How Can I Get a Flat Stomach After Having Children?
After pregnancy, even with a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen, most women can’t restore their pre-pregnancy body shape. Most mothers have a protruding abdomen caused by factors like loose skin, stretched muscles, and excess fat deposits. Their post-pregnancy prominent tummy frustrates them and is impossible to correct without cosmetic surgery.
Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Steven Yarinsky, MD, recommends two cosmetic surgery options to help women flatten their stomach after having children.
Tummy Tuck
The effects of pregnancy often leads to stretched or weakened abdominal muscles and loose or sagging skin in the midsection. These changes can’t be reversed with diet and exercise. A tummy tuck, known medically as an abdominoplasty, is designed to restore the stomach and waistline with a smoother, more toned appearance. A tummy tuck repairs the stretched envelope (or lining) around the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and tightens the overlying loose skin creating a flatter stomach.
Tummy tuck patients should be close to their goal body weight for the best results. Depending on the patient, there are various surgical techniques that can be utilized for a tummy tuck. However, a standard abdominoplasty is the most common approach to get a flatter tummy after pregnancy.
Liposuction
For women who have pockets of fat resistant to diet and exercise that linger after pregnancy, liposuction on its own or combined with a tummy tuck can achieve a slimmer, sculpted waistline. The procedure uses a short incision (usually less than half an inch) to insert a tiny tube or “cannula” and then suction out excess fat cells. Although virtually any area of the body can be treated, after pregnancy women often choose to treat their abdomen and additional areas like the hips, thighs, and buttocks to address problem areas.
Liposuction doesn’t work well on those who are obese or grossly overweight and should not be considered a weight loss solution. Certain advanced liposuction techniques, such as LipoPerfection utilized by Dr. Yarinsky, may provide more even fat removal and also tighten the overlying skin to enhance the outcome.
For more information about abdominal contouring procedures, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yarinsky, please contact Saratoga Springs Plastic Surgery, PC today.
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