Things to Have at Home After a Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is an odd operation to shop for, because the things that make the difference are not the things people expect. Nobody warns you about the swelling that makes your own trousers hurt, or that the lifting restriction includes the kettle when it is full, or that you will want something warm on your abdomen at two in the morning.

This is a list organised around what actually happens, rather than by category. It covers abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy, which differ in recovery time but share most of the practical problems. Recovery is usually quoted at six to eight weeks for an abdominal hysterectomy and two to four for a vaginal or keyhole one, and the restrictions on lifting are similar in both.

Get these in before the operation. Ordering things while you are sore and tired is an errand you will resent.

The links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only list things that are genuinely useful during recovery.

For the first week: getting out of bed

You will not be able to sit straight up. Your abdominal muscles are what you would normally use, and they are the ones that have been through surgery.

A wedge pillow is the item most people say they would buy first if they did it again. Sleeping propped at an angle takes the stretch off the abdominal wall, which is why lying flat hurts, and it makes getting up dramatically easier because you start halfway there.

A cushion to hug. Small, firm, and kept on the bed. You press it against your abdomen before you cough, sneeze, or laugh, which turns a sharp jolt into something manageable. It is called splinting and it is the best free trick in recovery. You also hug it against your stomach when you sleep on your side, which supports the wound.

A bed rail or grab handle, if your bed is low or you live alone. It gives you something to lever against instead of straining the middle of your body.

Our guide to sleeping after abdominal surgery covers the log roll technique, which is how you get in and out without using the abdomen at all.

For the swelling nobody warns you about

Your abdomen will swell. It is often called “swelly belly”, it can last weeks or months, and it fluctuates through the day, worse by evening. It is not a complication and it is not permanent, but it does mean nothing in your wardrobe fits comfortably.

High-waisted underwear, several sizes up. The waistband must sit well above the incision, not across it. If you had an abdominal hysterectomy the incision is usually low, along the bikini line, and ordinary underwear elastic lands exactly on it. Soft, seamless, full-brief styles are what you want. Buy more pairs than you think, because you will be washing often.

Loose trousers with a soft waistband. Same principle. Nothing with a button or zip at the front for at least a few weeks.

An abdominal support binder is worth considering, particularly after an abdominal hysterectomy. Gentle compression makes coughing, standing and walking noticeably more comfortable for many people, and it is often supplied by the hospital. Ask first: some surgical teams recommend one and some prefer you without it.

For the bleeding and discharge

Expect some vaginal bleeding or brownish discharge for anywhere from a few days to six weeks, whichever type of hysterectomy you had. It usually tapers gradually.

Sanitary pads, not tampons. Nothing goes into the vagina until your surgeon says so, usually at the six-week check, because there is an internal suture line healing at the top of the vagina. This matters and is not a suggestion.

Buy a range of absorbencies. Heavier for the first days, thin liners for the tail end. Buy more than you expect to use.

Disposable pants are worth having for the first week, when leaks are most likely and laundry is the last thing you want to be doing.

A peri bottle may sound like a maternity item, and plenty of people recovering from a vaginal hysterectomy find it genuinely helpful. It lets you rinse rather than wipe, which is gentler when everything is sore.

Bleeding that suddenly becomes heavy, soaking a pad an hour, or that smells offensive, needs a call to your team. Our guide on bleeding after hysterectomy explains what is expected and what is not.

For the constipation, which is close to universal

Opioid pain relief slows the bowel, you have stopped moving normally, and abdominal surgery makes the whole system sluggish. Straining is the last thing you want to be doing with a fresh abdominal wound, and the fear of it makes people put off going, which makes it worse.

The whole game is prevention, starting on day one rather than day four.

• A stool softener, as recommended by your surgical team. Ask specifically what they want you to take, and start it before there is a problem.
• A fibre supplement, alongside plenty of fluid. Fibre without enough water makes things worse, not better.
• A large water bottle you can keep beside you. Most people drink far less than they intend to when getting up is an effort.
• A footstool for the toilet, which raises the knees and changes the angle so that less straining is needed.

Our guide on relieving constipation after surgery goes through this properly.

For the no-lifting rule

You will be told not to lift anything heavy, usually for six weeks, often described as nothing heavier than a full kettle or a couple of bags of sugar. The reason is that lifting raises pressure inside the abdomen and puts strain on the internal healing, which after a hysterectomy includes the top of the vagina.

The rule is easy to state and surprisingly hard to follow, because so many ordinary things weigh more than you think. A full kettle. A laundry basket. A cat. A vacuum cleaner. A supermarket shop. A toddler, which is the hardest one of all if you have small children.

What helps:

Move everything you use daily to waist height before you go in. Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom.

A grabber or reacher for anything dropped on the floor, so you are not bending and straining.

Small containers instead of large ones. Decant into a small jug rather than lifting a four-pint bottle of milk. Fill the kettle halfway.

A trolley or a small backpack for moving things between rooms.

Arrange help in advance for the vacuuming, the shopping, and the laundry. Not for a day, for a few weeks. This is the single most useful preparation and it is the one people are most reluctant to do.

For the clots, which is the one genuinely serious risk

Blood clots are the most important preventable complication after pelvic surgery, and the risk is higher after a hysterectomy than after many other operations because of where the surgery is and how little you move afterwards.

Wear the compression stockings your hospital gives you, for as long as you are told, however unglamorous they are. Buy a spare pair, because washing them is not optional and drying takes a day.

Walk regularly, gently, from day one. A slow lap of the room every hour is worth more than one long walk. Movement is what keeps blood from pooling.

Call for urgent help if you get pain, swelling, redness or heat in one calf, or any shortness of breath or chest pain. These do not wait until Monday.

For the long, slow days

Six weeks is a long time when you cannot lift, drive, or do very much. The boredom is real and people are consistently unprepared for it.

Something to rest a tablet or book on so you are not holding your arms up. An e-reader is lighter than a book one-handed. A heat pack for the abdominal aches and cramping, if your team is happy with heat over your wound. Comfortable, warm layers, because you may feel the cold more than usual.

And there is an emotional side to this operation that a shopping list cannot address. Depending on why you had it, and whether your ovaries were removed, this can be a significant thing to process alongside the physical healing. Feeling low around week two, when the initial relief has worn off and the finish line still looks far away, is extremely common and does not mean recovery is going badly.

The short list

If you buy nothing else:

A wedge pillow. A cushion to hug. High-waisted underwear a few sizes up. Pads in two absorbencies. A stool softener and a fibre supplement. A large water bottle. Compression stockings. Food in the freezer.

And the thing that is not on Amazon: someone to do the lifting for six weeks. Ask before the operation, while asking is easy.

This guide is part of our hysterectomy series. See the recovery timeline for what to expect week by week, and the full product checklist for more detail on individual items.