I had a lumpectomy last week and bought a "post surgical" bra from M and S. It does up at the front.  I was also recommended to get a bra 1 cup size larger than usual to allow for breast swelling.

I sleep on my side and was worried about sleep.  But post operatively I've had virtually no pain so have been able to sleep on my side anyway.  I bought a heart shaped pillow to slip under my arm and I hear that people actually find it very useful.  However I didn't need it.

If you take the pain medication and do your arm exercises you may also find discomfort is minimal and therefore you'll be able to sleep anyway.

Everyone is different however so you may just have to play it by ear.  You may find yourself so exhausted from the experience that you can sleep anyway.

Hope that helps

Other supermarkets supply special bras too!!!

Hi Nuttyb,

You'll need a comfortable, supportive and non-wired bra, which you may be advised to wear day and night to start with. If there is any swelling it won't last for long, so I found that my normal size was fine. It would be helpful to have it open at the front, but this is not essential. I also found it useful to have both day and night clothes which opened at the front. This is not essential, but it made life easier, as I didn't have to raise my hands above my head when dressing. It was also handy for showing doctors and nurses my post-surgical wound. I found it helpful to have a padded seat belt cover, which you can get for small children, as my scar was right in line with where the seat belt sat. This would be easy enough to make yourself, if you need one.

I did have a heart shaped cushion, which was very useful, but this really came into its' own, when I had a double mastectomy, a year after my lumpectomy. I found it more comfortable to have stretchy nightwear, as firmer materials were quite restrictive, if you toss and turn in bed, as I do. These also opened at the front. 

You shouldn't have any bother sleeping, when you sleep on your side, although you may find it easier to sleep on the good side, instead of the one that has had surgery.

The lumpectomy itself is a very straightforward procedure and I sincerely hope that nothing untoward is found. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you, very helpful and reassuring to hear your post op pain was minimal. 

Thank you for all your advice. My op is 20 June so will update after I get the lump pathology results. 

I shall be thinking of you on 20th June and hope that it all goes well.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Just thought I’d update. My lumpectomy went well & I slept ok on my side with a cushion. Thank you again for the helpful advice.  

I received my full results today - it’s a benign phyllodes tumour. They didn’t take large margins when they removed the lump so I’ve been advised it may reoccur. I’m getting 6 monthly scans. It’s good it was benign & getting regular scans. 

Hi Nuttyb,

Many thanks for the update. I am glad to hear that your lumpectomy went well. I am also delighted to hear that your tumour was benign, but it's a pity that they didn't achieve a clear margin. They often go in and do further surgery when this happens - was there no mention of this? It's good that they are doing 6 monthly scans to keep an eye on this and I sincerely hope that it doesn't recur.

Please keep in touch and let us know how things go for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

The consultant said they would have done further surgery if it was borderline or malignant. Because it’s benign they feel further surgery not required & regular scans best approach.