Pregnancy after tummy tuck If you’re a woman who’s had a tummy tuck, you may have questions about how pregnancy will affect your body. Don’t worry—getting pregnant after a tummy tuck is perfectly safe. It just requires some careful planning on your part. The first thing you need to do is make sure you’re ready for pregnancy. Your doctor will be able to advise you on what to expect, but generally speaking, it’s recommended that you wait at least six weeks after the procedure before trying to get pregnant. This gives your body time to heal and recover from surgery without risking any complications caused by being pregnant while recovering from surgery.
Once you’ve waited six weeks, it’s time for the fun part: getting pregnant! You’ll want to make sure that your doctor knows that you’re planning on getting pregnant so they can prescribe any necessary medication or supplements for pre-conception care (like folic acid) before beginning treatment with them so they can monitor your progress throughout pregnancy safely as well as perform regular checkups throughout gestation to make sure everything is going smoothly (and if not, address any issues before they become problematic)
Read on to learn more on Getting Pregnant After Tummy Tuck, Pregnancy After Tummy Tuck Risks and Pregnancy
Getting Pregnant After Tummy Tuck
For women everywhere, and particularly for mothers, the tummy tuck remains one of the most sought-after cosmetic surgeries each year. With the ability to achieve a trimmer, flatter, and firmer stomach through tummy tuck surgery, it is no surprise that many women begin considering the procedure after experiencing some of the changes associated with pregnancy and childbirth. However, the question of how a future pregnancy will impact the results of the tummy tuck often arises during this period. This is certainly an appropriate and worthwhile topic of discussion for women considering the tummy tuck.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Khorsandi, Chief of Plastic Surgery at VIP Plastic Surgery in Las Vegas, NV, is committed to providing patients with an exceptional level of care and service. This includes making sure that patients are educated and well informed on any procedure they may be considering. One noteworthy point that Dr. Khorsandi will discuss with any patient is if they’re planning to get pregnant in the future, as well as how a future pregnancy may impact the tummy tuck – and the other way around. In general, it is recommended that patients wait until they are done having children before undergoing a tummy tuck, but there are certainly instances when pregnancy after tummy tuck can and does occur. To better understand the implications of pregnancy after tummy tuck, it is important to first have a basic understanding of the procedure itself.
WHAT IS A TUMMY TUCK?
Formally known as abdominoplasty, the tummy tuck is an invasive surgical procedure that is designed to give patients a tighter, slimmer abdominal contour. This is achieved through excess skin removal and tightening of the underlying muscles that may have become separated. Oftentimes, the surgeon will perform liposuction alongside a tummy tuck to remove stubborn pockets of fat from the area, further enhancing the results.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR TUMMY TUCK?
The best way to find out if you are a good candidate for tummy tuck is to be evaluated by a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon. During your initial consultation at VIP Plastic Surgery in Las Vegas, Dr. Khorsandi will thoroughly assess your case, taking ample time to discuss your goals and concerns, explain your options in detail, and answer all of your questions fully.
Though it is commonly associated with mothers, the tummy tuck can be useful for both men and women. Some of the situations that most often lead people to consider tummy tuck include:
- Weight loss – after losing a significant amount of weight, many patients are left with loose, excess skin around their abdomen.
- Pregnancy – arguably the most common reason that patients pursue tummy tuck is to restore their pre-baby bodies and trim away the excess skin and fat that lingers after childbirth.
- Diastasis recti – this common condition, a weakening and separation of the abdominal muscles, can occur naturally or can be caused by pregnancy or extreme weight fluctuation.
Tummy tuck candidates must be in relatively good health, be non-smokers, and have no contraindications to surgery or anesthesia. Patients should also have reached their goal weight, within about 5-10 pounds, and have maintained that weight for at least 6 months before surgery, as future weight fluctuations can compromise the results of a tummy tuck. This includes weight gain and loss associated with pregnancy, making it important for patients to be sure they are done having children before pursuing a tummy tuck.
WHAT IF I GET PREGNANT AFTER MY TUMMY TUCK?
