Most women would agree that giving birth and becoming a mother is a beautiful and phenomenal experience. But pregnancy changes so many things in a woman’s body. After delivering the baby, many women have to deal with sagging excess skin in their lower abdomen. Sadly, no amount of healthy diet or regular exercise can completely get rid of this pouch. That’s why a lot of mothers opt to get a tummy tuck after pregnancy. Are you thinking of undergoing the same cosmetic surgery procedure? Read on to find out how long after pregnancy you’re supposed to wait to get a tummy tuck.
Give Your Body Enough Time to Heal
Pregnancy is a life-changing event. You know how hard the recovery was. If you’ve had a Caesarian section, it would have been even tougher on your body as it’s major surgery. As you know, your tummy and uterus won’t shrink overnight. Your body needs time to heal, and healing primarily occurs during the first year after childbirth.
It takes about three to six months for your uterus to go back to its normal size. During this time, your skin also retracts, and any damage to your tissues during childbirth heals. Once you’re done with breastfeeding, your hormones also level out. With all these healing processes going on, most plastic surgeons wouldn’t recommend a tummy tuck. Your body can only handle so much at once. Waiting at least six months post-labor may be possible for some patients. Generally speaking, though, a tummy tuck would be best undertaken when you’re entirely feeling back to normal again. This usually takes a year or two.
Other Factors to Consider
Apart from giving your body enough time to fully recover from labor and childbirth, you need to ask yourself a few questions to help guide your decision. These include:
Are you currently breastfeeding? If you are, it would be best if you wait until after you stop breastfeeding before you get a tummy tuck. This is because your body is still changing even if you no longer produce breast milk. Besides, breastfeeding transfers whatever is in your breast milk to your baby. This is safe under normal circumstances. But you may risk your nursing child’s health when you’re given an anesthetic.
Have you returned to your normal weight? Your body usually goes back to its original weight between six and 12 months after childbirth. Achieving and maintaining a stable, healthy weight is vital in determining how much tightening will be needed. Bear in mind that a tummy tuck isn’t the same as weight-loss surgery. So, if you want to lose extra pounds, do that prior to your operation. Losing a lot of weight after your tummy tuck will just likely leave you with excess skin.
Are you finished with having children? If you still have plans on having more kids down the road, it would be best if you wait until you’ve accomplished this before getting a tummy tuck. The procedure will not affect your ability to have children. But it can impact your results. Your abdominal muscles will stretch again during your subsequent pregnancy. This will just leave you with extra fat to deal with post-labor. Of course, you can get revision surgery. But its success will depend on the severity of your cosmetic issues.
Do you want to consult an expert to talk about your concerns? Please contact Dr. Arthur G. Handal at Handal Plastic Surgery in Boca Raton, Florida at (561) 220-6360 for an appointment.
