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What Can I Do to Get The Waist I Had Before Children? I Don't Want a TT, But My Muscles Feel Loose. (photo)

If I get lipo on my back and tummy will i look ok(not saggy)? I have 1 11mo son. I began 140-150 and was 216 when pregnant and down to about 180-185 now, I fluctuate back and forth when bloated. I am not sure the reason my belly feels loose. might have separation in muscles? I definantly would love to avoid a TT.I love my curves and dont want to be super skinny. I wouldnt mind losing 20 lbs because its hard to find jeans however. I just want that tiny waist I had before the baby.

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12 Doctor Answers | Asked by Sophia1990mommyof1boy in Houston, TX

Doctor Answers (12)
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Lipo versus a Tummy Tuck

Dear Sophia1990, you do not mention your age ( 22 y.o. for 1990 ? ) neither if you are finished with having children. If you are young and think you will have more children in the next future, then I would tell you to only consider Diet and exercise ( which is always healthy anyway ) and liposuction around your mid-section. Liposuction will not cut skin, nor tighten the belly muscles, but will help redefine your waist better and flanks, where I can see you have some fatty... more

Can I avoid a tummy tuck.

That thank you for your photographs and for your question. You're already on the right track by using diet and exercise to help regain your figure. Unfortunately, as a consequence of childbearing it seems from your photographs that you have significant skin laxity and even significant separation of the abdominal wall muscles. These muscles separate during pregnancy as the uterus enlarges. Diet will make you thinner internally which is always... more

Lipo vs. Tummy Tuck- Consider how you got here...

Hi there- First of all, let's understand a few things... ALL women who need a tummy tuck to look their best would prefer to be able to look that good through a lesser procedure. Unfortunately, even in 2012, things that seem too good to be true, still are. Your current appearance occurred as a result of pregnancy (with stretching of your muscles, separation of the connective tissue between them, and stretching of your skin beyond it's ability to recoil- hence the... more

Liposuction for abdominal fat

It appears as though you're a good candidate for ultrasonic liposuction. However, you may still have some hanging skin afterward that might require a tummy tuck to remove completely.

Smaller Waist Without Tummy Tuck?

Diet and exercise are your best options if you want to avoid a tummy tuck. Once you get close to your goal weight you may want to consider some liposuction for sculpting but you will have even more loose skin. If you are finished having children you might want to rethink the possibility of a tummy tuck, it is one of the highest satisfaction rated procedures that women have done. see video

I Want My Pre-Baby Waist!!

Dear Sophia1990, Your pictures are very helpful, thank you. There are two questions I would ask you if you were my patient. 1) How close are you to your goal weight? and 2) Are you done having children? Depending on the individual, I would recommend that you be within 20 lbs. of your goal weight before considering any surgery. It seems like you are on the right track with diet and exercise and should continue with this whether or not you actually choose to pursue surgery. If... more

Liposuction islikely your best option.

Your photos are appreciated. First things first. Continue to lose weight until you are at your ideal weight. This will cause your waist to become somewhat smaller. Then you must decide how much you wish to avoid a TT. If a TT is completely out of the question, then liposuction of your abdomen and flanks will further reduce your waist but you may have to accept looser skin on your abdomen. If this is OK then this would be a good choice. However, if... more

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD

18 reviews

Boston Plastic Surgeon

Pre-baby waistline

While it's always difficult to tell completely from photos it looks like a tummy tuck would be the best choice to remove extra skin/fat and tighten muscles. I would probably wait until you are not planning additional children. The ideal TT patient is within 10-15 lbs of their goal weight so diet and exercise will help. Liposuction alone will probably just leave you with more loose skin and won't address the buldge in your muscles from pregnancy. Best of luck, Dr Kerr more

Mahlon Kerr, MD

16 reviews

Austin Plastic Surgeon

Repairing the damage to your body after pregnancy

Liposuction can help with isolated areas of accumulated fat, but cannot fix the damage that has occurred from pregnancy. Most women who have had a pregnancy have stretched out muscles and frequently separation of the rectus muscles called diastasis. This cannot be fixed by exercise and abdominoplasty is the best treatment. Loose skin and stretch marks can also only be removed by surgery. There are several varieties of abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) depending on how much loose skin needs to be... more

Weight loss first then tummy tuck after pregnancy

A tummy tuck is designed to do what you cannot accomplish on your own with diet and exercise or with liposuction. If there is muscle separation (called a diastasis) then it is not correctable with any specific exercise regimen, and if the skin has been stretched it will not tighten up with exercise (or lipo.) No one wants to have a tummy tuck but people who need it are usually happy they did.

What Can I Do to Get The Waist I Had Before Children?

I think you do have a separation of the muscles of the abdomen along with both subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat. I do not think you will be able to get a significant improvement without a tummy tuck and some weight loss before in order to lose some intra-abdominal fat would be best in order to be able to pull the muscles tight.

Liposuction Candidate?

Thank you for the question and pictures. Based on your history, description, and pictures is very clear that you will not do well with liposuction surgery alone. I would suggest that you proceed with your plans to lose weight and achieve your long-term stable weight goals. At that point, seek consultation with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons; most likely, the only surgical procedure that will give you the results you are looking for will be the tummy tuck... more