Wanting to Get Pregnant and Lose Weight?

Plastic or Bariatric Surgery? It’s not uncommon for us to receive a call or an email of a prospective patient trying to improve her physical appearance but also thinking into the future. We get this question all the time, “I want to have a Tummy Tuck, but I want to be able to get pregnant afterwards. Is it possible?”

In order for you to make the decision, it is important that you understand how the Tummy Tuck procedure is done and what a pregnancy does to a woman’s abdominal muscles.

Firstly, the Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty) removes the excess fat and skin on the abdominal area creating a smoother and firmer appearance. An incision is done above the pubic area and around the belly button. Afterwards, the skin is pulled down like a window shield and cutting the extra skin and, thus, creating flat abdomen.

The American Society of Plastics Surgeons does not recommend this procedure to women who are planning a significant amount of weight loss and/or planning future pregnancies since this may cause the muscles to stretch back again.

What a pregnancy does to the abdominal muscles is exactly what the Tummy Tuck prevents. A pregnancy will make your uterus go from the size of a plump to a watermelon. Consequently, stretching the muscles on your abdominal area (diastasis recti) to make room for the baby growing inside of you. That’s one of the reasons why this procedure is suggested when you’re not planning on having any more children.

SO, WHEN IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO OPT FOR A BARIATRIC SURGERY?

There are several types of Bariatric surgeries, but they all concur on one thing: the patient’s BMI has to be ≥ 30 and/or 100 lbs. overweight. In order to calculate your BMI, you need your exact height and weight.

What a Bariatric surgery does is reduce the size of your stomach limiting the amount of food that can be ingested preventing the patient to overeat and, therefore, be able to lose weight faster and safely.

Being overweight and being pregnant may increase the risk of developing a cardiovascular condition, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. By going through a Bariatric Surgery before getting pregnant is the perfect way for you to be able to look your best, lose those pounds and be healthy enough to go through a pregnancy.

If you desire to become pregnant and you’ve been through a Bariatric Surgery, it is important that you bear in mind that you would have to wait for 1-2 years before getting pregnant. Your body needs to get used to these new changes that are occurring in your body. Also because, since the amount of food you’re ingesting is very limited, the amount of nutrients your body is getting is also very limited.

A Bariatric Surgery does not interfere in any way with a pregnancy. Yes, you would have to take care of yourself through the pregnancy. Maybe a little bit more than a non-bariatric mother-to-be, but the results are worth it.

If you’re interested in having a Bariatric Procedure done (or you’ve had it before) and planning on becoming pregnant, you should talk to your doctor so he can tell you what extra cares you need to go through so you can have a happy pregnancy.

If you want more information on how to reach your ideal goal visit our website or contact us so one of our Patient Coordinator can help you achieve the best version of yourself.