Do’s and don’t’s for hysterectomies?

[Teawithfrenchtoast]

I have been on the w/l for a hysterectomy due to fibroids for the last 10months. I’ve had some recent complications and ended up haemorrhaging and being being admitted to gynae twice recently. Due to this my hysterectomy has been expedited. I’ve received my pre op appt for the end of June and now I’m a little nervous! Is there anything I should be doing to prepare for surgery? Any advice from those that have had hysterectomies as to how best to prepare? Any tips for pre and post op? thank you ☺️

Don't let them talk you into cervix or ovary removal - do your own research and make a decision that you are happy with!

Batch cook and fill the freezer.
Put the vacuum, iron, full size kettle, car keys in a cupboard until you’re fully recovered.

I had fibroids, ovaries, tubes, uterus, cervix removed. My choice. Your choice soon.
In hospital always take offered painkillers even if not in pain. Be ahead of the game so you don’t have to wait for the effects to kick in.
ASAP post-op try to get up and take a step or two. Each day add a few more steps.
Learn to pick up between your big toe and second toe then bend your knee to feed your foot up to your hand. What I mean is don’t bend down.
If being washed, ask to have your teeth cleaned.

Travel home with two pillows, one under your bum and one between your tummy and seat belt.
Rest. Eat well. Take it easy to fully recover.
Best of luck. x

Everything @GonzWidDeWind said.

I had full open surgery removing everything which was the only viable option for me, and, in hindsight, should have understood better that my recovery would be lengthy.

Be prepared to be way more tired and for longer than you expect. I naively thought it wouldn't be much worse than my emergency C-section and was quite shocked at how debilitating it was initially.

They may offer you morphine for pain relief but this can make you sick and constipated so avoid if you can manage on paracetamol etc. Don't allow yourself to become constipated- Dulcoease was a godsend.

Walk as much as you are comfortable with every day. That may be very little at first. I managed the garden gate and back after a couple of days and it took a while!

Get some big plain cotton pants, I bought a pack from Sainsbury's that were great, not tight but definitely supportive- I felt like everything inside was wobbly- as if I was carrying a very full bowl of boiling oil that would burn if I jolted it at all.
Do not cough or sneeze without holding your tummy!

It seemed OTT but I got a stool to sit on in the shower, and also expanded to using it when I was prepping dinner.

The lifting thing is so easy to ignore- I can't emphasise enough how important it is to not do it. I thought I was good at not pushing my limits but 4 years later I am awaiting surgery for pelvic floor prolapse issues.

I’m currently recovering from one I had 2 days ago. If you sleep on your side then use a pillow to snuggle your tummy into. Mine feels like it’s being pulled a little when I’m on my side but I was able to support it with a pillow overnight and it made a massive difference.

I’ve also borrowed my mum’s walking stick which is very handy to lean on when I’m standing up from the sofa (I’m staying at my parents’ house so she has it when she needs it) and I have a chair set up beside the bed to lean on when I’m getting up.

Don’t over do.

A side effect of the operation which no one tells you about is pain, in your shoulder. It’s horrible.

Buy jelly babies, peppermint tea, etc as you may be constipated afterwards. Not pleasant, but true.

Batch cook meals before hand.

Enjoy sitting and reading books, watching old films, Wimbledon etc. Quite enjoyed this aspect of recovery.

The anaesthetic can make you feel tired for a couple of days.

I felt I recovered quite quickly and was walking fairly soon. However, listen to your body and be guided by it.

@marriednotdead has reminded me of lots of good points. Like her I had abdominal surgery (the consultant agreeing where I wanted the incision) and we both note how easy it can be to underestimate time needed for full recovery. It is tiring, you’ll sleep a lot, you need to rest. Walking will be slow but is very important. I can’t emphasise this enough. The nurses cheered me on. Big knickers which don’t rest on your wound are a must. Hold your tummy as married says. I used a high bar stool for the first few days so I could slide off and had less to lever up from. Get someone to hold you when moving from vertical to horizontal (into bed) until you can manage yourself.
Unlike @marriednotdead, having had an elective CS 30 years before, I found the total hysterectomy easier. Keep stools loose and prepare for trapped wind.
Take it easy, accept all help offered and don’t rush to be too independent.
Fibroids? They arrived, brought their mates and took over when I wasn’t looking! Never mind. They allowed me to kiss goodbye to smears. Ultimately it’s your choice OP.