Even with the best planning and intentions, life can be unpredictable. If you do end up getting pregnant after a tummy tuck, or if you change your mind after several years and decide to try for a pregnancy, safety may be your main concern, but try not to worry. Pregnancy after tummy tuck is not considered to have any inherent risk factors, though all pregnancies can have complications associated with them whether they occur before or after a tummy tuck or any other surgical procedure. Patients who get pregnant after a tummy tuck have an equally high chance carrying a healthy, full-term pregnancy as do women who have never had a tummy tuck. Some women report tighter sensation with pregnancy after tummy tuck as compared to a pre-surgery pregnancy, but this is not harmful and is usually mild and tolerable.
The biggest concern about getting pregnant after your tummy tuck is the potential negative effect the pregnancy can have on your results, which may lead to the need for a second or subsequent revision procedure in the future. With the significant weight fluctuation and abdominal stretching that will occur during the pregnancy, it is certainly possible that you could once again be left with loose, excess, sagging skin and a separation or weakening of the muscles, both of which would need surgical correction in order to restore your original results.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN MY TUMMY TUCK RESULTS AFTER GETTING PREGNANT?
While many patients who become pregnant after tummy tuck end up requiring a touch-up or revision procedure, there are some cases when this is not needed. To give yourself the best possible chance of maintaining your tummy tuck results after a future pregnancy, it is important to try and control weight gain, but this should be done in a healthy way and under the supervision of your OB/GYN. If you do become pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant after a tummy tuck, Dr. Khorsandi and the knowledgeable team at VIP Plastic Surgery can help advise you on what else you can do to try and minimize the affect a pregnancy will have on your surgical results. It is important to set realistic expectations, though. Ultimately, it is always recommended that patients be as sure as possible that they are done having children before undergoing the tummy tuck.
Pregnancy After Tummy Tuck Risks
It is important to understand that pregnancy is not a contraindication for tummy tuck surgery. However, it is important to note that there are some risks involved with pregnancy after tummy tuck surgery.
There is no scientific evidence that shows that pregnancy after tummy tuck surgery will cause any type of complications. However, there have been reports of women who have had problems with their abdominoplasty surgical scars during their pregnancy. The main reason for this is because the abdominal muscles tend to stretch and become lax during pregnancy. This can cause the incisional scars to stretch out as well, which may cause them to become more visible than they were before your pregnancy. If you do experience this problem, it is important to talk with your doctor about your options going forward
You may be able to get pregnant after a tummy tuck. But there are risks involved.
In general, pregnancy is not recommended for at least six weeks after a tummy tuck. The reason for this is that the procedure can increase your risk of infection, bleeding and swelling in the abdomen, which could lead to problems with the surgery site.
If you’re considering getting pregnant within this time frame, talk to your doctor about how to proceed. In some cases, they may recommend waiting until after childbirth before having your tummy tuck. If this is the case, you’ll need to wait six weeks after giving birth before having the surgery performed — even if you’re still breastfeeding.
After your baby is born, however, you can ask your doctor about other options for getting rid of loose skin after pregnancy.
Pregnancy after a tummy tuck is not something to be taken lightly. You should consider all the risks involved before you decide to have children after surgery.
The following are some of the risks of pregnancy after tummy tuck surgery:
- Pregnancy-related problems such as bleeding or infection
- Increased risk of blood clots and gestational diabetes (a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy)
- A higher chance of preterm labor, which can lead to premature birth
Second Pregnancy After Tummy Tuck
I am 31 years old and I had my first child in March of 2016. I was only 108 lbs before pregnancy and gained about 55 lbs during my pregnancy. I was never overweight or obese, but I was definitely not skinny. I had three c-sections and lost all the weight in the first year, but not much on top of that.
I am 5’3″ and currently weigh around 130 lbs. My stomach is still flabby and hanging over my pants belt line, even though it’s been almost a year since I had my last child. The reason why I didn’t get surgery sooner is because my husband died suddenly 2 months ago, so I’ve been focusing on taking care of myself mentally as well as physically (i’m depressed)
My doctor recommended that we wait until after our second child is born (which will be in Dec 2017) to do the tummy tuck because it could potentially complicate things if there are any complications during delivery (there won’t be).
I would like to know if anyone else has done this? How did it go? What kind of recovery time did you have? How long before you felt back to normal after surgery? Also, how long did it take for your stomach to look normal again after birth