I Want A Tummy Tuck But Plan To Have More Children...What Are My Options?

It happens...you’re not sure if you are done growing your family but you want to consider cosmetic help with your stomach now. You might be asking, can I still have a tummy tuck procedure but become pregnant in the future? While there are no set rules on this subject matter, many Northern VA women contemplate if they can have the best of both worlds. A tighter tummy now and future children down the road. The plastic surgeons at Austin-Weston in Reston, VA are here to offer tummy tuck options to moms that may not be quite done growing their family. Let’s take a look at this topic for women, what is recommended, and how a tummy tuck doesn’t necessarily have to be put on the back burner even if you might become pregnant.

The tummy tuck recommendation

It is not an uncommon question for Northern VA women to ask at their tummy tuck consultation, can I still have more children after my tummy tuck? The answer is yes but it is typically advised and highly recommended that women be done with pregnancy before having any type of tummy tuck procedure. Most qualified plastic surgeons, like the ones at Austin-Weston, would advise to be done having children in order to enjoy and optimize your tummy tuck results. With that said, it is not the end of the world if you have more children or even accidentally become pregnant after having a tummy tuck procedure.

Tummy tuck and pregnancy

There is misinformation out there that you can’t consider cosmetic procedures, especially a tummy tuck, if you are still in your reproductive years of life. As with any cosmetic procedure, it is crucial that patients make a well-informed decision and knowing that your tummy tuck results may be altered if you become pregnant is part of it. There is also no medical harm to you or the baby should you become pregnant after a tummy tuck procedure. The only side effect may be that some women claim to not “show” as soon as their friends, so it can affect how your belly develops over 9 months, which may not be a bad thing!

Do I tell my surgeon of possible plans

It is always the best advice to tell your plastic surgeon any possible future plans of having more children, especially when consulting on a tummy tuck. For obvious reasons, pregnancy can exhaust a woman’s body in certain areas especially the stomach. If you give your plastic surgeon a heads up, they can even alter your tummy tuck procedure. A surgeon can leave the underlying abdominal muscles more lax or not as tight in order to allow for any future pregnancies. If a revision procedure is then needed, 6-12 months after giving birth, then those lax abdominal muscles and any other further stretching can be corrected. It will only help your end results if you discuss all goals and future plans with your plastic surgeon during your consultation.

The options

The main goal of any tummy tuck procedure is to remove any excess skin and make a patient’s profile slimmer and more toned-looking. With a traditional or extended tummy tuck, the underlying abdominal muscles are also tightened. A mini tummy tuck is just a smaller version of the traditional and patients struggling with loose skin from losing a significant amount of weight can have a panniculectomy performed. This procedure simply removes all excess skin in the lower abdominal area but doesn’t tighten the underlying muscles. If you think about it a patient struggling with extra skin, due to weight loss, shouldn’t have to wait to enjoy the benefits of a panniculectomy procedure even if they are undecided about having children.

A revision or touch-up

There is a risk for women to lose their tummy tuck results after another pregnancy. It is a personal choice to have another baby. After 6-12 months, a patient can come back in for another consultation with one of our plastic surgeons to discuss the option of a revision surgery or mini tummy tuck. A mini tummy tuck may only be needed in order to correct slight changes or laxity that happened to the stomach area with pregnancy. Liposuction can also be included again with either of these options in order to permanently remove excess fat left behind. Either way, women who may not be done planning their families can enjoy their new look now and even again after being done with pregnancy.

Watch the scale

Even though it is recommended to wait and have any type of tummy tuck procedure after being done with having children, circumstances come up. One of the ways you can help maintain your tummy tuck results, should you become pregnant, is by maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight. This will also reduce the risk of the abdominal muscles or stomach area stretching too much. In turn, this can allow for better end results for your tummy tuck procedure when you are done being pregnant. A patient may then only need a mini tummy tuck to alter any slight changes in the tummy area that may have occurred.

The plastic surgeons, at Austin-Weston, have the experience and expertise to help you decide what is best for you. They have helped countless women in the Northern VA area look and feel better about their midsections. If you want to improve how you look now and possible have more kids later then there is no need to wait! If you are interested in a tummy tuck procedure, call or schedule your consultation with one of the surgeons at Austin-Weston in Reston, VA today.