I Just Had My Last Baby: When Can I Schedule a Tummy Tuck?

We don’t have to explain why having a baby is a rewarding experience, but it also comes with major changes. Most women experience some substantial body changes after pregnancy and childbirth. As a result, the way thet feel about their body can change too. 

Thanks to modern cosmetic surgery, some of those changes can be modified or reversed. At Women’s Health Institute in Macon and Warner Robins, Georgia, cosmetic surgeon Nnaemeka Umerah, MD, and aesthetics and aging specialist Anayo Umerah, MD, specialize in personalized tummy tucks to tighten up the tissues in your midsection not long after you have a baby. 

For lasting tummy tuck results, our team recommends getting a tummy tuck only if you’re certain you won’t get pregnant again. If you’ve recently had your last baby and are interested in a tummy tuck, get on our books for a surgical consultation. 

Childbirth is hard on your body, so you shouldn’t get a tummy tuck immediately after giving birth. Read on to find out what to expect from a postpregnancy tummy tuck and when it’s safe to proceed with this cosmetic surgery. 

Timing your surgery right

You should wait at least six months to a year after giving birth to your final baby to consider getting a tummy tuck. This gives you plenty of time to rest up, rejuvenate, and adjust to life with a new infant in the household. 

Our team recommends following these guidelines to prepare for a tummy tuck consultation and surgery:

• Avoid smoking
• Get to a healthy weight (no more than 25 pounds over your goal weight)
• Arrange to have support during your recovery period
• Wait til you’re done breastfeeding

Giving birth is one thing, but breastfeeding often lasts for months or even years after you give birth. Before you consider a tummy tuck, you should wait until you’ve been done breastfeeding for at least three months. 

When you’re breastfeeding, your body produces an array of hormones that can cause weight fluctuations. Additionally, the medications you’ll take as you recover from a tummy tuck can affect your breast milk. 

Anticipating your upcoming tummy tuck

Now that you have some guidelines of when to book a tummy tuck after childbirth, we’ll go over the basics of the surgery and its recovery. 

Our team at Women’s Health Institute plans your tummy tuck meticulously to make sure it aligns with your needs and goals. While you should engage in behaviors that help you manage your weight for the best possible results, a tummy tuck can get rid of some of the extra fat and loose skin in your abdominal area and flanks. 

Not only does the team remove extra fat and tissue in your midsection, but they also tighten the underlying abdominal muscles with an internal corset. This makes your abdominal area slimmer, smoother, and well-defined. 

The team places incisions strategically to minimize scarring  — or at least make the scars easier to cover under your clothing. 

Rest and recovery

Rest might be a rare luxury when you have an infant or small child in the house, but it’s essential for your tummy tuck recovery. Be careful while moving around so you don’t strain the incision line and follow up at Women’s Health Institute as advised by your surgeon. 

The team also advises you to: 

• Use a supportive abdominal garment
• Take medications as prescribed
• Empty and care for your drains as advised
• Avoid strenuous activity
• Avoid lifting heavy objects
• Take around two weeks off work

The team at Women’s Health Institute monitors your healing and recovery and can tell you when it’s safe to reintegrate specific activities into your routine. 

If you’re done having kids and ready to restore your body’s curvature with a tummy tuck, request a consultation online or over the phone at Women’s Health Institute today.