Top things to wear at home post mastectomy
Top 5 Things to Wear Home Post-Mastectomy

Top 5 Things to Wear Home Post-Mastectomy

Dana Donofree
3 min read

What to Wear Home After a Mastectomy

We know that heading into the surgery room to face your single or double mastectomy surgery is a frightening thing—not to mention the added anxiety of getting dressed and ready for the occasion. But you're not alone in facing your upcoming procedure. At AnaOno, we are here to help by making the process of deciding what to wear after a mastectomy easier. We do not want you to worry one bit about how you will dress yourself, so we prepared a simple go-to list of our top five styles that help you recover in comfort. Check out this list to get practical tips for feeling comfortable and confident during your single or double mastectomy recovery. 

The Best Bra for After Mastectomy:

Regardless of which procedure you have, your movements will be significantly limited during your recovery from double mastectomy or single mastectomy. Not only will you be sore (it was a major surgery after all), but you will also have limited range of motion, especially in your arms. We call them T-Rex arms, since you cannot raise your arms above your shoulders, or lift anything heavy. That means no sports bras! Not until after post-treatment, anyway.

That's why we recommend a front closure bra for after the doctor releases you from your post-surgery bra. Just make sure, to consult your doctor to make sure that you are ready to put on something more comfy (and more flattering than the iron maiden). Our Rora Pocketed Front Closure Bra from AnaOno offers a comfortable and practical solution for this stage of recovery. The softer-than-cotton model fabric feels wonderful against your skin and won't irritate incision sites. Adjustable, convertible straps ensure a perfect fit and the wide back bridge offers additional back and underarm support. As you heal, you can even insert breast forms into the built-in pockets if you wish. When it comes to mastectomy recovery must-haves, this bra is at the top of our list.

Rora Recovery Front Closure Bra

Rora Front Closure Bra 

Dressing After Mastectomy: 

Ask your Breasties (other women that have undergone a mastectomy) what they thought about their drains. It's a trigger for sure! It's also likely to be the most annoying and uncomfortable part of your recovery. At AnaOno, we were determined to find a way to work around this. That's how we came up with the Miena Mastectomy Robe. This unique loungewear item has built-in drain pouches to ensure that the drains stay put. It's a vast improvement from having them safety pinned to your surgical bra (yeah, that's how they send you out of the hospital room).

Ask your doctor how many drains they suspect you'll need. You can always get an Additional Drain Management Belt if you expect to have more than two drains. And once you are done with them, you get the pleasure of tossing that belt out for good. But not the robe! You can wrap yourself up in luxury by wearing the Miena robe long after your recovery is complete.

Miena Robe with drain belt and pocketed

Miena Robe with Drain Pouches

Softest Bra After Mastectomy:

When you start feeling a bit more like yourself and physical therapy helps get your range of motion back, you can graduate to our super comfy, super luxe, Leslie Soft Leisure Bra. This bra comes with a clever design that can be put on by stepping into it, which is helpful when you're still feeling sore or sensitive. You'll definitely want something soft against your skin to help you feel good while recovering, whether you are heading out or just looking for a little extra comfort around the house. This soft and gentle bra was made with all pain points in mind to make sure you can feel comfy and beautiful at the same time. We make sure that every little detail has been accounted for, and this leisure bra does it all! 

Soft Leslie Leisure bra, perfect for post-surgery

Soft Leisure Bra

What to Wear During Mastectomy Recovery: 

You may feel sick, but you certainly don't want to look it. When it comes to picking out clothes for after your mastectomy, our Abby Lounge Pant is a great place to start. There are no zippers or buttons to fight with on these soft lounge pants. The Abby Pants are made with softer than cotton Modal material, which is very soothing on your sensitive skin. The Abby Pants also come with a hidden pocket on the inside to hold your drain in place, to make the recovery process just a little bit easier.

Abby Lounge Recovery Pants, perfect for lounging after surgery

Abby Recovery Lounge Pants

For some extra help in what to wear after your mastectomy, check out CEO Dana Donofree's tips in this special video with HealthiNation:

 

Dana Donofree
Dana Donofree

Founder and CEO of AnaOno. After a diagnosis of breast cancer in her late 20’s, Dana took her own lived experience and fashion design background and (re)designed intimates for those that have undergone breast surgery. Dana’s story has been published around the world in outlets like New York Times, BBC, Huffington Post, The Today Show, and more.