Blog Article
Tummy Tuck After Pregnancy
Throughout the history of humankind, women have endured the challenges of pregnancy while looking forward to bringing new life into the world. But in many cases, a baby is not the only consequence of pregnancy. Women everywhere find that the experience permanently alters their bodies in what many consider to be undesirable ways. A tummy tuck after pregnancy can help to correct these negative consequences and give you a more youthfully firm, flat, and attractive waistline.
How Pregnancy Affects the Tummy Area
A woman’s waistline goes through many changes during pregnancy. Most obviously, her tummy increases in size as the baby develops inside her body. The female body’s way of making this happen is truly miraculous. Internal organs move out of the way to make room for the growing fetus. The muscles of the stomach wall stretch and even separate (if necessary) to accommodate the baby. The skin, always flexible and adaptive, grows and stretches all throughout the pregnancy as these changes occur. And the body, to protect the unborn child, stores greater amounts of localized abdominal fat like a cushion around the baby. And all of this occurs over the brief period of only nine months!
Unfortunately, these changes that occur so rapidly during pregnancy do not necessarily go away afterward. For many women, they do not resolve at all and remain part of the forever-changed figure, the so-called “mom bod”. The stomach muscles may remain separated and weakened, producing an eternal belly pooch even despite regular abdominal exercises. The skin in the stomach area, now loose and flaccid and riddled with stretch marks, may permanently sag loosely over what was once a flat, firm abdomen. And the localized fat that once cushioned the baby may remain long-term, like a permanent cushion for the woman’s lower belly.
What Can a Tummy Tuck Do After Pregnancy?
The effects of pregnancy may not dissipate on their own, but they can be addressed with a specialized body contouring procedure called “abdominoplasty” (tummy tuck surgery). A tummy tuck corrects three major issues that often persist after pregnancy: separated stomach muscles, stubborn belly fat, and loose skin.
A Tummy Tuck Can Fix Separated Abdominal Muscles
While abdominal exercises can strengthen weakened stomach muscles, they cannot fix a separated abdominal wall. Diastasis recti, or separated stomach muscles, can only be corrected with surgery. During tummy tuck surgery, the surgeon mends the stomach wall to recreate a firm and flat waistline. This eliminates the constantly pooching belly and restores a more defined core shape.
A Tummy Tuck Can Get Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat
An oft-included technique in tummy tuck surgery is liposuction. This body contouring procedure suctions away stubborn fat from localized areas to help trim down body contours. During a tummy tuck, liposuction may be performed to eliminate persistent fat in the mid to lower abdomen. This can restore a slender waistline and a more youthful figure after pregnancy.
A Tummy Tuck Can Eliminate Loose Skin and Stretch Marks
While a woman’s abdominal skin grows and stretches around the growing infant during pregnancy, the skin can only retract somewhat after the baby has been born. In most cases, the skin contracts noticeably but is unable to completely revert to its previous appearance. Excess abdominal skin left by pregnancy may be surgically removed with a tummy tuck. During the procedure, the surgeon trims away the excess skin, ridding the body of it and any stretch marks that were on the loose skin. The surgeon then pulls the remaining skin tight before suturing it together. This restores a tight and flat abdomen without the rippled, roll-lined skin that is so common after pregnancy.
When Can I Get a Tummy Tuck After Pregnancy?
The benefits of a tummy tuck after pregnancy may be so enticing that you begin dreaming of them even before your pregnancy term is completed. However, it is important to carefully consider the timing of your tummy tuck surgery based on your health, lifestyle, and future plans. Because it is a major surgery, it is paramount that you be healthy and prepared—physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.
If you are in good overall health, at a stable body weight, and no longer pregnant or breastfeeding, now may be a good time to consult a plastic surgeon about tummy tuck surgery. However, if you are planning on having more children at some point, it is usually best to wait on tummy tuck surgery because the amazing results are likely to be erased by a future pregnancy. Talk to a medical professional to help you determine whether now could be the right time for you to undergo this life-changing procedure.
A tummy tuck can restore a mother’s figure by recreating slender and firm pre-pregnancy abdominal contours. To learn more about the benefits of undergoing tummy tuck surgery after pregnancy, schedule your consultation with Denver area board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Mouchantat. Call us at (303) 232-8585 or contact us online to book your appointment today.
