Although women are advised not to get a tummy tuck until they have children, it can still happen. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant after a tummy tuck, you are probably wondering what effect your tummy tuck may have on your pregnancy, as well as what impact your pregnancy may have on your tummy tuck results.
Is it safe to go through natural childbirth after a tummy tuck?
Yes. You can experience natural childbirth or have a C-section after a tummy tuck.
How will pregnancy affect my previous tummy tuck?
Most tummy tucks retain their shape and attractiveness after the birth of the baby and the loss of the baby’s weight. It is still possible that touch-up surgery will be needed, depending on the amount of muscle operated on during the tummy tuck. Also, gaining a great deal of weight during your pregnancy could affect how your tummy tuck results look after giving birth.
Tummy Tuck Procedure
The tummy tuck is a type of plastic surgery used to correct an abdomen that is loose, sagging, or protruding. It helps remove excess skin and fat from the lower and middle abdomen. It also can tighten abdomen muscles, which leads to a sleeker and more youthful abdominal profile.
Undergoing a tummy tuck procedure removes excess skin and fat to provide you with a more toned abdominal contour. Many women experience this procedure after childbirth because they have excess skin after weight loss. The reason is that the skin has become permanently stretched and will not regain its natural contours. A tummy tuck makes possible what is difficult or impossible to do by yourself.
A tummy tuck may be right for you if you need to:
- Repair separated or weakened muscles
- Remove excess skin, tissue, and fat from the abdominal area
- Eliminate or improve abdominal fold skin irritation
They dislike the way that their stomach pooches out or hangs over. They may find it difficult to wear a swimsuit or any of the clothes they once enjoyed wearing.
Those who have undergone significant weight gain must deal with excess abdominal fat, while those who have lost a considerable amount of weight must often deal with excess abdominal skin. Other factors that can separate and weaken abdominal muscles include weight loss, pregnancy, and aging.
How is a tummy tuck performed?
Depending on the amount of work needed, it usually takes two to five hours to complete a tummy tuck procedure.
In most cases, the plastic surgeon will begin by forming an incision running from hip to hip above the pubic area. They would then create a second incision, freeing the navel from nearby tissue. Next, they separate skin and fat from the abdominal wall to reveal the so-called “six-pack” abdominal muscles, tightening them together for a more toned abdominal wall and a narrower waistline.
Once the plastic surgeon has tightened the abdominal muscles, they remove excess skin from the waist area. They would then create a new hole for the belly button, stitch it into place.
Next, the surgeon would place a drainage tube at the surgical site before stitching the incision closed. After they have stitched closed the incisions, they will place dressings and a compression garment.
Conclusion
From a practical point of view, it makes more sense to delay a tummy tuck procedure until you have completed your family.
No matter what you decide, the baby will not be affected. But the results of your previous tummy tuck procedure might be. So be sure to talk to your plastic surgeon if you are considering becoming pregnant in the future and also thinking of getting a tummy tuck.
