How long do I have to wait to get the surgery for my diastasis recti after giving birth?

It depends on whether you plan to have any more children in which case you should wait before a tummy tuck or rectus repair. Otherwise, six months after delivery should be sufficient.

You will get a variety of
answers about how long to wait after childbirth before having a repair of  diastasis recti.  Most ethical plastic surgeons would feel that a patient wait a minimum of 3-6 months.Your
body, including your abdomen is still changing.You
may have not lost all of your pregnancy weight.You
cannot lift the baby postoperatively for weeks after a diastasis recti repair or a full   tummy tuck. The
number of weeks depending on the extent of the procedure performed. You
will need additional support at home to take of the baby as well as you.If you plan on future pregnancies, you
should wait to have surgery until you are done having children, since pregnancy
will stretch out the skin and abdominal muscles again, usually undoing the
repairs that were achieved with the diastasis repair or tummy tuck (abdominoplasty).

I would suggest that you find a plastic
surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member
of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust
and are comfortable with. You should discuss your concerns with that surgeon in
person.



Robert
Singer, MD FACS

La
Jolla, California