The good news is that there are not health risks to Mom or Baby after a Tummy Tuck operation. Obviously pregnancy can stretch the abdominal muscles and skin, which is why many women have a Tummy Tuck to begin with. Typically we recommend that women are not planning of having additional children before having a Tummy Tuck, so that they can enjoy their results for the longest possible amount of time.
You can safely have another baby after a tummy tuck, though there is certainly the possibility that you will re-stretch your skin and abdominal muscles and fascia, at least to some degree. If that risk does not deter you from having your tummy tuck now, I would recommend not becoming pregnant until at least 6 months after your tummy tuck procedure.
There is nothing about this procedure that would prohibit somebody from conceiving and carrying a pregnancy to term. However, there is also nothing about the operation to prevent body changes associated with pregnancy. It’s possible the abdomen may develop recurrent laxity with sagging skin and stretch marks. In most cases we encourage women to wait until after they have had their children to consider a tummy tuck. A common exception is the patient who has lost a dramatic amount of body weight and has redundant excess soft tissue.
It is generally thought to be safe if you get pregnant after a tummy tuck, since the body has an amazing ability to stretch during pregnancy. Which, of course, is also the problem…. if you are planning on a definite pregnancy in the future, it is best to wait until after you are done having children. If you not sure when or if another baby is in the future for you, having a tummy tuck now is reasonable as long as you know that you might need a revision (or even an entire 2nd tummy tuck, depending on how your body changes) after you are done having children. Some patients have gone on to NOT need a revision after a subsequent pregnancy, but I don’t believe there is any way to definitively predict what will happen.
The bottom line here is that the decision for a child is more important than the temporary end result of your tummy tuck BUT, there is nothing about a tummy tuck that rules out future children. If you have some laxity afterwards, it can be corrected most times and is far less than what is corrected with a full tummy tuck the first time.
I have had many patients in my practice who have gone on to have additional children after a tummy tuck. I would recommend waiting approximately 6 months before I tried to have another baby.
You can have a baby after a tummy tuck although it will compromise your aesthetic result. The pregnancy will stretch out the skin and abdominal muscles. Whether your contour goes back to the way it was prior to surgery is highly variable. You can become pregnant after tummy tuck, it just isn’t ideal.