Regaining Your Pre-Pregnancy Figure

Manywomen, after giving birth, feel they’ll never be the same again. Theirabdominal muscles and breasts in particular have been stretched and changed inways that seem beyond recovery. No matter how much dieting and exercise theymanage to work into hectic, post-baby schedules, it seems there are stillsagging, bagging bits that refuse to go away.

Truthfully,pregnancy is very hard on a woman’s body. The rapid expansion of the abdomen,and the almost as dramatic enlargement of the breasts, pulls skin into shapesit’s never held before. The abdominal muscles are also stretched so much thatoften the fascia, or supportive tissue, separates in a way that can’t beremedied by diet and exercise alone.

Becausethe aftereffects of pregnancy are so extensive, and don’t always respond todiet and exercise, many women consider cosmetic surgery tohelp bring their bodies back to their pre-pregnancy condition.

Procedurescommonly chosen to tighten the body after pregnancy include:

• Tummy tuck
• Breast lift
• Thigh or buttock lift
• Body contouring

Tummytucks and breast lifts are the most common choices, since pregnancy causes themost extreme changes to the abdomen and breasts. A tummy tuck removes excess,stretched skin as well as pockets of stubborn fat that remain behind afterpregnancy. Also during a tummy tuck, your cosmetic surgeon will stitch togetherseparated abdominal muscles. After surgery, your abdomen will be toned andfirm—maybe even more so than it was before you became pregnant.

Breastlifts can be performed with or without breast augmentation. The breastsincrease in size during pregnancy and breast-feeding, and the results aresimilar to those from the expansion of the abdomen. The skin is stretchedbeyond its usual size, and the resulting loss of elasticity means it can’teasily bounce back. This often leaves your breasts sagging and loose, ratherthan firm as they were before.

Abreast lift reduces excess skin and brings your breasts back to theirpre-pregnancy position. If you wish to add size and additional firmness, youcould have a breast augmentation, as well.

Bodycontouring generally combines several cosmetic surgery procedures, such as atummy tuck, breast lift, and thigh or buttock lift, for even more dramaticresults. It could also include liposuction to help eliminate fat pockets andsmooth your profile even more.

Todetermine what cosmetic surgery procedures might be best for you, your firststep is to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. He or she can giveyou recommendations on what procedures will help you regain your pre-pregnancyfigure, and feel good about your body again.