Mommy Makeover: Info, Photos, Rewiews, Q&A

Significant changes occur in a women’s body following pregnancy. Many of these changes are irreversible and require surgical intervention to correct.

After pregnancy, women note changes in their breasts, abdomen, and fat accumulations in their hips and thighs.

The abdomen seems to be an area of particular concern for most women. After pregnancy, women will typically diet and exercise to improve this problem area.

Despite their best efforts, they are often left with loose, saggy abdominal skin.

This often adversely impacts their self-confidence and the quality of day-to-day life. For these reasons, many patients eventually seek abdominoplasty. The timing of the surgery following pregnancy is very important and several issues need to be considered before proceeding with surgery.

It takes time for your new post-pregnancy body to return to its new baseline following pregnancy. During this period, stretched skin may contract, a swollen uterus may shrink, and you may lose some of the extra weight gained during pregnancy.

These changes need to occur before abdominoplasty is performed. In addition, we recommend that patients be done having children, be in good health otherwise, have adequate child care, be done breast-feeding, and be within ten percent of their ideal body weight.

If all these criteria are met, you should be an excellent candidate for surgery. Consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help you make this determination. (Richard J. Bruneteau, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

There is no right answer on how long one should wait after delivery to have a tummy surgery. Obviously if you are in the process of loosing weight or otherwise getting in better shape with diet and excercise I would wait.

If it is the appropriate time for you given your life, schedule, and preference, I would encourage you to start doing some research and set up a series of consultations with different board certified plastic surgeons. (Remus Repta, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)

Surgery post pregnancy

The biggest question is whether you are finished having children. If you have concluded that you are then you can find a Board Certified plastic surgeon who will discuss your options with you.
A lot of surgeons will do it around the 3 month point, depending on your body weight: If you gained a lot of weight during your pregnancy then you will want to get back to a healthy body weight first.

Talk to your surgeon about your expectations to see if this is the right procedure for you. (Joseph Serota, MD, Aurora Plastic Surgeon)

Your abdominal skin and muscles will be stretched by your pregnancy. Over a period of time in the order of six months to nine months, the loose tissues will gradually contract back down to a certain extent. How much they shrink down depends alot on the individual.

Exercises will also help. But after six to nine months, if you still feel that you have alot of loose skin and you do not plan on having any more children, you might consider a tummy tuck procedure to help you get rid of all that loose skin.

I recommend that you consult a plastic surgeon in your area certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. (James Tang, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Are you sure that you are not going to have more children? If you are not certain I would suggest that you not contemplate surgery until you have made this decision. As a mother of three as well as a board certified plastic surgeon, I remember very clearly seeing my belly months after delivery and being panicked.

I advise my patients to give themselves at least a year to lose their baby weight, develop a routine with their children, and maintain an exercise routine. It is very important that the entire well being of the patient, both physically and emotionally, is considered…

If you are within your pre-pregnancy weight range and have adjusted emotionally to motherhood, I would schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to determine your options. (Christine Sullivan, MD, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)

It is generally advisable to wait at least 6 months after delivery before undergoing surgery on the abdomen, such as a tummy surgery.

In addition, you should be as close to your ideal weight as possible, and have finished breastfeeding, before considering liposuction. (Olivia Hutchinson, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Because everyone heals differently there is no exact time for a mommy makeover tummy surgery.

Six months may sufficient if you have lost your pregnancy weight, and have returned to your pre-pregnancy exercises routines.

Your plastic surgeon will advise you on the treatment options and the timing of your mommy makeover tummy surgery. (Fredrick A. Valauri, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

There is no set rule on how long a patient should wait after childbirth before undergoing a tummy surgery, it has more to do with getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight. Once you have lost most of your pregnancy weight, you can consider a tummy surgery procedure.

This may be anywhere from six months to a year. A board certified plastic surgeon will be able to examine you and help determine the best time for your surgery.

Take your time and lose the weight gradually, there is no rush to have a tummy surgery until you’re ready. (William Bruno, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Post-Pregnancy Belly: When should I get a Tummy Surgery?

Pregnancy stretches the skin and the abdominal wall including the muscles. Recovery from this stretching is unpredictable but can be related to the amount of weight you gain and the size of baby (or babies) you carry.

Stretch marks, sagging skin and a central abdominal bulge 9 months after giving birth are likely signs you have permanent damage. This can be corrected with a tummy surgery which can utilize liposuction, or any of the other body contouring procedures that can correct post-partum damage.

