Becoming a mother is one of the most amazing experiences for a woman, but for many mums, once their baby has arrived they struggle to get their bodies back to its pre-baby form. Even with exercise and a healthy diet, it can feel like it’s impossible to get your stomach back to its pre-pregnancy appearance.
This is why tummy tucks are incredibly popular for mothers, and it’s one of the main reasons a lot of women get tummy tucks (an incredible 96% of tummy tucks globally are performed on women).
Pregnancy can lead to a lot of excess skin and torn abdominal muscles for many women, and for most, tummy tucks can repair the damage done during pregnancy and childbirth.
You might have thought tummy tucks were weight-loss procedures, but contrary to this popular belief, it’s not a procedure that’s used to help people lose weight. You can read up more about the procedure in our guide to tummy tucks but basically, a tummy tuck returns definition to affected areas.
But if you’ve just had a child, when can you get your tummy tucked? Should you book in for an appointment a couple of weeks after, or should you leave it a bit longer?
Today we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know when it comes to getting your tummy tucked after pregnancy.
How long should you wait until getting a tummy tuck after pregnancy?
It can be very tempting to schedule your tummy tuck as soon as possible after you’ve given birth. Some mothers even try to book it while they’re pregnant!
But, a tummy tuck can’t snap you back to your original self only a couple of weeks or months after giving birth. It just wouldn’t be safe.
You have to give your body a chance to recover. Childbirth puts a lot of stress on your body, and going in for surgery straight away could be very dangerous.
You should wait at least six months after giving birth before undergoing a tummy tuck, and many patients wait even longer. They rely on exercise and diet to help return their body to a pre-pregnancy state.
Another thing to note is if you breastfeed, then you should be waiting six months until you’ve finished breastfeeding to get your tummy tuck done.
Motherhood isn’t an easy job to do, so it’s advised to get your tummy suck done during a time when you won’t be lifting or carrying your child, buggies, bags, and emergency nappy-changing supplies. This is so you’ll be able to have the full rest and recovery needed for your procedure.
Can you have a tummy tuck if you plan to have more children in the future?
If you’re planning on having more children in the future, then it’s probably best to wait until you’ve had them before getting a tummy tuck done. While a tummy tuck won’t prohibit your ability to have children later in life, future pregnancies can affect your results and bring you right back to square one.
During pregnancy, it’s common for abdominal muscles to stretch, and after pregnancy, you might find you have:
- Loose skin
- Hanging skin
- Additional fat
- Weak stomach muscles
Depending on how severe this all is, it could be pretty challenging to get your body back to its original condition after childbirth despite having a tummy tuck already. So you’ll probably have to get another procedure completed.
To ensure long-lasting results, we recommend that you get your tummy tuck procedure performed after you’ve finished having children.
What if you’re unsure if you want to have more children?
Not everybody plans on having more children right away, and some people don’t know what their future holds, so how do you know whether now is the right time to get a tummy tuck?
We’d recommend waiting for a little while until you’re sure of your future family plans. But, if you’re pretty confident that you’re not going to have children and you’ve ruled out the possibility, then move forward with the procedure.
Just remember that if you do have more kids down the line, it will affect your tummy tuck results. Feel free to consult with your doctor for more information about whether you should have a tummy tuck now or wait.
Why should you wait to get a tummy tuck after pregnancy?
You might be in a rush to restore your figure to its former glory, but there are a few crucial reasons why you must wait before getting a tummy tuck after giving birth.
Here are five reasons why you have to wait before getting your tummy tucked after giving birth:
- Your body needs time to heal after childbirth before undergoing major surgery
- Taking care of a newborn is hard work, and you won’t be able to mind them if you have to recover from surgery
- Breastfeeding causes hormonal changes and might affect your tummy tuck results
- You won’t be able to breastfeed your child if you undergo anaesthetic or if you’re taking painkillers
- You’ll achieve a much better outcome if you wait until you’ve lost any extra baby weight
We recommend that you wait a minimum of six months after you’ve had your child before having a tummy tuck. Keep in mind that six months is the absolute minimum timeframe, and it would be best to wait about a year.
During your initial consultation, all of these factors will be discussed with you to ensure you’ll be okay with a tummy tuck.
What is a mommy makeover?
A ‘mommy makeover’ is an incredibly popular combination surgery that a lot of women get after they’re pregnant.
It involves:
- Breast Augmentation
- Breast Lift
- Breast Reduction
- Tummy Tuck
- Circumferential Abdominoplasty
- Liposuction
It’s recommended if you do want to get a mommy makeover procedure that you wait at least six months (minimum) before booking your appointment. These are all big procedures, and by letting your body rest and recover after childbirth you’ll be able to make a swifter recovery after the surgery.
What are the benefits of getting a tummy tuck after pregnancy?
There are a few benefits to getting a tummy tuck after pregnancy:
- Remove excess skin
- Tighten the abdominal muscles
- Gets you back into the clothes you love
- Builds your confidence
- Helps treat c-section scars
Your body won’t look like it did before you gave birth and this can often cause a lot of distress for some women. Don’t feel bad about your body – it’s just performed a miraculous achievement in carrying and giving birth to your beautiful baby!
If you are interested in getting a tummy tuck to help get rid of your baby weight, our team can help.
The team at Auralia would love to help you get back to your peak condition so you can look great and feel good about your body again.
Get in touch with us today to figure out if you’re the right candidate for a tummy tuck or call us today on 01 612 0551 if you have any questions.
