I Have Had 2 C-sections and Am Getting a Tummy Tuck. What Happens if I Decide to Get Pregnant in 3-5 Years?

Great question! Women should discuss the timing of procedures like tummy tucks and cosmetic breast surgery with their Plastic Surgeon. The important answer to your question is that it is safe to have another pregnancy after a tummy tuck. There are some specific details about how the muscle is repaired during a tummy tuck that Plastic Surgeons may debate when considering a woman who may have future pregnancies. In addition to these debates, you should know that it is very likely that many of the shape benefits achieved with a tummy tuck will be lost or diminished with a future pregnancies. Even with a healthy pregnancy, there will be stretching of the abdominal wall and skin as well as the possibility of a C-section. Waiting until you have completed having your family is generally the best policy.

There are always exceptional circumstances that may make having a tummy tuck before completing your family reasonable. Similar issues need to be discussed for cosmetic breast surgery.

Regards

Dr. Mosher

 

It is safe to get pregnant after a tummy tuck, however, it certainly may require an additional surgery in the future as your tissues once again get stretched out. It is best to wait until you have had all your children, however, many people do not always know they are done. Of course, try to keep your weight gain during your pregnancy to a minimum (As per your Ob/Gyn's recommendation). A C-section in the future would be safe.

You wouldn't be the first person to have this happen to herself if it occurs.  If the muscle tightening was done back to normal anatomy then the pregnancy should stretch everything normally.  Sometimes a surgeon is overly aggressive at this part of the procedure and the rest of the abdomen will have to compensate for this. 

There is no reason that after a TT you shouldn't be able to have a normal pregnancy, and presumably a repeat c-section. 

After that pregnancy, you may find yourself in the position of wanting another surgery for your abdomen. That might be a repeat TT, or something less, but how much your abdominal wall will recovery is hard to predict.

You will not be the first to have a pregnancy after a TT.

Thanks for your question, best wishes.

Thank you for the question.

Generally speaking, patients are able to have normal pregnancies after tummy tuck surgery.  C-section surgery should not be significantly more “risky” for a well experienced OB/GYN physician.
Depending on the weight gain/loss,  changes in skin elasticity,  genetics etc.  revisionary surgery may be necessary after the pregnancy. This is a situation where only time will tell.
Best wishes for a smooth pregnancy.

It is generally advised to wait until you are all done having kids before proceeding with your tummy tuck.  Should you have another pregnancy 3-5 years from when you have your tummy tuck, any future weight gain or pregnancies may undo the benefits of your procedure.  So you may need a revisional procedure in the future.  

I always warn patients that if they are not finished having kids they should consider waiting for abdominoplasty.  If you ended up with a poor appearance to your abdomen due to loose skin and muscle after 1 or 2 pregnancies, it will probably happen again. 

While you can always get an abdominoplasty revision or secondary procedure after another pregnancy, certainly you are setting yourself up for this.

You stated that you are 95% sure that you are finished having kids.  I would do some soul searching prior to deciding on whether or not you are finished.  Good luck!

 

Thanks for your question!

There is no harm in getting a tummy tuck and then getting pregnant.  People change their minds and accidents happen too!  The same changes that caused your abdomen to look "horrific" after your first pregnancy will probably occur again with the second pregnancy, even after tummy tuck.  It may be slightly better or worse then the first time as these changes can be impossible to predict accurately.

 

Good Luck with your surgery!

If with the first pregnancy your tummy was horrific expect the same results,after 5 years it will happen again. I would think twice before going forward with a tummy tuck if your thinking of maybe having another baby. You will need another tummy tuck again.