 20 lbs at my 6 week check up....I work as a cashier and some people come through with large bags of dog food or cat litter, I've had to ask them to leave it in the cart. She didnt tell me it was because of prolapse issues, she just said not to do it.

Regarding Lifting Restrictions: Did your dr. mention the development of abdominal adhesions post-op? As an R.N. I learned in nursing school that lifting, straining, trauma, etc., post-op may cause bleeding, and can later cause adhesions to form post-op. Avoid the formation of adhesions at all costs so that adhesion removal years later won't be needed. Adhesions can form and then later cause bowel obstruction, which can be a serious situation. I am 6 days post-op from a vaginal hysterectomy and prolapse repair so am taking the advice to heart.

I hope this helps. Of course, everyone doesn't get adhesions, but we don't know who will.

Here are two sources of information I found online:

Abdominal surgery is the most frequent cause of abdominal adhesions.
• Abdominal adhesions that cause a complete intestinal obstruction are life-threatening and require immediate medical attention and often surgery.

and--

Adhesion formation remains a major complication after lower abdominal and gynecologic operations. Although more of these procedures are now being done through use of a small incision and a scope (laparoscopy), the rate of adhesion formation has not significantly decreased.

Hi thanks so much for that information my surgeon didnt mention any of that to me and I suppose he wouldn't he's proberly giving us so much information at the time that he felt he didnt need to go into all those details he just stressed that I wasn't able to do much and that I have to really take it easy I see my surgeon tomorrow for my 3 week check up and I think I'll ask him if that's the reason why we haven't to lift during our recovery I asked before the surgery if the recovery from a rectocele was the same as when I had my TAH and he said no it's a lot longer recovery and he didn't mean it was a more painful recovery he said the TAH was about 6 weeks but the prolapse was about 12 weeks thanks so much it's been very helpful