Not all surgeons require a binder, however, mine did and I was to stay in this little thing for 6 weeks. That was super nice to help rinse my hair. Either way, make sure what you get is lightweight, easy to move in and out of the space and has handles for you to hold onto. I don’t necessarily think that I would need a backrest as it is difficult to sit up straight anyway, but you might want to consider one. I did borrow this one and it worked just fine. Having a shower chair was critical to making sure that I could still get clean but also be safe. I was too tired, to unstable, not able to stand straight, you name it. For me, my doctor said that within 48 hours I could take a shower. Shower Chairĭepending on your doctor’s orders your shower time will vary. Once I was able to comfortably wear leggings, I was in my trusty LuLaRoe’s because the waistband is not binding and they are super soft. It was easy to use the restroom in, it was soft and lightweight and totally the perfect item to lounge in.

I also purchased this nightgown that I loved. The nurse said it was perfect because they just slipped it over my head and we were off. I had a tube top babydoll type dress that I wore for the first couple days. Going home from surgery the nurse helps you dress. I am the queen of comfy clothing and believe me you will want to be really comfortable and in clothing that is easy to move around in. It is hard to stand up straight and well, stand up at all, so having something to support yourself with is really critical in my opinion. It also allowed me to be more independent which was really nice. It was truly necessary and I am not sure how I would have been able to do it without this.

I borrowed this walker and was SO glad that I had that on hand to help me get around. I actually had timers set on my phone to make sure that I was moving around every 2-3 hours and at least taking a lap around our main floor, nice and slow. The doctors recommend it and you will need to use the restroom at some point. It is important that you get up and walk around after surgery. You will need help, plan for it now…then plan back ups. He made sure that even on the days he had to work, that our kids were with my mom or aunt and that a friend or family member was by my side to help me move around, take my meds and overall make sure I was ok. It was critical that I had a care team and my husband was incredible through this. I literally slept, took my meds, ate a few things and slept some more. I did not take care of my children, my husband, mother and aunt were taking care of all of that. I had 24 hour care for the first week of recovery. Obviously acetaminophen was recommended by the doctor to help with pain and inflammation and the scar gel went on after the steri strips came off. The protein drinks were great to have as I wasn’t super hungry but protein is important for your body especially while healing from surgery. On my table you could find arnica tablets, protein drinks, pineapple juice, scar gel, saltine crackers and acetaminophen.Īrnica tablets and the pineapple juice are suppose to help with swelling, and I will say that I personally had very minimal swelling. My bedside table was super helpful for me to get through the recovery, especially in the first week. I know these are not the greatest photos, but rest assured, I will link them so you can easily click and order. I thought I would share my must have tummy tuck recovery items with you in case you are prepping for this surgery too! I am NOT a doctor, so please understand that these are only my recommendations from personal experience and that this is not medical advice. I was actually very prepared for this surgery as I had a few friends that had done this same surgery with my same doctors. You can see my bedside table included water, some crackers and a few other items. Recovery wasn’t easy, but the items that I had to help made it bearable. I kept a table next to me so I could easily access prescriptions, snacks and anything else I needed. I had a walker to move around when I needed to use the restroom or get up to move. You can see that I lived in a recliner, supported by pillows. No shame folks, that was some major surgery for some major results. This was me, where I lived, how I got around and what life looked like. My husband took this picture of me about 5 days into recovery. This is easily the longest recovery I have ever had and I remember at 5 weeks, still dealing with the exhaustion and need to sleep more often than not. I have been really making sure that I am allowing my body the time to really recover. I cannot believe that I am approaching 2 months post tummy tuck this week. I am so glad I shared about my experience and today I am sharing more on my recovery and a printable tummy tuck preparation list for those considering surgery! Tummy tuck recovery is always at the top of conversations lately.

Things needed for tummy tuck recovery