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Will I ever sleep on my stomach again?

erin_warner
erin_warner Member Posts: 1
edited December 2019 in Breast Reconstruction

I've been reading these discussion boards for a few month now. Had a Bilateral MX November 30th, 2010with immediate tissue expanders. 2 days ago had exchange surgery; 500 cc Naturelle Silicone implants. I have learned so much and been helped tremendously by reading the experiences of many women on this website. Here's my question - I am longing to sleep on my stomach, I've always been a stomach sleeper. Are any of you who are further down the road int he reconstruction process able to sleep on you stomach?

Comments

  • Adey
    Adey Member Posts: 2,413
    edited March 2011

    I am able to sleep on my stomach with tissue expanders.  Hope to do my exchange sometime in May.

  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 312
    edited March 2011

    Me too.  After incisions healed, I was able to sleep on my stomach with TE's with large soft pillows under me.  After exchange, I may not be able to for awhile.

    Terri

  • kle
    kle Member Posts: 9
    edited March 2011

    Congrats on the exchange.  I so understand what you are saying, boy did I miss that stomach sleeping for the 9 months I had the TE's in for!  Thank goodness, once you heal a bit you will be back on your stomach!   But I still sleep with pillows on all sides, like I did when I had the TE's.  You will be so happy!

    kle

  • vmudrow
    vmudrow Member Posts: 415
    edited March 2011

    I was a stomach sleeper too - now that I've had my exchange I sleep on my side, stomach just isn't as comfortable as it used to be - side sleeping is much more comfortable than on your back all night!!

  • Shrek4
    Shrek4 Member Posts: 519
    edited March 2011

    I was able to sleep on my stomach after my incisions healed, but for some reason I prefer to sleep on my side now. I guess it's because the foobs are a little larger than my old breasts and also they dont' give way as much, so it's liek sleeping on two small balloons

  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 64
    edited March 2011

    I haven't had reconstruction,  but I was a tummy sleeper.  But BMX, radiation, frozen shoulder turned me into a back sleeper.  It is still difficult to go to sleep on my back, but that is the way I sleep most of the time.  Now I usually go to sleep on my side but then wake up on my back.  It is very rare that I actually turn over to my tummy.  I hope you can return to tummy sleeping.  NJ

  • mom3band1g
    mom3band1g Member Posts: 87
    edited March 2011

    I had my exchange NOv 30 and can just now sleep on my stomach but I have to use a lot of pillows!

  • sweetie2040
    sweetie2040 Member Posts: 470
    edited March 2011

    Erin-I'm a total stomach sleeper. I always felt the most comortable that way. After my BMX I couldn't sleep on my stomach for months and months. I had my exchange in Oct 2010 and I can sleep on my stomach or my side. I was able to do so probably about a month later. I find though that putting a pillow between me and the bed helps so that I am not laying flat on my implants. With the pillow I am very comfortable and sleep well. It seems like most of the girls do this too. I will say this even though I hated sleeping on my back after my MX I had no back pain. Sleeping on your back is much better for you I have read and been told by my PT. However, I thought I could give up sleeping on my stomach if I had too, but I can't! I just feel the most comfy that way. Give it time and play around with pillows and you should be able to get there too.

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 4,642
    edited March 2011

    erin....I couldn't sleep on my stomach with TE...hurt too much....Its been 2 1/2 years since I've had these implants and I've been able to sleep on my stomach for some time now...don't remember when it started, maybe in the past year.....I got so used to sleeping on my back that it took me a while to get used to my sleeping on my stomach again.

  • Lynkoura
    Lynkoura Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2011

    I couldn't sleep on my stomach with tissue expanders (for ten months) and at six weeks post exchange don't think I will be able to again. I have only started sleeping on both sides again.

  • Enjoyful
    Enjoyful Member Posts: 278
    edited March 2011

    I've always been a stomach sleeper, too, but couldn't do it with the TEs.  Since the exchange, I can sleep on my stomach if I tuck my arms along my sides, elbows bent with hands by my shoulders.  Sounds complicated but it works!

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2011

    I have been a stomach sleeper my whole life, so trying to sleep on my back after my breast surgery was really exhausting and frustrating to the point of tears. But then I found this amazing pillow that helped me to sleep on my stomach and side without pain and I felt like myself again. It helped me to heal faster because I was finally sleeping through the night. I highly recommend it. It's a new company and they haven't started selling to the public yet, but they sold me one of their memory foam prototypes. Good luck.

    http://www.mycomfortquest.com

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2011

    I didn't have expanders but I did have breast augmentation surgery 6 months ago and I'm sleeping on my stomach with the help of a pillow called the Side Sleeper pillow by mycomfortquest.com.

    I'm a stomach sleeper too so being on my back was really upsetting. 

  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 312
    edited June 2011

    My implants are saline are almost as hard as the TE's.  I can't sleep on my stomach with them.  I'll be swapping them out for gels this summer.  Hope to get back to sleeping on my stomach.

    Terri

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4
    edited July 2011

    I found an amazing pillow at mycomfortquest(dot)com, it helped me sleep on my side within days of my surgery and now I'm sleeping on my stomach. It reduced my pain level and gave me more independence and mobility. I love it.

  • Teslafied
    Teslafied Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2019

    I’m reviving an old thread after doing a search on this topic.  I’ve had had such a hard time sleeping since my BMX. The only way I have ever been able to get a good night’s sleep is on my stomach.  I have tried so many other ways: on my back with my head raised; on my back with feet raised; on my left side, on my right side, with and without pillows in between my legs, in a recliner chair, etc, etc, etc.  I just can’t sleep. On top of this, I also have restless legs! Right now it’s almost 3am and I’ve had it. I have an appt with my BS at 9am this morning for my post-op.  I don’t want to take any meds for this. Does anyone have any other suggestions for comfortable sleeping positions that maybe I haven’t tried?  I just wish I could go back to sleeping on my stomach again.  I’m so tired....

  • trinigirl50
    trinigirl50 Member Posts: 158
    edited December 2019

    I took Gravol until I got back in a sleeping rhythm. I am 4 years from breast reconstruction and I cannot sleep on my stomach any more. I have since learnt to be a side sleeper.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,397
    edited December 2019

    I am 9 years from original surgery and I have never been able to sleep on my stomach again. I too have learned to sleep happily on my side. I have often had problems shutting down my mind to get to sleep, but chair yoga with deep breathing exercises has really helped.

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