When is it safe to lift up the kids after a tummy tuck?

Healing after a  #tummy tuck will require time. Some patients are out of bed and walking the night of surgery and every hour while awake. I allow my patients to return to work at one to two weeks with 14 days preferred.  However, no #lifting or straining.  At three weeks, increased level of activity and full with no restrictions, at 6 weeks. 
As I advise my patients, if your work keeps you sedentary, you may return whenever you feel up to it. If your work is strenuous, wait until your work activity does not cause any superficial pain. Some employers will modify a person’s job duties so they can back sooner, but without physical activity. Our office can provide our patients with a note stating they are not to engage in strenuous activity for a specified period of time. The note will not disclose what procedure they have underwent. Therefore, you may have to request a similar note from your surgeon if you are not independently employed. I recommend avoiding heavy lifting and strenuous #activity for six weeks following your surgery. With that said, it may help you plan your return to work accordingly.
As for heavy lifting and other #strenuous #activities, it should be avoided for until you have clearance from your surgeon. You may, however, do normal activities at any time if they cause no pain or #discomfort. Let your body tell you what you can or cannot do. Aerobic exercise will raise your blood pressure, which could cause late bleeding and harm your result. Once you begin exercising again, start gently and let your body tell you what it can tolerate. Don’t rush!!  If you have concerns about your healing, or pain that you question to be unusual, it is important to call your plastic surgeon to discuss these further asked to be examined.

Its not
unusual for abdominoplasty patients to have small children at home. Unfortunately, lifting children following
abdominoplasty surgery can adversely impact the results of this procedure.Abdominoplasty with muscle plication
can be adversely impacted by heavy lifting.Under these circumstances, muscles can be torn and bleeding can result.For this reason we generally
recommend minimal lifting in the first two weeks following surgery.We also don’t recommend lifting more than
twenty pounds for four to six weeks after surgery.We also instruct patients to allow their
children to crawl onto their laps rather than lift them in an upward direction.This approach hopefully minimizes
complications in the post-operative period.

Thank you for your question. You definitely want to follow your own
surgeon's post-op activity instructions. This is a general guide I give
to my patients as to the recovery after a tummy tuck:Week 1) Discomfort and tightness
level progressively decreases with each day. Swelling decreases a great
deal after one week. Week
2) Unlikely to need any narcotic support except maybe at night.
Swelling and tightness continues to improve compared to week 1Weeks
3-6) May need tylenol or ibuprofen for intermittent discomfort.
Swelling completely resolved. Tightness may continue as the implants
over an additional few months into their final position. Most people return to work in some capacity.As far as activity, here is a safe guide:1) No heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 6 weeks (a gallon of milk as a guide).2) Resume walking at a leisurely pace right after surgery (e.g. 2 mph)3) At 2 weeks, you can walk 2 miles at 2mph4) At 3 weeks, you can walk 3 miles at 3mph5) At 4 weeks, you can walk 4 miles at 4mph6) At 5 weeks, you can jog 5 miles at 5mph7)
At 6 weeks, you can resume all activities, but listen to your body and
use discomfort or tightness as a guide so you don't over do it. So
as far as the little ones, I would recommend having help for basic
needs like lifting into the car seat. You can cuddle with them while
you are sitting down, but you should avoid the tendency to multitask
with one child in your arms while you are busy doing other tasks.