Tummy tuck aka abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that is quite common among mothers. Most times, women carry out this procedure when they’re done having kids (which is the most recommended time), so that they can enjoy their bodies going forward. However, some women do get inpatient and may prefer to have a tummy tuck now, enjoy their bodies now while still having hopes of having more children in the future. Perhaps they want to get back into dating or for some other reason, and we can’t also ignore the issue of unplanned pregnancy. So what do you do? Are you safe? Should you worry? We’ll answer these questions as we get into the risks of tummy tuck pregnancy later in this article.
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But first, it is pertinent to state that a tummy tuck pregnancy may not necessarily affect the health and normal development of your infant but will cause unwanted drastic changes in your body which you may not welcome with laughter. There are certain other procedures that doctors recommend which you can do instead of a tummy tuck if you’re not done having children. Although, such procedures are not completely void of their own concerns.
For instance, you can choose to take out the excess skin (a procedure called panniculectomy or apron excision). Since tummy tuck essentially involves the stitching together of the midline muscles, it could constrict your abdomen, affecting its expansion during pregnancy. More so, a tummy tuck pregnancy will undo the benefits of your tummy tuck procedure and will cause significant changes which will require further surgery to rectify.
Therefore, if you’re still interested in having children, and you’re going for a tummy tuck procedure for the short term benefits, you might want to consider all the associated long term risks. Doctors are of the opinion that waiting might be in your best interest.
That being said, let’s consider the occasion of unplanned pregnancy or other pertinent occasions.
The key and first thing to consider is that, our bodies differ genetically, react/adjust differently, heal differently and what applies to person A, may not necessarily apply to person B. Which is why your doctor should be your number 1 go-to for such matters. But for the purpose of this article, you should know that many doctors support the notion that, it’s quite possible and safe to have a successful tummy tuck pregnancy.
Essentially, a tummy tuck surgically restores your body to the way it was before, therefore, when you heal, your body should support a new pregnancy, although, in some cases after childbirth, you may need to have another surgical procedure to restore all the lost aesthetic benefits from the previous procedure. While the opinions of doctors are different and experiences vary, it ultimately depends on you, your body, genetic makeup and the advice of your doctor after close examination. This is because, experiences and complications in tummy tuck pregnancy are slightly different from a normal pregnancy.
Now, without further ado, let’s examine some of the risks associated with pregnancy after tummy tuck. One or a combination of two or more may apply in your case.
- Abdominal tightness – many women report having abdominal tightness, numbness and discomfort which caused their tummies to show a lot less than normal. Furthermore, it resulted in these women having to eat meals in overly small sizes and to leak urine involuntary. Also, you may likely not feel your contractions properly. In spite of this, doctors maintain that abdominal tightness felt by the mother doesn’t mean that the infant is feeling tight or uncomfortable as they have enough room to grow, kick and mature.
- Abdominal overstretching – some women experienced overstretching which caused unwanted stretch marks while also exposing, moving or changing the scars from the tummy tuck procedure. Doctors are of the opinion that tummy tuck pregnant women have increased chances of developing severe stretch marks.
- Health risks – some health risks associated with tummy tuck pregnancy include; indigestion, heartburn, leakage, weight gain and gestational diabetes. Some of these health concerns can be adequately managed during pregnancy and may likely disappear after childbirth.
Doctors do advice patients not to intentionally put their bodies under stress, unless it’s a situation that is way beyond their control. If you’ve done a tummy tuck procedure in the past, as soon as you discover that you’re expecting, inform your gynecologist and plastic surgeon immediately. The bottom line remains: your health and the health of your infant is likely okay but you (and not your infant) will definitely experience some side effects from the tummy tuck pregnancy, although they may not be grievous and will vary per person.
Do you have tummy tuck pregnancy experiences? Kindly share them in the comment section below.
