Tummy Tuck
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Wanting a tummy tuck after having 4 kids but nervous about the recovery? Can anyone tell me what your recovery was like and anything that helped speed up the process? I can't imagine being down for 6 weeks or even 2 weeks with the kid responsibilities
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I am curious about this too. Anyone have info on this?
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I had one, but I waited until my kids were a bit older (they were 13, 11, and 9) which helped. I can’t imagine doing it during the little years unless you have a lot of support in terms of grandparents or other family. I don’t have a huge support system so I needed them to be more independent. I am EXTREMELY happy with the results and it was absolutely worth it 100%. Worth the pain, worth the downtime, worth the money (and I paid $13k). The recovery was painful, but not as painful as I thought. I only needed pain meds for about a week and then I had no pain. You do have to wear a thick abdominal binder for 6 weeks afterwards. Thankfully, it was January when I got it done so I just lived in hoodies and sweatpants for a month. Doing it in summer or a hot time of year would make it much more difficult. Honestly, I spent so many years just thinking I needed more self-acceptance and be grateful I got to carry my babies. I felt vain for wanting my abdomen to look different. However, I think you can still be grateful for what your body did and want it to look recovered. It was a major confidence booster for me. If you have more specific questions, let me know.
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I did a tummy tuck/mommy makeover about 8 months ago, and am really happy with the result. The first two weeks you’re not supposed to drive (mainly bc of pain meds, but I weaned off early). The hardest part is the discomfort/pain the first week or two, plus coordinating help around the house and for the kids. Mine were 3 and 5 when I did it, and they just knew mommy was hurt/didn’t feel well and were pretty gentle with me. Plus they liked the extra attention from daddy, grandparents, sitters, etc. I also found a teacher to help drive my youngest home from school and hang until the bigger kids got home. I think taking it as easy as possible those first 2 weeks really helped my recovery and minimized complications!
I was really worried it would affect my kids by not being around as much for a few weeks, but it has been SO worth it. I only have positives to say about it… other than that it was painful, but that’s to be expected. I also had diastasis recti which was fixed during the procedure. Saw Dr. Booth at APSI - he was great and has a wonderful team. Felt like they took a very well rounded approach to the procedure and after care to minimize scarring, speed up recovery in a safe way, etc. Happy to answer any other questions you may have!
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I am looking into this myself, I've had c sections so the "skin overhang" is really what I am trying to solve and I've heard there is such thing as a skin-only tummy tuck. I've heard good things about Cameron Craven (westlake derm) is a phenomenal surgeon and Dr.Sergio Maggi. Everyone who I have talked to recommended doing a minimum of 3 consultations with 3 different doctors before deciding.
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I had a tummy tuck where the dr removed all my extra skin and pulled my abs back together. I will say that the incision is longer than I expected it to be, but I also had a lot of skin to remove! The pain wasn't AWFUL and if you have had children and a C Section you will manage the pain just fine. I will say I highly recommend having help the first 1-2 weeks, my youngest was 7 so it was manageable but if I had younger kids that would be really difficult to recover and take care of them.
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I think most importantly making sure your making the choice for yourself, not anyone else. I was pregnant with twins so had a lot of excess skin post pregnancies. I am SO happy with my tummy tuck results and removing the excess skin. It took about 6 weeks for my full recovery, so definitely prepare for that and get help for the kids! When deciding on a dr make sure you see before and afters from a variety of patients and focus on what the navel looks like. I've seen a few where the belly button never looked the same post tummy tuck. I had a great surgeon and I am very happy with how mine looks.
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@WhatsOnYourMB I just had an over the muscle breast aug and I am have no pain tolerance but I’ve been down and out about 5 days. I imagine the tummy tuck would be even harder. Depending on your pain tolerance, I would say probably 2 weeks. Even with my over the muscle breast aug, I’m not able to lift more than 10lbs for 6 weeks. I also have very limited range of motion with my arms - laundry, dishes, diapers, etc… are hard. The procedure I had done is probably the “easiest” and I have almost no pain tolerance. I think everyone is different, but I would expect to be down and out for a while with a tummy tuck!
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I have not had one myself but I work for a plastic surgeon and we tell our patients to take at least a week for recovery but if you have help you can definitely do it. We will usually use a drain that you have for about a couple of days. It is no small feat but totally worth the reward. You will feel like you have done a million crunches/ab workout if you do end up getting your fascia tightened. Also you will need to wear compression to help with the recovery. All in all, it is definitely worth it! If yall have any questions feel free to reach out!
