body pillow for after surgery

Hi,
I am having surgery on Dec 13 for endometriosis, fibroids and possible adenomyosis (correct spelling?).

I was wondering what you all would recommend for pillows to help get comfortable and for sleeping after surgery? I saw a body pillow in a catalogue and it looked comfy, but sort difficult to get into and mover around on.

I also saw a wedge pillow for between the knees. Do these seem like helpful things to purchase?

Thanks!

MVM

I slept in a recliner for the first few weeks. I did not bother with special pillows. I have a body pillow, but it is not that comfy to me. I just bought a few extra regular pillows to use, and that worked well.

I bought a wedge pillow for my back and loved it! Still use every once and a while. I placed other pillows under my knees to help relieve pressure & pulling of my tummy and that worked well enough for me. Also, I had a pillow that I sould hold over my tummy in case of a cough, a sneeze, or a kitty !

Hope that helps!

s
Kari

I had a body pillow before I every knew I was going to have surgery and never knew how to sleep with it, now it is a godsend!
I am 4 weeks post-op and have always been a stomach sleeper. For my first few days home the body pillow was a protection, just to make sure I didn't get kicked in the night. In fact I kept telling everyone that I knew why all those sitcom ladies from the sixties didn't sleep with their husbands, it was because they had all had hysters and didn't want to get bumped in the night

Now, I am far enough along that I can sleep on my body pillow on my stomach and that feels really good. It is a bit cumbersome to move around in the night, but my hips really hurt when trying to sleep on my side with just a regular pillow and I usually have to change sides about every half hour to hour or so. I get more sleep with the body pillow.

I hope a different perspective helps.

I had a TAH/BSO on 10/28. My wonderful sister sent me a body pillow - all down - from Bath, Body and Beyond. It has been a god send! I use it especially to lay on my side or tuck behind my back. Now that I'm more recovered, I can use it to almost sleep on my tummy. With a vertical abdominal incision, I felt like a fish out of water trying to turn over and get comfy without any tummy muscles, this has helped. Be careful if you use a pillow under your knees, I was told in the hospital that it can cause blood clots.

Good luck,
Gail in Mn

OOPS!! Bed, Bath and Beyond - my mind is in recovery too!

Gail in MN

Hi MVM,

When my husband had surgery for a Hernia, The hospital gave him an adominal pillow (basically a baby pillow). Well, I now use his baby pillow! I just had a TAH on 11/08/04 and I carry that pillow on my belly everywhere. It is small enough so you can hold it on your lower belly when you walk, sit down on the toilet, and getting out of bed. It really helps when you have to sneeze or cough - ouch!!

Jen

I have a quick question regarding the tummy pillow. I am having a TVH, so no incision in the belly. Do I still need a tummy pillow and what kind is the best to use? I read baby pillow, but can't picture one in my mind. Thanks.

They sell travel pillows at Wal-Mart and Walgreens, which are basically the same size as baby pillows. They're really cheap, too!

Hi,

I had my body pillow a few weeks before surgery, and I liked it ok, but it was so big.

In the hospital the nurses brought me several pillows, and I felt like I was getting swallowed in pillows!

Back at home, My body pillow is a dream! I can almost sleep on my tummy. It allows me more range of positions to get rid of the gas. I still use my smaller pillow when I'm out in the living room in case of accident, or if I walk outside. My smaller pillow is just a used up standard sized pillow with a soft pillowcase.