Pregnancy is a wonderful time of life, perhaps only topped by the joy of then giving birth and enjoying the development of your child.
However, pregnancy is also incredibly demanding on a woman’s body. Healthy weight gain during pregnancy often proves difficult to shift later, especially when any new mum rarely has the time, or energy, for gym sessions and similar to restore the body to its former state.
This problem affects most women – a survey in the United States with more than 7,000 women found that 86% had not regained their pre-pregnancy figure two years after giving birth. Almost two thirds (64%) confessed to having negative self-image, feeling worse about their body, than had previously been the case.
To regain this body confidence and return to a pre-pregnancy figure, many women are turning to targeted cosmetic surgery, opting for a tummy tuck procedure, or abdominoplasty, to improve the abdomen post pregnancy.
In the remainder of this post, we will give details on the benefits of a tummy tuck procedure as a means to improving the abdomen, give thoughts on why the procedure has grown in popularity and also how it can be carried out as part of a ‘Mummy Makeover’.
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Abdominoplasty is now one of the most popular cosmetic procedure in the UK, available from a wide range of highly qualified surgeons operating from superb hospitals.
Post pregnancy, even with a healthy diet and a reasonable degree of exercise, it can be very hard for any woman to fully eradicate the tummy bulge they are left with after giving birth. Fat does not shift evenly, pockets can be left, some areas proving more stubborn than others. The tummy, typically, is one of those stubborn areas.The tummy tuck gives targeted, specific help to the post pregnancy abdomen.
The impact can be profound. A cosmetic surgeon will remove excess skin and fat and then tighten the deep tissue or fascia over the muscles. Most patients can have between 30 and 50% of the abdominal skin removed, ensuring that any stretch marks are removed. The tummy button can also be reshaped and a skilled surgeon can ensure any scarring from surgery is well hidden below the underwear line. The change to appearance can be striking: the post pregnancy tummy bulge removed. However that is often far from being the only benefit.
Many women find that their self-confidence and self-esteem are improved. Unfortunately, some women feel less attractive to their partner post pregnancy, self-conscious about the weight around their abdomen. A tummy tuck will resolve this issue in many cases.
There is also research that suggests that a tummy tuck can help alleviate the chronic back pain many women suffer from post pregnancy. The reduced weight following tummy tuck procedures relieves some of the strain on the lower back, while surgery also remedies abdominal muscle separation and weakness; problems that leave the back under supported. A tummy tuck can improve the abdomen but in doing so improve much more too.
While a tummy tuck can be a procedure that is hugely beneficial it is not a procedure that is suitable in all circumstances.
A tummy tuck is not a procedure for general weight loss. While it will lead to some weight loss, it is tackling only a very specific area. Essentially it is a procedure for a woman who is healthy but just needs some help in one area where there is hard-to-shift fat. It is also essential to give careful consideration to the timing of the surgery. A mother must have finished breast feeding at least six months previously and in many cases it is advisable that they have had their last pregnancy. Clearly, if a woman is planning to get pregnant again in the near future a tummy tuck procedure might not be suitable.
However, any good surgeon would ask these questions in a detailed consultation, working with a prospective patient to check surgery truly is the best option for them and that the timing is suitable. Leading surgeons pride themselves on always delivering the right outcome for their patients and only preceding with surgery when it is in the patient’s best interests and they are fully informed as to the end results.
Being informed also means being aware of the nature of the surgery and recovery times. A tummy tuck is a relatively straightforward process but there is of course still a recovery time. Typically, patients can stand fully straight inside a week while it takes two to three months before they can fully resume all activities. Again, the consultation is key – if there is to be a recovery time, when will the mother feel able to fit this in; perhaps not when the baby is very young.
In some cases, new mothers decide that, if it is beneficial to have some cosmetic surgery for the tummy, it might also be beneficial to address other post pregnancy concerns. These grouped procedures are informally known as a mummy makeover.
A mummy makeover will combine tummy tuck, liposuction and breast lift though it might be that only two are required or desired for any patient. For the breasts, it might be that just tightening the skin is sufficient to restore the pre-pregnancy appearance but other women opt for a breast implant to help create the desired firmness and size. It is common for this option to be discussed in consultation, giving the mother full information from which to make the best decision with all factors considered.