Becoming pregnant and preparing to bring a new life into the world can be a miraculous experience for a woman. It promises to bring many delightful, exciting moments to your family, not to mention lifestyle challenges.
As you might have discovered, it’s not always possible to plan all pregnancies. After your last child, you had an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. Now, you find yourself concerned about whether having had this procedure might affect not only the pregnancy, but the delivery of your new baby, and of course, the results of the surgery itself.
Pregnancy After a Tummy Tuck Surgery
A tummy tuck surgery should not affect your health and that of your baby. While it is essential to let your OB-GYN know about your abdominoplasty and to inform Dr. Gerth that you are pregnant, you should be able to enjoy getting ready for the new addition to your family.
Pregnancy and childbirth after a tummy tuck shouldn’t be a concern for either you or your baby. Your little one will have plenty of room to grow and flourish. And if you’re concerned about maintaining your tummy tuck after you give birth, try to avoid gaining too much weight during the pregnancy.
Having had the tummy tuck, your abdominal wall will still stretch as usual to accommodate the new baby. You might notice that you don’t start showing as early, or your baby bump isn’t as pronounced as it was during your other pregnancies.
Discuss any concerns you might have about a healthy pregnancy following your tummy tuck with Dr. David Gerth in Miami Beach, FL, where you can schedule a consultation.
What Will Happen to My Tummy Tuck Results?
Dr. Gerth will confirm that most of his patients who became pregnant after their abdominoplasty will still love the results of their surgery after the birth of their baby. You might even notice that you look better than the last time you were pregnant as a result of your tummy tuck. Your family and friends won’t hesitate to let you know!
One of the benefits of having a tummy tuck is that (providing you don’t put on too much weight during the pregnancy) your midline connective tissue shouldn’t stretch too much. With the strong scar tissue now holding the muscles together from the previous abdominoplasty, the abdominal muscles still can stretch outward, allowing the baby to grow. Another advantage of this scar tissue is that, after birth, it can retract again without causing the same separation between your abdominal muscles as before.
If you have any excess abdominal skin due to pregnancy stretch, it might be necessary to remove and tighten up unwanted skin if your midline gap has not overstretched.
How Does Having a C-Section Affect a Tummy Tuck?
With the possibility you might need a cesarean section to deliver your baby safely, keep in mind that your OB-GYN might encounter scar tissue. However, rest assured that having a C-section after abdominoplasty isn’t much different from having a repeat C-section. Your OB-GYN will still be working with scar tissue from the previous procedure, be it from an earlier C-section or an abdominoplasty. Nevertheless, you should always inform your OB-GYN that you have already had abdominoplasty surgery, as sometimes the scar may not be visible.
Your OB-GYN might not be able to close your new cesarean section incision with the skill of a plastic surgeon, and this might affect the appearance of the scar. Consulting with both your OB-GYN and Dr. Gerth in advance can prepare all parties for this possibility.
Get Ready to Welcome Your Little One!
As a mom, you tend to put the needs of your family first, but make self-care a priority and learn all there is about how to best prepare for the birth of your new child. To discuss your post-pregnancy tummy tuck, contact Dr. David Gerth in Miami Beach, FL, to schedule a private appointment. As an expert in abdominoplasty techniques, Dr. Gerth will be happy to work with you at achieving the best results.