Flatten the Stomach with a Tummy Tuck after Pregnancy
After pregnancy, many women struggle to accept the changes to their bodies. Often, no amount of diet or exercise can flatten the stomach. Tummy tuck surgery can help tighten loose skin and address many of the abdominal issues women face after pregnancy.
Dr. Suzanne Yee can tighten the abdominal area with a tummy tuck after pregnancy. If you live in or around Little Rock, AR, and would like to find out if a tummy tuck is right for you, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yee.
Tummy Tuck Surgery Can Address Many Postpartum Abdominal Issues
Tummy tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty, can help flatten the stomach, reduce the appearance of stretch marks, and smooth the skin through the surgical removal of excess skin and tightening of the underlying stomach muscles.
Because tummy tucks are so effective at improving the appearance of the abdomen, they are a popular treatment for many of our Little Rock patients that are unhappy with postpartum changes to the stomach. Some of the most common abdominal issues tummy tucks can address after pregnancy include:
- Saggy, stretched abdominal skin
- Stretch marks on the stomach
- C-section pouch
- Lower stomach pouch
- Diastasis recti, which is a separation of the stomach muscles
- Stretched stomach muscles
When Is the Right Time for a Tummy Tuck?
Many women want to get back to their former selves as soon as possible after pregnancy. Despite diet and exercise, the abdomen often remains permanently changed without a tummy tuck.
Although many of our Little Rock patients benefit from tummy tuck surgery at some point after pregnancy, there are some things to consider when determining the right time for a tummy tuck, such as:
- How long it's been since giving birth: The body takes some time to recover from pregnancy. For example, the uterus stretches and takes six months or longer to shrink back to its normal size. It's best to wait until the body has normalized, or reached its new normal, after pregnancy before undergoing tummy tuck surgery.
- Done having children: Women who want to have more children should wait to have tummy tuck surgery until they are done having children. Pregnancy after tummy tuck surgery can leave the stomach saggy once more, negating the results of surgery.
- No longer breastfeeding: It's best for mothers planning to undergo tummy tuck surgery to be done breastfeeding so they don't have to fit nursing or pumping into their recovery and will be free to take pain medication as directed without passing medications through their breast milk to their baby.
- At, or close to, desired weight: Tummy tuck surgery isn't intended as a weight loss treatment but rather a means to remove excess skin and produce a flattened, contoured stomach. Women considering tummy tuck surgery after pregnancy should be at or within a few pounds of their desired weight.
Is Tummy Tuck Surgery Right for You?
Tummy tuck surgery can help improve the stomach after pregnancy by removing saggy, stretched skin to reveal a firmer more contoured abdomen. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your stomach after pregnancy, a tummy tuck may be right for you. To find out if you're a candidate, please call (501) 224-1044 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yee.
