What You Need to Know When Preparing for and Recovering From a Hysterectomy

If you’ve recently had a hysterectomy or are preparing for one, there are key steps you can take to help your body recover well. I had the opportunity to guide my own mom through this process, and I want to share the same strategies I taught her both in the hospital and during her first week at home.

This is not just about healing; it’s about protecting your body long-term, supporting your pelvic floor, and setting yourself up for strength and wellness in the years ahead.

Before Surgery: Preparing Your Body

1. Increase Fascial Mobility

In the week leading up to surgery, begin gently massaging your belly. By improving fascial mobility, you help create space for the surgical instruments and allow tissues to move with more ease.

• Use your hands to gently move the skin and tissue around your belly.
• Perform small circular motions, gradually loosening restrictions.

This improves blood flow and may make the surgery smoother for both you and your surgeon.

2. Colon Massage

Digestive health plays a huge role in recovery, especially since medications can cause constipation. A colon massage helps optimize bowel movement before surgery.

• Lie down with your knees supported to relax your abdominals.
• Start at the lower right side of your belly and gently massage in a clockwise direction, following the natural path of the colon (ascending → transverse → descending → sigmoid).
• Spend about five minutes each day doing this in the week before your procedure.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Breathing deeply into your belly before surgery sets you up for success afterward.

• Place a hand on your belly, inhale deeply to expand your abdomen and ribs, and exhale slowly.
• Imagine your pelvic floor opening on the inhale and gently lifting on the exhale.
• Try an inhale count of 4–7 seconds, then exhale slowly.

This practice supports both your diaphragm and pelvic floor two key muscles that must stay coordinated after hysterectomy.

Immediately After Surgery: Protecting Your Recovery

1. Safe Bed Mobility

When you first get out of bed, how you move matters. Protect your incisions, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor by rolling safely:

• Inhale first.
• As you exhale, grab the side rail of the bed, straighten the leg on the side you’re rolling toward, and press through your heel.
• Use your elbow to push into the bed as you roll onto your side.
• From there, drop your legs over the edge of the bed, exhale again, and push yourself up with your arms.

This technique protects your healing tissues and reduces abdominal pressure. Continue this “log roll” style of moving in and out of bed for the first 8–12 weeks.

2. Gentle Core Engagement

Even in the earliest days, you can start reconnecting to your deep core without straining:

• While seated or resting, gently draw your belly button toward your spine.
• Exhale with an “shhh” sound to help activate your transverse abdominis (your deep core stabilizer).
• Hold lightly for a few seconds, then release.

This gentle exercise supports your abdominal wall without stressing your pelvic floor.

At Home: What to Expect

• Fatigue is normal. Rest when your body needs it. Healing takes energy.
• Gentle breathing and core work go a long way. Keep practicing your diaphragmatic breathing and subtle abdominal activation.
• Honor your healing timeline. Avoid heavy lifting, straining, or rushing the process.

Beyond the 12-Week Mark

Even if your surgeon clears you with “no restrictions,” your recovery isn’t complete without pelvic floor support. By 12 weeks post-op, I highly recommend visiting a pelvic floor physical therapist.

A therapist can:

• Assess and restore your pelvic floor function.
• Help dissolve abdominal scar tissue.
• Improve core strength and long-term pelvic organ support.

Scar tissue release in particular allows you to move and use your core more efficiently as you return to daily life and beyond.

A hysterectomy is a major surgery, but with the right preparation and mindful recovery practices, you can protect your body and set yourself up for long-term wellness.

I hope these insights empower you to navigate your healing journey with confidence. And if you’re nearing or past that 12-week mark, consider partnering with a pelvic floor physical therapist you deserve to feel strong, supported, and whole.