Postnatal tummy tuck

[Minta85]

I have a c-section ‘pooch’ and diastasis recti which means I still look pregnant months after having my gorgeous baby boy. I had a flat stomach before I got pregnant and can’t fit into any of my normal clothes, so this is making me feel very down. I’m seeing a physio and am doing daily exercises to help, but they aren’t working and I’m seriously considering a tummy tuck.

Did anyone else do this, and if so are you pleased with the results? Surgeon recommendations would be also be appreciated, either in London or around Cambridge.

How many months are we talking and are there any plans for any more kids?

I ask because it can take a while to return to pre baby looks. It took over 9 months for me to fit back into pre-pregnancy clothes.

It also took me finishing having babies and breastfeeding to be able to really focus on my health and body. My youngest is almost 4 and I'm just now at a weight and body shape I like.

I looked into a tummy tuck, but to be honest reading the description of what they do put me right off.

Be kind to yourself, you've just had a baby. These things take time.

Your body has changed.not even a tummy tuck will change it back to before so you are chasing something you can never have again.but why is that a bad thing.
what or who or how have you grown up believing you need a flat stomach?
it means nothing.it’s a look pushed by diet culture,society and media.and the bloody look we should be changed every time a celebrity gets a new filter!
so I’d be asking more mental questions.
mand why do you need this to feel good about yourself.and sadly often than not if I don’t feel great your body won’t fix that.your head just fixated your issues onto some ting In Your body.a way to fix things.
also your not meant to fit your clothes. They are meant to fit you. So forget them.they no longer make you feel good.go by more.ignore the sizes and just by what makes you feel good

Hi @Twizbe , thanks for your reply. My little boy is 22 weeks old and I have no plans for more children. Losing the baby weight is going well and I’m on the way to returning to my pre-pregnancy size 8-10, which makes the big stomach I still have look especially awful. Hence considering the rather extreme measure of a tummy tuck!

No advice but I feel exactly the same except I've had 3 c sections. It really does affect my confidence and would love just to be able to wear something without an elasticated waist!
To the poster saying why does it matter not to have a flat stomach, you're right it's not the end of the world but obviously it's important to op.
The only thing stopping me is the price! I will say though at 22 weeks you should give it a bit more time. After my first it took about 10 months to look fairly normal again, but no it won't ever be exactly as it was which I'm sure you realise.

22 weeks after birth is too soon to be thinking about surgery. Your body will take some time to recover and I can't imagine any surgeon will agree to a tummy tuck this soon.
Wait at least 9 months and continue with physio. Also try Pilates when you're ready, it helped my stomach improve massively and I also had bad diastasis recti.

Look up our fit family life on insta and do her better body after baby programme.

never do sit ups!

Are you definitely sure you dont want another child?
I waited till ud definitelf finished with kids and breastfeeding before i got a breast lift.
My advice is to research research research. Dont cut any corners for cost and make sure you avoid the big conveyor belt plastic surgery companies that use sales people - they are the ones with free consultations.
Research individual surgeons. Make sure they offer decent aftercare package as you really dont want to be left in the shit if it isnt quite right first time.
This isnt just cosmetic surgery. When i got my breasts done, i felt like it was reconstructive surgery. You will get a lot of people try and make you feel as if its vanity, which i think is unfair.
Of course noone has to have a flat stomach, but the condition you had and the surgery will make it impossible to fix with exercise, and its a perfectly normal wish to look somewhat like you used to. Best thing is to be fine and neutral about your body, but I only got to that stage mentally after id fixed what i felt was disfiguring me.

Whatever you do, don't go abroad for surgery.
I no longer have a flat stomach but have got used to it. Honestly it's a weird patriarchal society we live in that this is an issue. It doesn't matter. I have grown quite fond of mine!

22 weeks is too soon to be considering this. Give it a year and go from there.

