We live in a world where people judge a book by its cover, and appearance is certainly noticed wherever you are. For this reason, plastic surgery has gained more and more strength in repairing physical and aesthetic imperfections, which strongly affect self-esteem, especially among women. Women, who after fulfilling the dream of becoming mothers, are left with sagging bellies and an excess of skin, quite different from what they were used to before, often resorting to surgical corrections to resolve it. But what if after the surgery I want to be a mother again? What is pregnancy like after abdominoplasty?
Abdominoplasty is a plastic surgery that restores the belly, or more precisely, the abdominal region. All excess skin is removed along with any localized fat in the area. During pregnancy, the abdominal skin stretches a lot, as do the underlying muscles, and some women are unable to regain their pre-pregnancy body after giving birth. Even after a long period following childbirth, trying diets and physical exercise, women may realize they won’t be able to resolve the situation except through abdominoplasty.
For those who underwent the procedure believing they did not want more children and later changed their mind, or simply became pregnant unexpectedly, know that there is no problem, even though it is considered a surgery recommended for after childbirth. It is advised to wait at least 1 year after abdominoplasty before considering a new pregnancy, to allow for optimal healing of the surgical repair. Other recommendations such as controlling weight gain during the new pregnancy, as well as adequately and daily moisturizing the belly and skin of the whole body with oils and moisturizers several times a day, are also crucial to ensure that the skin does not develop more stretch marks, since after the procedure the chances increase further.
Warm, never hot, showers should be maintained during pregnancy after abdominoplasty. Likewise, drinking plenty of water to keep the skin hydrated and using moisturizers are the best measures for use on the belly, breasts, and back, to help keep the skin fibers more elastic and less prone to tearing, which leads to new stretch marks.
Personal Story of Abdominoplasty After Pregnancy – Udine Sena
I was already 31 years old, I already had a boy and a girl and thought I had already done my part to populate the earth. So I thought it was time to have an abdominoplasty and get back to my previous body. I did it, I looked beautiful and was happy, and my life was on track, full of plans, but just as we want one thing and life gives us another, I got pregnant again! It was a HUGE shock and I think to this day I haven’t quite recovered from the news. I felt a lot of fear at first, many doubts about how the pregnancy would go, and I read things online that both scared and reassured me. But the baby was already growing, so I had to face it and trust in God that everything would turn out fine. The first trimester was smooth, but in the second trimester I got upset because my belly just wouldn’t grow, I looked more overweight than pregnant. In the third trimester, as the baby grew, my belly finally grew too and I was extremely uncomfortable doing anything—eating, sleeping, sitting, lying down, everything. I could feel my belly stretching and I took extra care of my skin so it wouldn’t burst with stretch marks because the skin was stretching a lot. My childbirth was a C-section, and I was afraid of having a vaginal delivery after two C-sections. The delivery was difficult, my doctor literally worked up a sweat making the incision because of the tightening of the plastic surgery, and it was very tough to cut through the muscle. For me it was the most difficult delivery—I don’t know if it was just because of the surgery or my age as well. My daughter was born very healthy, weighing 3.350 kg and 49 cm! I heard a lot of nonsense during pregnancy, that the baby wouldn’t grow, but in the end everything was fine. My belly is not as flat as before pregnancy, it’s normal now; actually, I think it’s even better because it looks more natural, without that stretched appearance. If you are going through this, trust in God, find a good doctor, get all your tests done properly, and everything will be fine.
Also see: Dr Marco Cassol – Motherhood and Plastic Procedures
Photo: Personal Archive
