10 Things We Wish We Knew Before Our Preventative Double Mastectomies

Check with your doctor before purchasing post-surgery bras.
We were not allowed to wear compression bras or anything fitted around the chest area for several weeks after surgery. Because of this and post-surgery swelling, the bras we purchased were too small for our initial recovery. Our hospital provided us with Masthead Pink Surgical Bras. For reference, Ivy typically wore a size Medium sports bra pre-surgery and was given an XL, and Eve wore a size large and was given a 2XL for recovery. Some people may be allowed or required to wear compression bras, so just check with your doctor before purchasing yours!
You can change into your own clothes while you’re in the hospital.
We ended up staying in the hospital for 3 nights, and by day 2, we were really, really sick of our bare butts hanging out of our hospital gowns every time we got up to go to the bathroom. Plus, those gowns are scratchy! Eve finally asked her nurse if she could change into her own sweats, and they said, "Of course." We don't know why they never tell you that you can do this, but it was such a relief to change into our comfy clothes and wear UNDERWEAR again! Lol
The little things you can't do right after surgery.
Putting your hair in a ponytail/bun by yourself is almost impossible for the first month.
Bloating after surgery is normal.
Stay hydrated, but don't be hard on yourself. Your body is healing and working hard for you! Bloating can last up to 12 weeks. If you're concerned with specific areas of swelling, talk to your doctor. Lymphedema is a risk with this surgery, even if you do not have lymph nodes removed or biopsied.
The timeline for expander fills is different for everyone.
We thought that once we got your drains out, we would get fills every week until our expanders were filled to capacity. This isn't the case. At first we got fills every week, then every other week. As our expanders get fuller, the discomfort after each fill was more noticeable, so the fills were smaller each time to give our skin more time to stretch. This may not be for everyone, and we hope growing new foobs is pain-free for you!
Exercise/weight restrictions aren't always lifted after the standard 6 weeks.
Some doctors will allow sooner, but some will also require longer than 6 weeks depending on your fill schedule and the general healing of the area.
You may NOT be able to fill up the entire amount of your expanders.
It all depends on many factors: how much skin was removed, how tight your skin is, your pain tolerance, and how well/fast your stitches and skin heal.
Your body may have a hard time regulating temperature.
We both get hot easily after our surgeries. We ran cold pre-surgery, but we frequently get sweaty or overheated post-surgery.
Your armpits can become harder to shave.
The shape of your armpit can change and gain creases, dips, or swelling making it hard to shave completely.
Healing isn't linear.
We have both had ups and downs since our surgery. Some weeks, we feel great, and others, one of us is having a hard time. Mentally and physically, this surgery is a BIG DEAL. Try to remind yourself that you are awesome, brave, and strong. Give yourself some grace.