I had a full tummy tuck after my twins (3rd and 4th children) I was back down to under 9st by the time they were 10 weeks and the thinner I got the more pregnant I looked, I had a huge gap in the muscles and a big lump of spare skin so I had it done when they were 10 months old, I was 34, best decision I ever made, it was expensive though, about 10k but I still have a strong flat stomach 15 years later despite having a surprise 5th baby after my tummy tuck 😱

Just to add the main reason I had it done was because of problems with my hips due to the muscle separation, obviously losing the excess skin was a nice bonus too but not the main deciding factor

@Branleuse great post and I feel the same way - this isn’t about vanity, it’s about wanting to be ‘me’ again and have a body that ‘fits’ me again, though I realise it will be a slightly different version as I now have a baby. I think this is perfectly reasonable.

@MissSmiley I’m very glad that you’re happy with the results of your tummy tuck and feel good about yourself again! Would you feel comfortable sharing the surgeon’s name and where you had it done, by PM if you prefer?

@Minta85 sure send me a PM and I'll send you the details

I really do get it. For some reason I read 22 months instead of 22 weeks. I think any reputable surgeon would not do anything this soon post partum anyway as the results couldnt be guaranteed and you will still be healing a lot on the inside, even if you feel ok.
It does no harm to do research in advance though, but id try and put it off, both for the physical healing stuff, but also, you might well find you want another child in the next few years and it would be a shame to undo the expensive surgery or put yourself in danger.
There are some really good post -pregnancy shapewear/ post partum girdles that can actually look quite nice, and could make a difference to your self esteem in the meantime plus help with muscle healing.

22 weeks on after a couple section is going to be a lot more strain on your body. I'd wait until a year and then look at your options.

Just to clarity, I wouldn’t be looking to have a tummy tuck so soon after having my baby, I’m just exploring my options for when the time comes.

I had one after my first. It was absolutely awful. It’s the muscle repair that hurts rather than the loose skin removal. The night of the surgery I was crying asking my mum to remove the binder they put you in because it was so tight. I fainted when she took it off because I realised it wasn’t the binder it was my own internal corset. I was bent double for 2 weeks and then ended up with a bad back for a year and couldn’t walk long distances.I still have trouble with my back years on. You can also get weird bloating because the tt messes with your lymphatic drainage system so you can end up swapping loose skin for a really bloated stomach. Unless you are a severe weight loss patient I don’t think it’s worth it really. I ended up getting pregnant three years later and it was really rough. I had ridiculous water retention, carpal tunnel, reflux… but I was bloody glad to stretch my muscle repair once it was over.

Ah good good

I‘m 3 months PP after a c section OP and feel exactly the same 😞 have bad distasis recti and a pooch. I’m back into your 8/10 jeans but I just have this bulge of loose skin, it’s so depressing.

I haven’t seen a physio for my DR yet, just been doing YouTube videos at home in the hope to get it to go away 😳

I’m giving it 9 months and if it isn’t any better, will
also be considering my options! I hate that we’re not allowed to dislike our new bodies just because they’ve given us our babies. It doesn’t mean we love our babies any less FFS.

PM sent, hope thats ok 😀

I agree with other posters. I'd look at your options when you're baby is alot older. Give yourself time to heal. What you see now may not be what you'll see say by the time your child is say 1/ 2. If you're still.unhappy after that, then decide if you want to pursue it.
I remember how upset i was with my body for ages after birth, i would sit and cry and just felt so repulsive. It has taken until 2 years after dc2 with fading of stretch marks and some weight loss for me to finally be happy-ish. Stomach is flat and in clothes you'd think I was lucky, however my lower stomach (below knickers line has lots of bad silvery stretch marks and some loose skin). I am however content and feel alot better now with how I look. Definatly give yourself time pp to see what happens.

your that should say sorry

@Minta85 I'm sorry to read some people have had bad experiences, just wanted to say I went to my brothers wedding two weeks after my TT, not everyone has the same experience

My friend had a tummy tuck with sewing of the diastasis recti.

one year after giving birth.
best decision ever-she is slim but after two pregnancies she had same problem as OP

I think you should do what makes you happy and confident, but research is key especially with Tummy Tuck. The scar is pretty big but I have seen good results online.
After my first I wanted a breast lift, they're huge and saggy (IMO), but I was back to a size 8-10. My breast milk finally dried up and then I found out we had a surprise pregnancy lol. So who knows how bad they'll be after. But I won't rush into it.
I'd say give it at least a year to 2 years before proceeding. 22 weeks is very early days.