Sleeping Positions Post Op?

I was curious how you were able to sleep after surgery. I am mainly a fetal position side sleeper and cannot stand being on my back for any great length of time. I imagine the first 3 weeks or so will be pretty rough. I'm thinking I may need to try sleeping in the recliner post op to make things a lil more bearable.

How did you sleep and how long was it before you could resume sleeping on your side or belly?

I slept in my side for a couple of days then on my stomach after that. I'm a stomach sleeper always :)

I had my surgery on the 10th of September. I had it so late in the day that I don't even remember how I slept the first night - they said the anesthesia didn't wear off enough for me to even walk that night! I was wheeled up to my room around 7pm. The next 2 days I was laying on my side comfortably. I did put a pillow under my belly for support. I went home Friday night and woke up in the middle of the night sleeping on my stomach - didn't hurt any more than I already had. But in all reality, I was just sore not really any measurable pain to speak of.

Everyone is different so just take your pain meds and progress as you can - it will all be a distant memory! :)

 I slept carefully on my side, and back to my stomach within in a few weeks.

I'm a side/back sleeper. I never had any problems sleeping after surgery, but I was also taking Ambien and liquid Norco at night too .

I'm a stomach sleeper and also hate sleeping on my back. The first couple weeks I slept in the recliner. I tried to sleep in my bed but in the morning I would wake up on my belly very sore. It took about 4 weeks for me to sleep comfortably on my stomach. 

I hate sleeping on my back too, but that's the only way I could sleep immediately post-op.  I was so happy when I'd healed enough to sleep on my side!  

I slept with one of those body pillows.  It kept me from sleeping entirely on my side.

Everyone is different and handles pain differently.  I'm a side/stomach sleeper.  I was really nauseous after surgery (heaving and what not) and all I really wanted to do was lay on my stomach (or side).  I asked the nurses if I could and they said I could as long as I felt comfortable.  So, I was laying on my stomach about 5 hours after surgery.  I never felt the need to sleep on my back. 

In July of 2012, I underwent a Nissen Fundoplication (top portion of the stomach is wrapped the esophagus and stapled as a treatment for severe GERD), a hiatal hernia repair, and just two weeks after that, my gallbladder became diseased and it, too was removed. I had to sleep nearly sitting up and was in so much pain for weeks. Not to mention I developed an infection at an incision site the day after my release from the hospital after having my gallbladder removed. I had to pack it and unpack daily for 3 months until it healed. It was a *****allenging, but I healed.

Then, just this September 10th, I underwent a takedown of the Nissen Fundoplication followed by RNY, and I feel great! Funny thing is it was a complicated surgery with hardly any doctors on Long Island willing or able to do it. And, there was a lot of scar tissue from the previous abdominal adventures which further complicated the procedures. But! I sleep on my side, no pillow needed for my belly, and I already lay on my tummy!

I think it has to do with each individual, precisely what types of surgeries were performed, including hernia repairs and cholecystectomies, and perhaps other factors.