Once I finally made the decision to move forward with a breast lift and implant exchange, my brain immediately switched from Should I do this? to Okay… how do I prepare for this?
I am very much a “give me all the information so I can feel prepared” person, so the weeks leading up to surgery involved a lot of questions, lists, Amazon orders, rearranging our family schedule, and trying to make recovery as easy as possible before surgery day even arrived.
If you’re preparing for a breast lift, implant exchange, explant, or similar surgery, I wanted to share what helped me feel prepared, what I actually used, and the one thing I wish I had done differently.
Of course, this is only my personal experience. Your surgeon’s pre-op and recovery instructions may be completely different, so always follow the instructions from your own medical team.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Getting My Questions Answered Before Surgery
I asked my surgeon a TON of questions before I had even fully decided which route I was going to take.
By the time I came back for my pre-op appointment, we were working through the finer details: the look I wanted, implant size, shape, recovery timeline, when I could drive again, and all of those little things that suddenly become very important when you have two kids and an entire household to account for.
My biggest takeaway from the sizing conversation?
Bring inspiration pictures.
Do not rely solely on telling your surgeon, “I want to be a big C/small D.”
I am speaking 100% from experience here.
Bra sizing varies so much between brands that I probably should have known this, but describing my ideal result by bra size made the conversation more confusing than it needed to be.
Luckily, I came prepared with what I lovingly referred to as my BOOB FOLDER. 😂
I had saved photos showing the general size, shape, and proportions I liked. Once I pulled those out, it became much easier for my surgeon to understand the look I was trying to achieve and recommend an implant size based on my body.
At my original consultation, we had talked about going as small as around 170cc. By surgery, we ultimately decided on 255cc.
Everyone’s body is different, so I wouldn’t recommend finding someone online whose results you love and simply copying their implant size. Height, weight, chest width, existing breast tissue, anatomy, and so many other factors can change how the same implant looks on two different people.
The pictures helped communicate the look I wanted. Then I could lean on my surgeon’s experience to figure out how to get there.
Planning for Breast Surgery Recovery as a Mom
This was actually one of the reasons I waited several years to have surgery.
When I originally started thinking about removing my old implants, my youngest daughter was only 2. She still needed to be picked up, carried, helped in and out of the car—all the normal things you do with a toddler.
Once I learned about the lifting restrictions involved with recovery, I knew it wasn’t the right time for me.
This time, my girls were 4 and 9, which made the logistics MUCH easier. But there was still quite a bit to arrange.
Surgery-Day Logistics
First, I needed someone to take care of my girls while my husband took me to surgery and stayed with me.
Between my husband and my mom, the girls were taken care of all day while I was in surgery, coming out of anesthesia, and getting settled back at home.
I also planned on giving myself a full week without driving or needing to be anywhere.
My kids, however, still had lives. 😂
There was gymnastics and cheer. Places they needed to be even if Mom was lying in bed looking like Dracula.
So I arranged for my dad to take them to their activities that first week.
My surgeon gave me instructions about when I could resume driving, but I also knew from my first breast augmentation that I personally wanted to give myself at least a week before taking that responsibility back on.
Preparing My Kids
I also talked to the girls ahead of time about what recovery was going to look like.
With my youngest, we actually practiced some things.
Instead of automatically reaching for me when she got out of the car, we’d practice having her climb out while holding my hand. Little things like that helped us start changing the habits that would be difficult once I couldn’t pick her up.
I explained to my oldest that I might need a little extra help around the house for a while.
Not that she was suddenly becoming my personal maid. 😂 But I might need her to reach something, carry laundry up or down the stairs, or help with something I wasn’t allowed to lift yet.
Having those conversations before surgery made the transition much easier.
What I Bought for Breast Lift + Implant Exchange Recovery
My surgeon’s office gave me a list of things they recommended having on hand.
Naturally, I treated it like a school supply list and bought basically all of it. 😂
Some things I LOVED.
Some things I absolutely did not need.
Extra Surgery Bras
BUY THE EXTRA BRAS.
I originally bought a set of three surgery bras.
About a week into recovery, I ordered another set of three because I was tired of needing to do laundry every three days.
Once I was cleared to start taking longer walks during my second week, this became even more important. I would go to the gym and walk for about 40 minutes to an hour, and afterward I wanted a clean bra.
Having enough to wear a fresh one every day without constantly doing laundry was absolutely worth it.
Wedge Pillow
This was probably my favorite recovery purchase.
After my first breast augmentation, I remember piling up a bunch of regular pillows to sleep elevated. Technically, that works.
Except apparently Sleeping Julie cannot be trusted.
I’d wake up somehow trying to sleep on my stomach. 😂
This time, I splurged on an actual wedge pillow, and I LOVED it.
My husband kept telling me I looked like Dracula sleeping in it, but I slept so well.
And unlike some recovery-specific purchase I’ll never touch again, I can still use it for reading or watching TV in bed.
Sugar-Free Jell-O + Pudding
Hear me out.
Pudding is THAT GIRL.
I used to eat sugar-free Jell-O and pudding all the time when I was really into tracking my macros, and I had completely forgotten about them.
They were on the list of easy foods to have around after surgery, and between the post-op bloating and the nausea I tend to get after anesthesia, they tasted like a Michelin-rated meal.
I am not kidding.
I’ve continued buying them even after recovery just to have as my little sweet treat at night.
Pudding is underrated.
Things I Bought But Didn’t Really Need
Frozen peas.
I bought FOUR bags because they were recommended to have on hand for swelling and discomfort.
I used exactly zero peas.
Maybe I should have used them. I don’t know. 😂 I just never felt like I needed them.
