Post Pregnancy Paunch Why It Happens and What To Do About It

You love your children and all of the joy and fullness they bring to your life. You wouldn’t give them up for anything, but unfortunately, the nine months of pregnancy it took to get each one into this world did a number on your abdomen. You exercise and eat a clean diet, yet nothing seems to make a difference to your post-pregnancy abdomen. Other parts of your body are looking great and your body has recovered from pregnancy in so many other ways that your stomach, or rather your post-pregnancy paunch, seems incongruous with the rest of your body. For many women, a tummy tuck, liposuction, or both may be the solution. In fact, combining a tummy tuck and liposuction might offer the best post-pregnancy abdomen solution rather than undergoing one or the other.

How Pregnancy Changes The Body

In only nine months of pregnancy your body goes through a dramatic number of changes, some of which will resolve after pregnancy, and others that won’t no matter what you do. During pregnancy, your body’s job is to provide a safe, healthy, nourishing environment for your developing child. While you want your child to have the best possible health, your body may unfortunately begin to store extra weight. Your breasts become larger and may change shape, and even your hair my change in texture, along with changes to your complexion, and even the size of your feet. Some changes are in response to your body’s need for an adequate supply of energy for both you and baby, while others are caused by hormonal shifts — allowing your baby to develop and your body to support the pregnancy.

Unfortunately, as these changes occur and the uterus expands to make room for your growing child, the abdominal muscles and skin must also expand. Some lucky women go through pregnancy without experiencing serious damage to their abdominal muscles or skin, while many others are left with separated muscles and stretched out skin. The separated muscles typically are unable to repair themselves, and for some women, the skin loses its elasticity and sags on the abdomen. No amount of exercise or diet will correct either condition.

Options For Reversing Post-Pregnancy Abdominal Changes

Depending on the state of your post-pregnancy abdomen, you may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck, liposuction, or both. Many women find that the two procedures compliment one another well and opt to undergo both all in one go. Combining such procedures is sometimes referred to a mommy makeover, and each procedure offers particular benefits that individually may not offer a complete solution.

Tummy tuck — A tummy tuck, also called abdominoplasty, involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen, and may also include repairing separated abdominal muscles. Typically the incision is very low on the abdomen, often low enough to be hidden by a bikini bottom or panties, and the skin is redraped over the abdomen in such a way that some stretch marks might also be removed from the lower abdomen as well. The goal is a smooth abdomen, trimmer waist, and more shapely look.

Liposuction — Liposuction is a solution for stubborn fat deposits that won’t budge despite exercise and diet and is used to contour the treatment area. After pregnancy, your body may be left with pockets of fat in places you’ve never had them before. With liposuction, the fat may be removed through small, carefully placed incisions with a cannula and gentle suction. The final results of liposuction are typically a toned, natural-looking figure.

The Benefits Of Combining A Tummy Tuck And Liposuction

While a tummy tuck or liposuction may be performed separately, many women find that combining the two into one procedure has several benefits. While the tummy tuck will reduce excess skin and tissue and repair separated abdominal muscles, it can only do so much in terms of contouring. Liposuction, on the other hand, offers fine-tuned contouring but can’t address excess skin or tighten muscles. Combining both procedures offers the best of each procedure in a complementary manner.

Having a tummy tuck and liposuction at the same time also means only going through recovery one time, which significantly reduces the amount of downtime when compared to undergoing the procedures separately. By extension, having only one surgery rather than two may also reduce cut the risks in half — two surgeries equals double the risk. Busy moms don’t have time for double the recovery time or double the risk, so combining a tummy tuck and liposuction may offer the best results of each procedure while cutting recovery time and risk of complications.

To learn more about taming your post-pregnancy belly with a tummy tuck, liposuction, or both, call Quinn Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Center today at (913) 492-3443 for a consultation.