I would consult with your plastic surgeon and discuss your options on contouring your abdomen. (Andrew P. Trussler, MD, Austin Plastic Surgeon)

my rule of thumb is to wait a year before surgery. the other thing to consider is whether you are done having children. there is no problem with the safety of pregnancy after a tummy surgery, however, there is no guarantee how things will hold up after a pregnancy either. i want my patients to be done having children prior to a tummy surgery. (Eric Chang, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)

Post Pregnancy Figure
As you are now nine months post delivery, it is doubtful any further changes Will occur and you should have a pretty good idea about what has happened to your figure.

Depending on your height and weight and general health, mommy makeover surgery could be considered.

Why go in for a consultation and get a better idea. (Richard Linderman, MD, Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon)

There is no exact time table when to get tummy surgery/lipo after pregnancy. Women need to wait at least 3 months after giving birth for uterus to decrease in size. Also, you want to lose the excess fat prior to undergoing a body contouring procedure to get the most optimal cosmetic result.

Tummy surgery with or without lipo is a great procedure to contour the abdomen. Tummy tuck removes lower belly skin and fat; at the same time, the stretched out muscle is brought together. Typically, patients should wait till they are done having babies. (Sugene Kim, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Post pregnancy tummy changes
I think after 9 months, you are not going to see many more changes, assuming you are back to your normal weight and level of fitness. At that point, it is appropriate to consider surgical improvement. If there is a reasonable chance you may still have another baby, it would be a good idea to wait for the surgery. If you have the surgery and have a later pregnancy, there will not be any problem with the pregnancy, but you may need the tummy surgery touched up. (Ronald V. DeMars, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

 

Most Plastic Surgeons will consider waiting 6 months after the last delivery before considering an abdominoplasty and liposuctioning. This would be lengthened if you were nursing your child. The benefits of a tummy surgery are so beneficial to most patients. It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries that I do in my practice. The abdomen is firm, highly supported and frequently the procedure takes strain off of the lower back as well. The recovery will take several weeks but you should be able to resume normal activities quite soon . (Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

Wait a Year to Fix Your Post Pregnancy Belly
Your body goes through many changes after pregnancy. Weight loss is difficult until you are finished nursing.

Dieting and exercise will help but loose belly skin that has been stretched by pregnancy often needs to be removed with a Tummy surgery to regain a flat pre pregnancy tummy. Timing depends on the condition of your tummy but general guidelines are to wait to have a Tummy surgery until:

1. You are finished Breast Feeding
2. Have returned to close to your pre pregnancy weight
3. Have adequate help with Childcare during your recovery
4. Any C-section scar has healed and is not red and reaised
5. You are in the best physical shape possible

Of course see an experienced board certified Plastic Surgeon and follow his/her advice. (Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

Belly after child birth

I think there are a variety of procedures that might help you, everything from a full tummy surgery to a mini tummy tuck to liposuction. Also there is muscle repair that might be required to bring the muscles back into their proper position.

I usually have the woman wait at least 3 months after the baby to do the surgery. This is to allow at least most of the baby fat to go away and to see how much skin can shrink. Also, if you are not done having babies, I would wait as another pregnancy will undo what was fixed. (Julio Garcia, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Your post pregnancy belly is due to a weakening and separation of the abdominal muscles and stretching of the abdominal skin.

As your baby grows, so does your abdomen. Your post pregnancy belly is due to a weakening and separation of the abdominal muscles and stretching of the abdominal skin. The stretching causes a breakage of skin collagen in essence, stretch marks.

The good news is 9 months post delivery is just the amount of time needed to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure (6 months post breast feeding) and the Mommy Makeover also addresses this issue and can help reverse the effects. Before undergoing any plastic surgery, always consult with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, that performs many of these types of procedures and can provide before and after photos of their work.

Platic Surgeons Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery have gone through rigorous training to advice what is best and SAFEST for you. Experience does make a difference! (Alfred Sofer, MD, FACS, Fairfield Plastic Surgeon)

I prefer to wait about one year after the delivery of the child or children and I will recommend waiting longer if the woman is still breast feeding. Once cleared, it is generally safe to proceed with a tummy surgery and liposuction at the same time. (Garrett A. Wirth, MD, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

If you are at the weight you are comfortable at, then 9 months is plenty of time since your last pregnancy and you can proceed with your surgery. Any residual that you have from the spreading of the abdominal muscles will need surgical correction. (Norman Bakshandeh, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)