I also bought myself a cute bamboo pajama set specifically for surgery because apparently I thought this was an event requiring an outfit.
Was it necessary? Absolutely not.
I bought another short-sleeve bamboo set to wear around the house and did wear that one, but honestly, it was over 110 degrees every day in Las Vegas. Most of the time I was walking around my house in shorts and my surgery bra.
So depending on where you live and what time of year you’re having surgery, you may not need an entire post-surgery pajama wardrobe.
Preparing My House Before Surgery
The weekend before surgery, I basically nested like I was about to have a baby.
I did a HUGE Sunday Reset.
Every piece of laundry was washed, folded, and put away. I cleaned, organized, and bought groceries. And I even cleared off my nightstand.
Then I started decluttering completely random areas of the house.
Did my mudroom/drop zone have anything to do with my breast surgery?
No.
Did I know it would bother me while I was sitting at home recovering?
Yes. 😂
So I cleaned it.
There wasn’t anything particularly special I did to the house for recovery. I mostly wanted everything clean, stocked, and under control so I wasn’t staring at chores I couldn’t do for the next several weeks.
Food + Meals I Had Ready
I made sure the girls were stocked with plenty of foods that were easy for them—or at least easy for my 9-year-old—to prepare.
We had personal pizzas they could heat up, yogurt cups, cheese, fruit, cereal, and all the other easy things kids love to eat during summer break.
My husband also batch-cooked protein pancakes so we had something easy and nutritious ready to grab.
I didn’t worry much about preparing dinners because my husband genuinely loves cooking and grilling. We normally take turns cooking anyway, and during my recovery he completely took over.
And he was AMAZING.
But if I could go back and change one part of my surgery prep, I would have meal-prepped more food for myself.
Once my appetite came back, I really wished I had several healthy, individual meals sitting in the fridge that I could simply heat up.
So even with someone else handling family dinners, I would absolutely prepare some easy meals for me next time.
What My Surgeon Had Me Stop Before Surgery
Before surgery, my surgeon had me stop several of the supplements and medications I was taking, including my testosterone injections and supplements.
I followed the instructions given to me by my surgical team.
This is one of those areas where I would absolutely not copy what someone on the internet did. Be completely honest with your surgeon about every medication, supplement, injection, or treatment you’re using and why you’re using it.
Then follow their instructions about what needs to be stopped, when it needs to be stopped, and when you can resume it.
The Night Before Surgery
The night before surgery?
I was a nervous wreck.
Having breast augmentation surgery in my 20s with no kids felt VERY different from having elective surgery in my late 30s with two daughters.
The first time, I was mostly excited and only slightly nervous.
This time, my brain kept going to:
But what if something happens to me?
Having kids completely changed how I thought about that risk.
I suddenly wasn’t just thinking about myself going into surgery. I was thinking about my two little girls who needed their mom.
My brain’s personal favorite intrusive thought was:
What if something happens and then when people ask my daughters what happened to their mom, they have to say she died getting her boobs fixed?
Dramatic? Yes.
Extreme? Also yes.
Was my anxiety interested in those facts? Absolutely not. 😂
I kept reminding myself that I had chosen an experienced, board-certified surgeon whom I trusted and that this was a procedure he performed regularly.
Then I focused on following my pre-op instructions.
My surgical team had me shower with antibacterial soap the night before and again the morning of surgery. I removed my jewelry and piercings and followed their instructions regarding food, water, lotions, deodorant, and everything else before surgery.
Again, follow the specific instructions your own surgical team gives you, because your protocol may be different from mine.
And yes, I had a surgery outfit.
Of course I did.
I picked out long beige bamboo pajamas with my UGG moccasins. I wanted shoes that were easy to put on but weren’t flip-flops or anything I could easily trip over while coming out of anesthesia.
They also told me to bring some identification and other items plus my glasses since I couldn’t wear my contacts.
Then it was time to go.
What I Was Most Nervous About
Honestly, I wasn’t particularly nervous about the pain.
I wasn’t even that nervous about the scars.
I was scared of something going wrong during surgery.
That was the thought my brain kept returning to.
Logically, I knew I had done what I could to minimize risk. I had researched surgeons, chosen someone experienced and board-certified, asked a million questions, followed my pre-op instructions, and prepared my family.
Emotionally?
I was still a mom voluntarily walking into an operating room, and that felt scary.
Both things can be true.
I could be excited about doing something for myself and confident in my decision while also being scared.
Was I Actually Prepared for Breast Surgery?
Looking back, I think I prepared about as well as I could have.
The things that mattered most weren’t necessarily the huge Amazon recovery haul.
It was having people ready to help.
My husband taking over cooking. My parents helping with the girls. Having transportation covered. Preparing my kids for what I could and couldn’t do. Getting the house reset beforehand. Asking every question I could think of before surgery.
The extra surgery bras and wedge pillow were absolutely worth buying.
The four bags of frozen peas?
They remain innocent victims of my over-preparation. 😂
And if I could change one thing, I would have prepared several individual meals for myself ahead of time.
Otherwise, I walked into surgery feeling like the logistics were handled—which meant I could focus on the one thing I actually needed to do afterward:
recover.
More From My Downsizing Diaries
This is part of my Downsizing Diaries, where I’m documenting my experience replacing my 14-year-old breast implants with smaller implants and having a breast lift.
If you’re starting at the beginning, read Why I Chose a Breast Lift + Implant Exchange for the full story behind my decision.
And next, I’ll share what the surgery and recovery were actually like—the good, the weird, what surprised me, how quickly I got back to normal life, and how I feel about my results now.
You can also follow along with my Downsizing Diaries videos on social media for the less-polished, real-time version. 🫶🏼
Love y’all!
— Julie