Many of our tummy tuck patients are recent mothers, as pregnancy has a special knack for leaving behind loose skin, excess fat, and sometimes even splayed abdominal muscles. When possible, Dr. Sayed recommends all his patients wait to get their tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) until after they’ve finished building their family.
With that said, tummy tucks don’t change your ability to get pregnant or have a healthy child. Having an abdominoplasty won’t affect your fertility or cause any medical issues during pregnancy or childbirth. But, that doesn’t mean pregnancy won’t have an effect on the aesthetic results of your procedure.
Below, we’ll go into detail about exactly how pregnancy post-tummy tuck looks, figuring out the right time for a pregnancy, and why Dr. Sayed recommends waiting until after you’re done having children to receive this groundbreaking procedure.
The Right Time for a Tummy Tuck
Having a baby changes so much about your life and body. Aside from the emotional growth, life-altering love, and plain magic of creating a life, your body’s natural changes can make even the strictest diets and exercise routines feel futile. Pregnancy’s stretching of the body can also often lead to a condition called diastasis, which is the technical term for the rectus abdominis muscles separating. Abdominoplasty surgery removes loose and excess skin while tightening the abdominal wall and is a perfect solution to get your pre-body baby back in a single operation.
So why wait until after you’ve had all your kids to get a tummy tuck? Any significant amount of weight fluctuation can affect tummy tuck results in unpredictable ways. With pregnancy, not only will you experience rapid weight gain, but the stretching of the skin a second time can also lead to unwanted cosmetic results, especially after you lose your baby weight.
Of course, every body is unique and responds differently to pregnancy after a tummy tuck. If you plan on getting pregnant in the future, be sure to talk with Dr. Sayed to learn about all the options available to provide sculpting and fat removal. That way, we can determine a safe and effective treatment plan to provide ideal results.
The Benefits of Waiting
Aside from avoiding skin stretching and weight fluctuation, postponing your tummy tuck offers some other benefits as well. One of the most convenient is combining your abdominoplasty with a sterilization procedure like tubal ligation. If you combine these procedures, you’ll only need to deal with one operation and a single recovery period. Dr. Sayed can also employ several techniques to specifically target the reduction of stretch marks and C-section scarring caused by pregnancy.
Dr. Sayed understands life is unpredictable, and things change. Sometimes, that includes deciding to become pregnant after a tummy tuck. If you find yourself in this position, be sure to talk with Dr. Sayed to chart the best path forward and answer any of your questions.
Generally, if you become pregnant post-tummy tuck, you may not “show” as early as an average pregnancy. This phenomenon is usually due to the tightened abdominal muscles and skin and should not cause any medical concern. There is no evidence that getting pregnant after a tummy tuck poses any risk to the health of you or your baby.
How Soon Is Too Soon?
Often our patients ask Dr. Sayed if he can perform a tummy tuck at the same time as their C-section. The answer, unfortunately, is no. In the initial period after your pregnancy, the body needs time to heal before you can have a successful tummy tuck. Why? Immediately after delivering a baby, the uterus is still larger than normal, which can prevent Dr. Sayed from optimally tightening your abdominal muscles and removing skin. Further, most women need a few months to return to their ideal body weight to maximize their results.
Finally, tummy tuck patients need to avoid lifting any heavy objects for a few weeks following the procedure, which can be particularly difficult with a newborn in the home. Giving yourself the necessary time to fully heal and recover ensures Dr. Sayed can provide the results you want.
Schedule a Consultation
Deciding to get a tummy tuck after pregnancy is a significant decision. Our entire team is here to help you feel confident in your choice and answer any of your questions and concerns.
If you think a tummy tuck could be right for you, the next step is to schedule an in-person consultation at our San Diego, CA, offices. To get in touch, give us a call at 858-24SAYED or contact us online today.
