A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, can be a great option for mothers who would like to tighten their abdominal area and get rid of loose, baggy skin around the stomach.* However, it’s important to take long-term factors into consideration when planning your post-pregnancy tummy tuck.
Post-Pregnancy Hormones
Estrogen and progesterone are at their highest during pregnancy and affect the elasticity of your skin for several months. Women who are breastfeeding will continue to experience the release of post-pregnancy hormones until after weaning. It’s important that these hormones drop to a normal level prior to tummy tuck surgery.
Pregnancy Weight Gain
Most women put on some amount of weight during pregnancy, and would love to shed the excess baggage as quickly as possible after their baby is born. Be sure to lose any extra pregnancy weight with diet and exercise before considering body contouring with a tummy tuck.
Future Pregnancies
Lastly, consider whether you intend to have any more pregnancies in the future. While the idea that you can’t have babies at all after surgery is one of the most persistent myths about pregnancy and tummy tucks, surgeons do make that recommendation to reduce the chance of repeat surgeries, as future pregnancies could compromise your results. For this reason, women may want to wait until they’ve finished having children before pursuing body contouring surgery.
Depending on all of these factors, I advise women considering a post-pregnancy tummy tuck to wait at least six months before undergoing surgery. If you are breastfeeding or planning on expanding your family again, a longer wait may be better for optimal results.*
*This information is for education only, and is not meant as a guarantee of results. Your results may vary.
Author: Dr. Francesco Campanile
Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Francesco Campanile is a cosmetic surgeon in Denver who is focused on body contouring and breast enhancement. Time and time again, the women and men who choose Dr. Campanile say that they’ve found “the whole package” – a doctor who cares deeply about the quality of their results and has the skill to achieve excellence.
