I had the same and looked pregnant for about 3 weeks post op! Rachel you don’t have to take the pain killers but I could hardly sleep the first night so paracetamol was never an option at that stage stopped taking pain killers 3 days post op but could have on day 2 po. But they made me drowsy and helped me sleep so took them for that reason also.
Laxatives really are the way forward! lol