Re: Swimming

Hi Everyone,

I'm 16 days post-op and I've been invited to a bar-b-que for Memorial day. I forgot to ask my doctor when I saw him for my first visit on Tuesday, if it would be alright for me to get into the water and do a little swimming. Do any of you have any suggestions as to should I or shouldn't I?

Thanks,

(((faith))) You really need to get your DR's OK before going swimming. Each DR has his or her preference about this. Mine told me that the 'nothing in the vagina for six weeks and until cleared' rule included water (as in baths, swimming pools, spas and the ocean), due to the danger of infection as well as the potential for irritation of unhealed tissue by chlorinated or brominated water (it is VERY drying).

So... I'd call the DR's office and ask. And, if you're not able to get the DR's OK, I'd err on the side of caution and stay out of the water this weekend.

s,
-Linda

faith05=

Great question. I hadn't even thought of that. We are having a Mem. Day cookout but our pool is still too cold to swim.

I was looking forward to swimming with the kids a lot this year ( I couldn't the past two years cause my hair was colored blond and it turned green if I swam more than once...now I'm back to brown).

Guess I won't do any swimming until I talk to the doctor.

Thanks for asking this.

lynn39

I also think this is a great question! We are getting our new pool put in on Memorial Weekend and my Surgery is scheduled for June 1st! Bummer for me because I'm the one who pushed for getting the pool and now wont be able to use it for a while. I guess it will happen sooner or later but am greatly dissappointed. I assume it will be a while as we use our stomach muscles a lot in the pool. Anyway, I guess my family will benefit from it and it will keep them out of my hair somewhat. I'll definitely ask my Dr. next time I see him and let you know what he says. Best wishes, Kat

mine said to stay out of public pools until the scar was healed (I had a SAH so no internal vaginal stitching) - but that if it was a private pool it would be ok.

Good pt. bikery-chicky. Never thought about the difference. Now I really can't wait to ask my doctor. Thanks for the info.

lynn39

I agree with surferbabe. My doc just cleared me for tub baths at 5 weeks but warned against pools (chlorine) and natural waters (germs, and all kinds of other little floaties! Yuck) I would check with the doc before hand

I am a very avid swimmer, I swim 1 mile (72 laps) a day, mostly at Bally's but during the summer at my neighborhood pool (we have a separate lap pool from the rec pool) and I love to get a tan (I know bad for the skin but at least I'm olive) and this is what my doctor said to me after SAH at my 2 week checkup:

"No swimming until 4 weeks post due to the risk of infection from bacteria in a public pool. If you had your own pool in your backyard you could swim now but not in a public pool. Physically you could go ahead and swim now and I would never know unless you got an infection and then I would know right away."

Every doctor is different, there is one sister on here whose doctor let her swim 2 weeks post because pools are chlorinated. I really thought that was what chlorine and ph was for to kill the germs and bacteria in the pool. ASK YOUR DOCTOR!

And because I swim so much I really didn't think you used your abs that much but on that first swim I found out you do!

Cindy


P.S. I did a search on the internet and the risk from getting infections from the actual pool are very minimal (like 1 in a 1,000,000)--it's the rest of the gym that's risky. And one of the TV stations did a report on gyms and they basically said the only safe place is the pool because it is checked by the health dept. regularly and the chemicals in it kill bacteria.

I specifically asked this question at my 3 week checkup because my youngest daughter had a Girl Scout swim party the upcoming weekend (appt. was on a Tuesday). He told me to go ahead. I didn't, but it was nice to know I could. I feel the frustration with summer coming on. School is already out here in Alabama and I know my kids expect lots of trips to the pool at the Y. Call your docs office and ask them.

I asked my doc at my 3 week post-op appointment if I could go in the pool and he said it would be fine. This was only after he examinged me and made sure I was healing. When I first asked him at my pre-op he said no swimming until he saw me at 3 weeks.