Tummy Tuck After Pregnancy

Giving birth is one of the most wonderful experiences in life, but it can lead to a drastic fluctuation in weight that can leave you with a less defined figure, particularly in the abdominal region. This can make many women feel insecure about their body. Although most women return to their pre-pregnancy weight with the help of a healthy diet, exercise and patience, sometimes you may be left with a sagging or bulging stomach. As a result, many women consider a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, as a means of restoring their pre-pregnancy stomach. In this article we will discuss about different types of tummy tuck and how they are done and whether it’s the right choice for you or not.

What is a tummy tuck?

Tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a procedure that can be done for anyone who has excess stomach skin after weight loss. It is not intended to be a weight loss procedure but it will help improve the appearance of your abdomen. It’s generally most effective when your weight has stabilized and you are not experiencing fluctuations and you are at or near your ideal weight.

Another benefit of a tummy tuck surgery is that if you suffer from stress urinary incontinence, you can ask your surgeon to also place a small mound of tissue near your bladder in order to help regulate urine flow.

What are the signs that you may need a tummy tuck?

1. Diastasis recti is when the right and left halves of the abdominal muscles spread apart which results in the appearance of a paunch or pot belly. This condition occurs in only about 30% of pregnancies.
2. Sagging skin which is when your skin has lost the elasticity it needs to spring back into its original shape.
3. You are struggling to lose the excess fat in spite of your best diet and fitness efforts. 

These conditions mostly occur when you’ve had a large baby, twins or gave birth multiple times.

How Long After Pregnancy Should You Get a Tummy Tuck?

It’s recommended that you wait 6 months to a year after giving birth to have a tummy tuck in order to give your body some time to heal following the childbirth, stabilize your weight and rebalance your hormone levels. Furthermore, it’s important that you are able to fully rest and relax when recovering from tummy tuck surgery, which is often not possible when taking care of a newborn child. Frequent lifting of your baby puts stress on a healing tummy tuck, and can damage the results.

What are the different techniques of tummy tuck?

Classic or Full tummy tuck: This is the most common type of tummy tuck for women after pregnancies. During this procedure, a horizontal or U-shaped incision is made above the pubic area from one hip to the other. The incision is made as low as possible so that it can be concealed by bikini bottoms. Then a second incision will be made near your belly button. Besides removing excess skin, a full tummy tuck may involve repairing abdominal muscles separated during pregnancy (diastasis recti). The belly button usually needs to be repositioned. For women who have had Cesarean section, the incision can be made at the same location so there will only be one, low scar.

Mini tummy tuck: This procedure requires a smaller incision and is appropriate for cases which the sagging skin is confined to the area below the belly button.

Circumferential abdominoplasty (belt lipectomy): This procedure involves removing the excess skin from both the abdomen and the back in addition to elevating the buttocks. It’s mostly performed for patients after massive weight loss following bariatric surgery but might be the optimal choice for some women after they’ve had children. 

When can you see the results?

You will see the results immediately, as the removal of excess skin reveals a noticeably flatter stomach but the final results will be completely visible after 6-12 months. By this time swelling will have subsided and you will notice a flatter, toned, and contoured abdomen.

How long is the recovery time?

Usually it takes 12 weeks for patients to make a full recovery from a post pregnancy tummy tuck, and get back to their normal activities. However, most patients feel able to resume most of their daily activities just 1-2 weeks after the surgery. During the recovery period, you may notice some swelling, bruising, and discomfort in the affected area, which will gradually disappear.

In conclusion, if you are struggling with your body shape after giving birth you can consider getting a tummy tuck in order to get your pre-pregnancy body shape. But you have to keep in mind to not expect too much from yourself and give your body time to heal get back its shape. It’s best to enjoy the precious time you have with your child and if after enough time and regular diet and exercise you still feel insecure, you can consider getting a tummy tuck as a last resort. If you are considering Tummy Tuck surgery for getting your body in shape, Mediranco Health Tourism Company can help you achieve your goal by providing consultation with the best and most experienced abdominoplasty surgeons in Iran. Rest assured that by choosing Mediranco Health Tourism Company, you will be provided with the best care possible at the best possible prices. All you need to do is to contact our support team and they will help you through.