Recovery after breast augmentation

InTheClover · 2025-11-19T12:47:46+00:00

After having children my already tiny breasts have virtually disappeared so I’m having a breast augmentation. If you’ve had one, I’d like to know your experience with recovery. I’m having submuscular implants and nothing huge, the aim is a C cup. I’ve been offered a date of the 7th Dec, and I’ll need to travel on the 15th (short 1h15 flight, it’s been ok’d with the surgeon). Do you think I’ll be ok doing it this close to Christmas? My kids are a bit older now so I don’t need to pick them up. I’ll be at home for the Christmas school holidays so plenty of time to recover, except for all of the Christmas prep! Would the Christmas prep be a good distraction from the discomfort or do you think it will make it all worse? My husband does the cooking, I’m usually in charge of shopping (which will already be done), wrapping and decorating. Has anyone else travelled so close to the op?

FcukBreastCancer · 19/11/2025 13:07

I've had breast surgery for different reasons and they offer 4 week sick note which seems standard

Original poster

InTheClover · 22/11/2025 22:07

Bumping to see if anyone else has advice.

I don’t have breast cancer so I think this is a different situation to yours #FcukBreastCancer, ie no tissue removal or chemo/radio treatment or the awful trauma/headfk of it all. I hope you’re getting through it ok and have all the support you need.

OP posts:

sharkstale · 22/11/2025 23:12

I had one in Jan 2024 and found the recovery fairly straightforward tbh. I'm not sure I would have been able to do Christmas right afterwards though, unless you're planning on watching everyone else prep for it while you relax on the sofa. You do have to take it easy afterwards and watch arm movements, any arm movements move the chest muscles (more than you realise, but you can feel it when in recovery).

P.s under the muscle, 300cc from an a cup. So absolutely not huge by any means. Intended for c cup, have ended up a d cup.

Original poster

InTheClover · 23/11/2025 00:30

Hi sharkstale, thanks for your response. Do you think wrapping presents and decorating a large Christmas tree would be too much to do in week 2? I won’t be doing any cooking.

OP posts:

FcukBreastCancer · 23/11/2025 10:20

I know mine is different, but I've had two surgeries now op and after the second one I was up and about quicker.
Avoid stretching too far above your head in the first week..I.e. dont put the decorations high on the tree. Pain was ok. I was cooking etc and could drive not longer after.

Ask if you will have a drain as that further limits you. Hopefully not if no tissue removal.

Original poster

InTheClover · 23/12/2025 23:01

FcukBreastCancer · 23/11/2025 10:20

I know mine is different, but I've had two surgeries now op and after the second one I was up and about quicker.
Avoid stretching too far above your head in the first week..I.e. dont put the decorations high on the tree. Pain was ok. I was cooking etc and could drive not longer after.

Ask if you will have a drain as that further limits you. Hopefully not if no tissue removal.

Oof FcukBreastCancer I’m at the end of week 2 now and the sensitivity is really hard to deal with. It’s better than week 1 where I couldn’t do much, but now entering week 3 I feel
like my boobs have been dipped in boiling water. It’s nerve pain, clearly. Quite different to the surgical pain, muscle tightnesd and bruising of week 1. Did you experience this kind of nerve pain? I find it debilitating when bad, as any kind of movement makes it flare. Good days and bad days though, though only one good day out of the last 4. Honestly if I’d known the pain would be at this level I don’t think I would have done it! Thinking about it though, my breasts have always been sensitive so I should have figured it might hurt more than for others. I do have a high pain tolerance, and live with pain elsewhere, but this nerve pain is a particular kind of pain, very sore and ‘burning’ while not actually being hot. My surgeon believes it’s all within the normal range for this point, and will improve, so I’m holding out for week 4….

OP posts:

CrazyCatMam · 23/12/2025 23:17

Had breast surgery when I was 25, wasn’t sore at all. A bit tender and stiff, but nothing major. Reaching up high would be a no no, but other than that you should be fine.

FcukBreastCancer · 24/12/2025 08:23

No I didnt get significant nerve pain
Was told it was a possibility and there are drugs such as gapapentin and amitriptyline if needed. Maybe call for advice if it's bad.

Ariel896 · 21/01/2026 03:21

InTheClover · 23/12/2025 23:01

Oof FcukBreastCancer I’m at the end of week 2 now and the sensitivity is really hard to deal with. It’s better than week 1 where I couldn’t do much, but now entering week 3 I feel
like my boobs have been dipped in boiling water. It’s nerve pain, clearly. Quite different to the surgical pain, muscle tightnesd and bruising of week 1. Did you experience this kind of nerve pain? I find it debilitating when bad, as any kind of movement makes it flare. Good days and bad days though, though only one good day out of the last 4. Honestly if I’d known the pain would be at this level I don’t think I would have done it! Thinking about it though, my breasts have always been sensitive so I should have figured it might hurt more than for others. I do have a high pain tolerance, and live with pain elsewhere, but this nerve pain is a particular kind of pain, very sore and ‘burning’ while not actually being hot. My surgeon believes it’s all within the normal range for this point, and will improve, so I’m holding out for week 4….

Show quote history

Hi wondering how you are doing now? I’m looking to get a breast augmentation but husband works offshore so would be gone by week 3. And have two kids. How many ccs do you get if you don’t mind me asking?

