Recovery

Recovering at home after a sterilisation

You may have some tummy pain and light bleeding from your vagina for few days after female sterilisation.

Before you leave the hospital, a doctor or nurse will tell you how to look after your wound and give you advice on which painkillers you can take.

They'll also give you information about how soon you can get back to your everyday activities.

This can take longer if you've had a mini-laparotomy rather than keyhole surgery (laparoscopy). This is because it involves larger cuts to your tummy.

Do

stay off work for about 7 days (2 to 4 weeks after a mini-laparotomy)
keep your wound clean, following the instructions from the doctor or nurse
take ibuprofen or paracetamol to ease any tummy pain
put a covered hot water bottle on your tummy for bloating or trapped wind
use period pads if you have any light bleeding

Don't

do not lift heavy objects or take part in exercise or sport for 7 days (4 to 6 weeks after a mini-laparotomy)
do not drive until you can wear a seat belt and do an emergency stop without any tummy pain (up to 6 weeks after a mini-laparotomy)
do not to have sex for at least 7 days after the procedure
do not use tampons for light bleeding after the procedure

When to stop taking your usual contraception

There's a very small chance of pregnancy in the first week after the procedure, so it's important to carry on using your usual contraception for 7 days.

This applies to most types of contraception, including:

hormonal contraception such as the combined pill, mini pill, patch and vaginal ring
non-hormonal types of contraception such as the diaphragm, cap and condoms
IUS or IUD (hormonal or copper coil) - your coil can be removed after 7 days

This does not apply if you have a contraceptive implant. The implant can be removed at the same time as your procedure or at any time afterwards. You will not need to use additional contraception.

How sterilisation affects your periods

Being sterilised should not affect your hormone levels or your periods.

If you were using hormonal contraception before the operation, the hormones may have affected your periods, for example making them lighter. So your periods may change when you stop using hormonal contraception. These changes will usually improve after a few months.

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