Thank you for the tips and advice so far! I’ve just ordered some Dulcoease from Amazon so I’ll be prepared with that, and will add peppermint tea to my shopping list for the weekend. I’ll buy big knickers and tummy cushions too.

I had a hysterectomy in 1991 because of endometriosis. Unfortunately, adhesions caused by the endometriosis meant that my surgeon wasn't able to remove my cervix. Then, in 1997, I was diagnosed with cancer of the cervix and had to undergo another lot of major surgery to remove my cervix and lymph glands.
I just wanted to share my own experience for you to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of having your cervix removed.
Sending you very best wishes for your surgery and recovery 💐

I was really nervous before mine, but the relief afterwards was amazing. My advice would be to get plenty of rest beforehand, prep some easy meals, and make sure you have help at home for the first couple of weeks.

After surgery, don't rush recovery, even if you start feeling good. Take it easy and listen to your body. Wishing you a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery ❤️.

I've been bleeding for 14 months due to fibroids, have haemorrhaged a few times, needed infusions and daily meds and have been in excruciating pain throughout. They've finally expedited the surgery and I'll be having an open hysterectomy in 2 weeks. I'm terrified. This last year has stolen so much from me that I feel like my body isn't my own. I've lost my health, a significant amount of fitness and all my confidence. I can't imagine a world where the surgery doesn't go wrong or I don't have a protracted and complicated recovery. I genuinely think I feel traumatised by it all.

I hope you don't mind me joining your thread for some positive advice.

Not at all, it sounds like we’ve had similar stories. I’ve been having issues with bleeding for the last 3 years due to fibroids, had a fibroidectomy via hysteroscopy 20months ago, then the largest fibroid removed grew back quickly, even bigger than before it was removed! I’ve been on decapeptyl injections to shrink the fibroids prior to surgery, but have bled continuously through that time. The bouts of haemorrhaging have been pretty scary!

I hope your surgery goes well and you finally have some closure on this chapter of your life ❤️

I had mine 10 years ago. I didn't have fibroid or endo thankfullu, but my mum did when she had hers. It's given both of us a new lease of life. Honestly, what ever happens, it will be worth it. I had a rough recovery, took longer than expected, but even so, it was so, so worth it. Loads of good advice on here. Just prep well, take any support and help on offer and don't over do it in the early days. You'll be grateful for it soon enough. Best of luck

Sounds like we definitely have similar stories. I've been having problems for a similar amount of time but the continuous bleeding has been since April 2025. They've tried everything and nothing works.

I'm on Zoladex to shrink everything and they said that would stop the bleeding as well. It's made no difference and actually, I've also been transferred to a consultant with a shorter waiting list so that it can be done quickly and she only does open surgery. So even if everything has shrunk, laparoscopic surgery isn't possible anyway. The biggest fibroid was melon sized, two the size of tennis balls and "dozens" of smaller ones. Maybe they'll be smaller and the open surgery will be easier?

The haemorrhaging is awful. My lowest point was standing at the parking pay point outside A&E scooping clots out of my shoes into a carrier bag and leaving an actual trail behind me. I've never been so demoralised or humiliated.

I think my surgery is before yours so I'll come back and tell you it was a walk in the park!

Buy one of those grabber things like what street cleaners have, they are a god send when you drop things.
Buy a size larger jogger bottoms so you have no pressure on your stomach.
Rest and don't do too much. Look online and you will find information on what you can do and when, like cooking, ironing etc. You might be surprised how long you have to wait before you can do things again.
Good luck for your op

Gosh, really feeling for you both, @ShowOfHands and @Teawithfrenchtoast. My mum was very similar with hers, she'd spent her whole life prior feeling utterly awful. She was astonished by the new feeling of 'normal'. Couldn't believe it was how everyone felt all the time! It's been like that for me too and I wasn't half as bad.

