I was told no baths for 3 months. Both for the 90 degree rule and for the fact that you aren't meant to soak the wound for infection risk. We do all seem to have been given differing information and I for one would love a bath but being only 4 weeks post op I wouldn't even consider it. I don't want to set back my recovery in any way and after 4 weeks of climbing the walls I'm not going to lengthen my time under restrictions if I can possibly help it.
I'm not at all jealous of those of you who have managed to get a lovely soak 😉 but please be careful if you do it.
My husband was told the same... He is 6 weeks post op tomorrow and no where near ready to climb in the bath.... Will continue to manage and visit friends with walk in showers lol
hi jo be careful. This is what we were told too when my husband had his op. Mainly due to infection when making wound warm and most for bugs to fester .... Your not a chicken just being sensible
I'm in the UK and was told 6 weeks for both THR's before I could have a bath.
Even for a long time afterwards I had to be so careful getting in an out.....but managed it. Whatever your consultant says...go by.....never mind what we say
Respectfully wondering wot to do in 2 weeks time then re baths cos i've been told 6 weeks so it suits me to give it a go then...but if I'd been told 12 weeks I may not be so compliant!
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Dont get into the bath until your restrictions are lifted. Its not worth it. Even at 12 weeks when i got in i found it difficult to get out at first. I must admit i needed help the first couple of times i did it. Think i was being very careful but it was heaven to finally be able to lay in the bath
Hi Emma, I was in the RD & E and I am in Okehampton. I am rather glad no-one pushed me under the shower! The first day I was given a good "rub down" from the waist downwards by a Nurse after being told to wash my top half and clean my teeth first and then she came to sort out the rest. After that I was able to get to the toilet myself and sort myself out. I also had the ankle pumps on so no stockings for me. Funny how they all differ even in the same County. I was told to have a strip wash every day until the dressing was taken off which was after 10 days and I really enjoyed the first shower after that.
Hi Barbara, I think a strip wash would have driven me insane. I'm a bit shower mad anyway, if I've had a bad day at work I go and have a shower to wash the day away and I refuse to leave the house without one. It is boggling my brain a bit how all the hospitals do it so differently. Even ones which are 21 miles apart in the same county. Crazy! I've just read that some people are given a special wash to wash themselves with the days running up to the op? Emma
Its funny how we all differ and I don't mean with our hips. Some people go crazy if they can't have a bath and drool over them whereas I only had a bath when my body is aching, perhaps after gardening or exercising too much (this was before my hip op of course). I always have a shower every day, so I really missed that during the 10 days after, but not being able to have a bath never bothered me. It might upset me if we didn't have a shower though and feel a great deal of sympathy for those who have a shower over the bath.
Having just showered yes, I did miss my 3 showers a week, for those first ten days, especially after the gym I'm sadly not doing now. And for me a weekly bath is really the best tho, and I seriously plan one at six weeks and a day!
So funny / quirky that we are all different in liking or not baths/ being cautious or pushing our recovery a bit, and leaning on info from phsio/ hospital that says 6 weeks no bath/ 12 weeks no bath, or something else. And yet we're all doing amazingly well despite this!!
Hi Sally, just wanted to say that i,m actually 8 months post op. and even i havnt attempted the bath, main reason is because i worry that i wouldnt get out very easily as my taps are on the side of the bath so not able to grab the sides too well, but like you would love a soak, pretty much resigned to useing the shower now.