Original poster

InTheClover · 22/01/2026 00:06

Hi Ariel896,
I had the op 6 weeks ago, 250cc, under muscle, I was a flattened A cup, I was aiming for a C. I travelled abroad one week after the op…my surgeon reluctantly agreed to the travel but I’m a sensible person so I took care. At this stage I couldn’t lift a thing and was in a lot of pain. I travelled solo with the kids, and I had to have assistance (wheelchair!) at the airport as I couldn’t walk very far without awful muscle spasms. My children are 7 and 12, if they were younger then flying would have been a struggle. Codeine, paracetamol and Nurofen maxed out for the 1st week then reduced the codeine a lot due to awful constipation, ugh, but kept up the rest. I managed to decorate 2 Christmas trees (without stretching or raising arms above the shoulder) and wrap gifts, though I did as much pre-prep as possible. Week 2, 3 and 4 still a lot of pain and happy to not be going anywhere. Desperately missed having a hot bath! I flew again at the end of week 4. By week 5 started to feel a bit more normal and now week 6 I’m feeling good, still a bit twingey but not even paracetamol for the last few days. Having looked up lots of others’ experiences, I think my pain levels were very high comparatively. I can normally handle pain well, but this really was a lot. Christmas aside, I did nothing for the three weeks after that first flight, and I really needed that tine to recover. I hear some people feel fine after a week, so it just depends on the person.

My husband did all the cooking for the first month - I couldn’t lift a pan or chop veg. Even now a downward motion such as grating is not easy! Is it the beginning or the end of week three when your husband leaves? If the beginning I would say get help. If the end, you’ll get by depending on the age of your kids, but I would stock up your freezer so you don’t have to prep meals, and get someone else to clean your house (no mopping, hoovering etc). Driving is allowed but tricky. I drove a manual at the beginning of week 2 changing gears was madly painful. Also spinning the steering wheel. It’s little actions like that, that you normally wouldn’t even think about but that clearly use your chest muscles, that in my case would set my recovery back by a day or two and I would up the pain meds again.

So going from my experience, you’ll be fine as long as you don’t have to cook, clean, drive or lift anything! Could you employ a live in nanny/mother’s help for a couple of weeks? They would be able to cover all of the above.

OP posts:

Ariel896 · 22/01/2026 17:28

InTheClover · 22/01/2026 00:06

Hi Ariel896,
I had the op 6 weeks ago, 250cc, under muscle, I was a flattened A cup, I was aiming for a C. I travelled abroad one week after the op…my surgeon reluctantly agreed to the travel but I’m a sensible person so I took care. At this stage I couldn’t lift a thing and was in a lot of pain. I travelled solo with the kids, and I had to have assistance (wheelchair!) at the airport as I couldn’t walk very far without awful muscle spasms. My children are 7 and 12, if they were younger then flying would have been a struggle. Codeine, paracetamol and Nurofen maxed out for the 1st week then reduced the codeine a lot due to awful constipation, ugh, but kept up the rest. I managed to decorate 2 Christmas trees (without stretching or raising arms above the shoulder) and wrap gifts, though I did as much pre-prep as possible. Week 2, 3 and 4 still a lot of pain and happy to not be going anywhere. Desperately missed having a hot bath! I flew again at the end of week 4. By week 5 started to feel a bit more normal and now week 6 I’m feeling good, still a bit twingey but not even paracetamol for the last few days. Having looked up lots of others’ experiences, I think my pain levels were very high comparatively. I can normally handle pain well, but this really was a lot. Christmas aside, I did nothing for the three weeks after that first flight, and I really needed that tine to recover. I hear some people feel fine after a week, so it just depends on the person.

My husband did all the cooking for the first month - I couldn’t lift a pan or chop veg. Even now a downward motion such as grating is not easy! Is it the beginning or the end of week three when your husband leaves? If the beginning I would say get help. If the end, you’ll get by depending on the age of your kids, but I would stock up your freezer so you don’t have to prep meals, and get someone else to clean your house (no mopping, hoovering etc). Driving is allowed but tricky. I drove a manual at the beginning of week 2 changing gears was madly painful. Also spinning the steering wheel. It’s little actions like that, that you normally wouldn’t even think about but that clearly use your chest muscles, that in my case would set my recovery back by a day or two and I would up the pain meds again.

So going from my experience, you’ll be fine as long as you don’t have to cook, clean, drive or lift anything! Could you employ a live in nanny/mother’s help for a couple of weeks? They would be able to cover all of the above.

This was so helpful! Thank you so much!
Really appreciate it 🌺

PixieDust91 · 22/01/2026 17:32

Recovery won't be bad. But are you flying after surgery? That's the part I'm concerned with. I was in no shape to move, let alone fly, after my plastic surgery 😬

Ariel896 · 22/01/2026 18:47

PixieDust91 · 22/01/2026 17:32

Recovery won't be bad. But are you flying after surgery? That's the part I'm concerned with. I was in no shape to move, let alone fly, after my plastic surgery 😬

Really? No I’m not flying, but my husband works abroad so he will be home with my 8 year old and 3 year old for two weeks and then leave. Surgeon today said can’t pick up 3 year old until week 3 😭 I’m getting 275cc over the muscle if that makes any difference

Original poster

InTheClover · 25/01/2026 22:24

Over the muscle recovery is much easier and quicker. Under the muscle is so much harder because they have to pull apart done very tight muscles to place the implant. I’m still not sure I’d want to lift a 3 yr old after 3 weeks though! Think of your internal stitches…ouch!

OP posts:

Ariel896 · 26/01/2026 21:04

InTheClover · 25/01/2026 22:24

Over the muscle recovery is much easier and quicker. Under the muscle is so much harder because they have to pull apart done very tight muscles to place the implant. I’m still not sure I’d want to lift a 3 yr old after 3 weeks though! Think of your internal stitches…ouch!

Yes you’re totally right!
how are you feeling now? Are you pleased with the results? Is it all worth it???