If you do have the full renovation, you’ll go straight in to menopause. Make sure they are on the ball and have HRT ready for you. I started mine a week after surgery and it made a massive difference to the recovery.

I understand your terror @ShowOfHandsas I felt exactly the same. This is routine surgery to the medics and as an anaesthetist once pointed out on here you’ll be in the safest place on earth in theatre with so many specialists looking after you. They’re clever people.
In two weeks’ time you’ll have no bleeding, no haemorrhaging, no infusions, be on the way to a pain-free and confident life in which you have control.
Take the recovery slowly. That’s the key.
I’m holding your hand, will carry on holding it until you stroll out of the hospital with a smile knowing you’ve done it. 🤝

Oh another thing I just thought of, unscented soap for when you’re washing during recovery. I hadn’t thought about that until the nurses told me to only use unscented until my stitches have all healed. Such a simple thing that I just hadn’t considered.

Hi OP, I had a hysterectomy last September at 42 due to three huge fibroids. I had my cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes removed, but kept my ovaries. Post-op I was informed they also discovered I had endometriosis and adenomyosis – three chronic conditions in total.

Eight months on, I can honestly say it was the best decision I could have made. I can't believe how much better I feel now. I'd got so used to feeling unwell that it had become my "normal”.

I echo all the advice PPs have given. A few things that really helped me were a brand-new litter picker so I could pick things up without bending or straining, and an instant hot water machine. I love to drink tea, and once I was able to slowly walk to the kitchen, being able to make my own drinks was a lifesaver, especially when my husband and children were out during the day. I still use it now!

Don't feel guilty about recovering – it's such an important part of the process. Enjoy the TV, books, podcasts completely guilt-free. I was a bit silly and worked right up until my surgery. Looking back, I wish I'd taken a few days of annual leave beforehand to give myself time to mentally transition from a fast-paced job into surgery and recovery mode.

Oh and I was very careful about sex post op - waited way longer than the advised 8 weeks to have sex again - more like 16 weeks. I was not taking any chances damaging my cuff!!

Good luck xx

A few more questions have popped into my head. How long did you stay in hospital after your hysterectomy? Or did you go home the same day? Am I better with pjs or a nightie?

Is it a full stomach incision ? I'm guessing by your post above it's vaginal?

@marriednotdead prolapse is often caused by removal of uterus?

Admitted Thursday. Had the op later that day. Discharged after breakfast on Sunday morning.

Some of the responses seem a bit extreme if you're having pinhole surgery with vaginal extraction. I had this, was in hospital 2 nights but should have been 1 night, mainly as I had to wait until I'd done a poo before they let me out! After 2 days I had no pain at all, just felt very wobbly inside, it's hard to describe. And I'm usually a real wimp. I didn't get the shoulder pain.

Wear baggy trousers and big pants. I was walking around straightaway, but the advice not to bend over or carry anything heavy is very important. Once I bent over to get a plate from the dishwasher and felt a stab of pain which could have been an internal stitch breaking.

You don't say if you have anyone at home to help, which makes a huge difference, even someone to put your shoes on etc.
You could practice getting out of bed using your arms more, not tensing i tne stomach area, you don't realise how you normally do it till you try!

Also, I was persuaded to have everything out and now wish I'd kept my ovaries because of the hormones.

I’m 7 weeks post op and had everything removed via keyhole surgery.
I was admitted at 7:30am and home by 7pm.
Going for a poo hurts so make sure to take plenty of dulcoease to make it easier.
If possible, have someone around for the first few days to help you walk to the bathroom, bring you food and drinks etc.
I bought some comfortable compression socks from Amazon to wear for the first couple of weeks as I was sleeping a lot and they really helped!
I hope everything goes well xx