Pregnancy takes a huge toll on every woman’s body. Your body will undergo a number of changes and while some of them are temporary, many of them are permanent. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to get your pre-pregnancy body back. The key is understanding why these changes happened and how you can reverse them.
3 Permanent Changes Caused By Pregnancy
Your Breasts
One of the most notable changes in a woman’s body post pregnancy is tied to the breasts. During pregnancy, your body responds to natural hormonal changes. As a result, your breasts will start growing and reach their peak immediately before labor. Post pregnancy breast-feeding will continually stretch the breast tissue. Once breast-feeding ends, your breasts will decrease in size. Often times they will end up being smaller than they were before your pregnancy. As a result, you could suffer from stretch marks, loose skin, and lower breast tissue resiliency.
Your Stomach
The most obvious change ring pregnancy is your stomach. As your fetus grows, the uterus stretches as will the abdominal wall. The result is the uterus pressing against the inside of the muscle wall of the abdomen. When this happens, the two long vertical muscles will pull apart. If they actually separate, only surgery can bring these muscles back together. Unfortunately, there is no muscle in the midline which means exercise will not be able to restore your muscles to their pre-pregnancy form.
Your Skin
The final permanent change is the result of your skin stretching. As your body grows, stretch marks can develop in a variety of areas, most notably around the abdomen. Post labor, all of the skin collapses with only a loose skin remaining. The result is a bulge in the lower abdomen. Many women mistake this as pregnancy weight, but there is often very little fat – rather it is simply skin that has lost its firmness.
It’s Time to Reclaim Your Body
There are a number of options available which can help you start reclaiming your body and restoring it to its pre-pregnancy form. Some practices refer to this as The Makeover for Mom’s. It is a group of surgeries designed to remedy all of the issues which would otherwise be permanent. The best part is that all of these surgical procedures can be combined into a single operation. Not only does this mean you only have to deal with one surgery, but more importantly only one recovery period.
There will be a procedure for each area of your body. The specifics will be decided after a conversation with your surgeon. For the abdominal area, a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty will likely be the solution. For many women, a mini tummy tuck is sufficient although it should be noted that it will only tighten the muscle and skin for the lower abdominal region. For the breasts, either implants or a lift will be the best solution. Finally, liposuction can be utilized to reduce any localized fat deposits which did not leave post pregnancy. Normally this will be in the hips, thighs, and knees.
There is a way for you to get your pre-pregnancy body back. The first step is contacting a quality plastic surgeon and setting up a consultation. This will let you know exactly what can be done to improve your body and how easily it can be accomplished.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact Texas Center for Breast & Body at (713) 794-0368 today!