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Tonsillectomy Must-Haves
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items We have been through tonsil and adenoid removal surgery with two of our boys this year. This is a list of some of our top recommended items to have on hand for surgery and recovery for kids!
Sections
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Surgery & Recovery
Hospital Stay
Surgery & Recovery
Depending on the age of your child, surgery may require a hospital stay- it did for our two year old. Here are some things we used specifically for our hospital stay that helped out!
This was helpful in relieving pain after surgery for both our two year old and four year old. The soft ice packs were perfect for providing relief to the tonsil and ear area for our boys.
NEWGO Wisdom Teeth Ice Pack Head Wrap
This book prepared both of our older boys for their surgeries. They were ready to take on anesthesia because we had read this book multiple times beforehand. It goes over all of the steps to be ready for before surgery involving anesthesia.
Magic Air: Ten Kid-Sized Steps to Surgery
We gave our son Ricky Rain Frog before going in for his tonsillectomy because we had been talking about the “frog” in his throat from his large tonsils. He thought it was so funny and loved snuggling Ricky before and after surgery. We love the qualit...
Ricky Rain Frog
Johnny Pops were a post surgery essential for us. We went through tons of them and I loved that the ingredients were simple and healthy!
JonnyPops Organic Freezer Pops — Home
A cozy blanket for after surgery was a must have! We spent a lot of time cuddled up on the couch and found that a soft blanket made recovery more comfortable and cozy!
Blankets and Throws | Soft, Cozy Blankets
Both of our tonsillectomy surgeries took place during colder months in the Midwest, so we also appreciated having an electric blanket for snuggling and naps.
Heated Blankets
We made sure to keep track of temps after surgery. A slight fever is normal but we wanted to be sure their temperatures were still within a normal post-op range.
Temporal Thermometer
Our boys both ate a ton of applesauce after surgery! It was soft, cool, and also pretty hydrating for them.
Original Apple Sauce Cups
Chocolate pudding was one of our kids’ favorite snacks after surgery. We refrigerated them so that they provided some cooling too as they ate. We went through a ton!!
Pudding Snack Products & Flavors
We love providing lots of info and education before big life events for our kids and books are the perfect way to help explain things like this in a developmentally appropriate way.
Bye-Bye Tonsils (Gentle Learning for Children)
Both of our boys chose a pair of “surgery pajamas.” They did have to wear a gown for the actual procedure, but it was nice to have a cozy pair of pajamas to slip into after surgery. We love the quality of Little Sleepies and our kids love how soft th...
Little Sleepies
We alternated Tylenol and Ibuprofen every three hours after surgery for our boys. This really helped with staying on top of the pain. We pulled back a bit on day ten post-op and started giving it when they said they had pain after that.
Children's MOTRIN® Ibuprofen Oral Suspension
We alternated Tylenol and Ibuprofen every three hours after surgery for our boys. This really helped with staying on top of the pain. We pulled back a bit on day ten post-op and started giving it when they said they had pain after that.
Children's Tylenol Oral Suspension
We loved these medicine spoons for giving pain medicine after surgery.
Medicine Spoon
Our ENT and nurses recommended keeping our boys propped up for sleep after surgery to help with recovery. This wedge is perfect for keeping them at an angle to prop them up. It works much better than stacking pillows!
Find Your Perfect Bed Wedge Pillow
We used these mini flashlights for helping keep an eye on their throats after surgery. They also doubled as entertainment because for whatever reason, kids LOVE these little flashlights.
Mini Flashlights
We found these tongue depressors to be helpful for seeing their tonsil area after surgery. They didn’t really keep their tongues down for us to monitor the area, so these were really helpful.
Tongue Depressors
Another great book for helping prepare the kids for tonsil surgery and recovery. I especially appreciated the tips on recovery in this book!
Getting Ready for My Tonsil Surgery: Kids Book
This one was a little more on the silly side but our boys enjoyed it and it was still informative for helping prepare them for their tonsillectomy’s.
There's a Stegosaurus in My Tonsils
This book provided great information for surgery and also had aspects that were really helpful in calming nerves or fears associated with the procedure and recovery!
Good-bye Tonsils! (Picture Puffin Books)
This was my two year old’s favorite thing to have after surgery. Because of his younger age, he had to stay overnight in the hospital and this provided hours of entertainment, from squishing, to tossing, to showing it off to all of the doctors, nurse...
Schylling NeeDoh Fuzz Ball Sensory Toy
We used these cups for surgery recovery because our kids typically drink out of water bottles or cups with straws. Since suction is not allowed for two weeks after surgery, we felt like we needed an alternative and didn’t want to risk completely open...
Kids Stainless Steel Cups 12oz, 5Pack
These were so helpful to have post surgery. My kids were pretty much on the couch for a week because activity is supposed to be super limited. These were perfect for art projects, school work for our oldest, snacks, and even just storing things like ...
Plastic Lap Desk
Our kids were both pretty nauseaus after waking up from anesthisia. They gave us one bag in the hospital for our youngest child and we were thankful that we had some at home for our older son. Keep these in your bag and make sure to have them availab...
YGDZ Vomit Bags Disposable 15 Pack 1000ml
Hospital Stay
This was a fun mat to have for some hospital bed entertainment. My two year old was hooked up to an IV while in the hospital so we were pretty confined. He’s a big fan or cars, trucks, etc. so this was a hit!
Construction Toy Trucks & Foldable Play Mat
We love the Hatch in general but it was so nice to have our Hatch in the hospital room with us. We use different light colors for different phases (getting ready for bed, sleeping, wake up) and it was nice to still have that routine in the hospital. ...
Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen Baby & Kids Sound Machine
We spent lots of time reading books in the hospital and these were a big hit. We love Disney, so being able to sit together and search for all of the items was entertaining for both of us.
Disney Look And Find
Hospital pillows aren’t great! I was so glad I brought our toddler pillow along for my son he was so much more comfortable in his hospital bed!
Organic Toddler Pillow: Beloved Kids Pillow for Safer Sleep