BINDER QUESTION

I HAD MY LBL THE 14TH, AND LAST NIGHT I JUST HAD TO SLEEP WITH THE BINDER OFF AS I HAVE A SPOT THAT IS KIND OF RAW AND NOT HEALING, SO WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING ALOT OF MY SWELLING WAS GONE, WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE BINDER ? DO YOU THINK I MIGHT HAVE IT TO TIGHT?MY FRONT IS DOING GREAT BUT MY BACK SIDE IS SO SWELLED AND STILL KIND OF PAINFUL. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP ON MY STOMACH TO GIVE MY BACK SIDE SOME RELEIF BUT THE NEW BOOBAGE WILL NOT LET ME SLEEP ON MY STOMACH.

I had the same problem with sleeping on my stomach.  I got one of those body pillows and I have my normal pillows which prop me up some.   I then take my body pillow and kinda lay on my side but more so on my stomach to give my back some relief.   The body pillow is so fluffy that it doesn't bother my boobs.

As far as swelling.  There have been people on here that swear the binder makes it worse and really doesn't help and there are people who still wear some type of shapewear a year out.  I think everyone is different.

i slept the same way with my body pillow after BA and was actually the same way I slept while I was pregnant too!

Interesting you ask about the binder because there are some surgeons who don't require one at all and others, like mine, that want you to wear it for 4-6 weeks.  It is supposed to help with the swelling and I think it gives you added support so that you don't strain your muscles (if you had them done) or put added strain on the incisions which could cause separation.

Maybe it depends on how they close you up, my surgeon used internal disolvable stiches and skin glue - he requires the binder.  Others use external stiches and some still use staples so I don't know.

I wear a tank top under my binder so that it doesn't rub directly on my incisions. 

I notice that every morning my swelling is less than when I went to bed, even with the binder on, so I think that has more to do with actually resting vs. not wearing the binder.

I've seen people post that they get better results by wearing a binder, but I don't really know.  All I know is that I can't imagine not having the binder at least in the beginning before my incisions were healed over.

I agree that everyone is different.  That's obvious since binder recommendations differ so much from Doc to Doc.

I felt better when I wore a binder (or Spanx after I got my drains out) for the first 6 weeks or so, and when I first got back to working out.  Maybe it was like a security blanket, but for me, it did help prevent swelling, or at least reduced it.  Even at night, I'd go to bed without it, but usually would get it up and put it on.  It doesn't have to be very tight.

I really missed sleeping on my stomach too.  It took longer for my backside to heal than my front, but it still felt great when I could flip over and sleep on my tummy!

Time will help immensely - hang in there!

~  BJ

my ps sends you home with binder, but tells you that you might find a girdle does a better job for you.  supposedly get a better final product if you use the compression garments.  realistically if you need some time off from it to survive and don't swell up........... maybe you do that occasionally.