Can I Get a Tummy Tuck Minutes After Giving Birth?

Abdominoplasty isn’t recommended
immediately following a C-section for a variety of reasons. These include the
inability to make aesthetic judgments immediately following pregnancy, the
mother’s overall health status, and the demands of a newborn child on the
mother.

The timing of surgery following
pregnancy is important and several issues should be considered before
proceeding with surgery. It takes time for a new post-pregnancy body to reach
its new baseline following pregnancy, and during this transition, it’s impossible
to make aesthetic judgments. During this period, stretched skin may contract, a
swollen uterus may shrink, and the weight gained during pregnancy may gradually
disappear. This process takes 3 to 6 months and needs to occur before
abdominoplasty is performed.

Ideally, patients should be within
10% of their ideal body weight and in good health otherwise. The majority of
women who have undergone C-sections aren’t in good physical shape and are
therefore not optimal candidates for surgery for a variety of reasons. These may
include severe fatigue, a depressed immune system, possible blood loss, an
increased potential for infection and elevated estrogen levels which can
increase the risk of blood clots.

Finally, the demands of a newborn
would make the recovery from these combined procedures very difficult. For
instance, the use of postoperative pain medications would prevent you from
breast feeding. In other words, the abdominoplasty might impact your developing
relationships with your newborn child.

For all these reasons, it’s
obvious that C-section and abdominoplasty shouldn’t be performed together. If
you’re considering abdominoplasty it’s important to give yourself time to fully
recover from your C-section. Once this has occurred it’s
appropriate to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon.  

I do not recommend a mommy makeover immediately following pregnancy. If you allow your body to return to your pre-pregnancy weight first you will have a better looking result from a full tummy tuck.  If you are having only a mini tummy tuck it would be more reasonable, but I think it would still be better to wait. Good luck!

Thank you for your question.  I would recommend waiting until your body has recovered from birth and your pregnancy before considering a tummy tuck surgery.  Over the course of several months after giving birth, your body will change considerably, your weight will decrease, your uterus will shrink, and your stretched skin may contract.  These changes once they have stabilized will be evaluated to determine the best course of action and also provide you the best idea with what your results would be.  Performing a procedure too prematurely (as doing a tummy tuck immediately after giving birth) could compromise your final result.  Consult with only board-certified plastic surgeons.  Best of luck and congratulations on your pregnancy.