Pregnancy After Liposuction? What to Know
Pregnancy after liposuction? This is a question that many woman wonder about before going through liposuction. Many women want to know if getting pregnant after having liposuction is safe, and if so, how the pregnancy will affect their lipo results.
While it is certainly important to wait until your liposuction incisions have fully healed before planning a pregnancy, there is no medical reason that liposuction should limit your ability to get pregnant or your ability to have a healthy pregnancy. Getting pregnant after lipo is a safe option for women unless there is a separate medical issue that warrants concern.
When it comes to just how much weight your lipo results may change with pregnancy, this is certainly a valid concern as some plastic surgery results may be altered with pregnancy. However, even though nearly every part of a woman’s body changes when she’s carrying a baby, your lipo results should last and be permanent — even after carrying a baby.
Below, we’ll take a deep dive into what to expect if you are thinking about getting liposuction before getting pregnant — or if you have already had liposuction and are now expecting a baby. If you have the option to choose, we’ll also discuss whether it’s better to get pregnant before or after lipo and other surgeries and what a mommy makeover is for mothers who are interested.
BECOMING PREGNANT AFTER LIPOSUCTION
Many patients wonder about liposuction before and after pregnancy. If you are concerned about the impact a future pregnancy might have on your lipo results, here’s what you need to know.
IS PREGNANCY AFTER LIPO SAFE?
While it’s always good to be cognizant of how your body will respond in various scenarios, there should be no medical reason not to become pregnant after liposuction, as long as you’ve allowed your body to heal in the interim. Of course, always speak with your doctors about what’s right for you as well.
WILL MY LIPOSUCTION RESULTS BE AFFECTED BY PREGNANCY?
As far as your liposuction results, you shouldn’t be concerned either.
Certainly, some cosmetic surgery results can change if you become pregnant afterward. Let’s say you get a tummy tuck and then become pregnant a year later, for example.
In this case, the results you initially achieved from your procedure may actually be hindered by the pregnancy. This is because a tummy tuck gets rid of excess skin that may have been stretched in the past due to weight gain and loss and/or a previous pregnancy.
With a subsequent pregnancy, then, that skin is naturally going to be re-stretched. The abdominal muscles will separate as well. And this may cause you to need a second surgery or perhaps a revision tuck.
For this reason, it’s usually advised that you wait until after you are done having children and breastfeeding.
Fortunately, liposuction is not the same. For the most part, your liposuction results will stick with you even after pregnancy. And the areas that were treated should remain slimmer.
This is because the liposuction technique permanently removes fat cells. They are suctioned out of the body and discarded forever. It is a very effective body contouring procedure.
Of course, the remaining fat cells you have can still expand — even in the treated areas. Therefore, you might gain weight overall if you do not continue to lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain a normal weight through a healthy diet, and exercise.
Still, you would likely gain lbs in proportion to whatever fat distribution you had after liposuction. For example, if abdominal liposuction gave you a waist that was smaller than your hips, even if you gained weight, your waist should still be smaller than your hips. This would be true even with significant weight gain and new fat cells after pregnancy.
SHOULD I GET A SECOND LIPO AFTER PREGNANCY
In most cases, patients will not need a second liposuction appointment after pregnancy because they will be able to retain their initial liposuction results. However, if this is something you’re interested in because the fat distribution on your body has changed after pregnancy or you simply want to refine some trouble areas, it is certainly an option.
HOW SOON CAN YOU HAVE LIPO AFTER GIVING BIRTH?
It’s important to wait until after your incisions from liposuction have healed to plan a pregnancy. This gives your body time to rest after going through the taxation of a plastic surgery procedure and before the intense physical changes of pregnancy.
For most patients, full recovery after the liposuction surgery will occur a minimum of three months and a maximum of six months after surgery. This varies from patient to patient, however, so speak with Dr. Sieber directly if you have particular concerns.
CAN THE FAT COME BACK AFTER LIPOSUCTION?
This is a tough question to answer because it depends on your lifestyle choices.
Regardless of pregnancy, if a patient undergoes liposuction treatment and is able to stay within close range of their post-lipo weight, they should retain their lipo results. That is, the areas where fat was taken from will stay slim. And even if a small amount is gained, the patient should still retain the same fat distribution.
On the other hand, if the patient were to gain a significant amount of weight — around 10% of their overall weight or more — then the fat could technically come back.
For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that patients lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain their body weight. This means eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet and taking part in physical activity at least several times a week. Staying within five pounds of one’s target weight is best for maintaining lipo results.
MAINTAINING YOUR LIPOSUCTION RESULTS AFTER PREGNANCY
After pregnancy, maintaining a target weight can be a challenge for many women, and this is certainly understandable. Women go directly from the trials of pregnancy, to the challenges of birth, to the intensity of caring for a newborn baby — and breastfeeding, if that is her choice.
None of these things are easy. And all of it together can make eating healthy and exercising activities that end up at the bottom of her to-do list.
If this is the case, don’t worry if it takes some time to get to your goal weight. Also, some women do decide to get revision liposuction after pregnancy. Mommy makeovers (which we will discuss in more detail further on) are also a popular choice for women when they’re done having children.
IS IT BETTER TO HAVE LIPOSUCTION BEFORE OR AFTER PREGNANCY?
If you are both considering getting liposuction and getting pregnant in the next few years, you may be able to plan a bit more.
So, in this case, which should you plan first?
Let’s start by saying that when it comes to some procedures — like tummy tucks and breast lifts — a board certified plastic surgeon recommends getting these after you are done having children. This means that mommy makeovers should be performed after you are done having children as well.
This isn’t to say that you can’t become pregnant after getting any of these procedures, but your results may be diminished. Tummy tucks fix stretched out skin that will only be stretched again with pregnancy. And breast lifts reposition droopy, stretched breasts that may also become droopy and stretched after pregnancy and/or breastfeeding.
With liposuction before pregnancy, however, it’s different.
If you are thinking about getting pregnant in the next three, four, or five years, but you also have some areas of your body with stubborn fat, it may make sense to get your liposuction now. You’ll be able to enjoy the results for a few years and then become pregnant when you want to without much consequence to your results.
If you want to get pregnant in the next few months or year, however, (or if you are actively trying to become pregnant right now), you should wait and not get lipo before pregnancy. It’s important that your body has time to heal from this procedure before going through pregnancy.
THE BENEFITS OF LIPOSUCTION AND TUMMY TUCK AFTER PREGNANCY
As stated, in most cases, liposuction can be performed safely before getting pregnant — as long as you wait long enough for a full recovery after lipo.
If you are considering liposuction after pregnancy, however, there are also some unique benefits to this arrangement:
- You can target the exact areas where you want to see improvement: Pregnancy can change your body composition for good, so waiting until after pregnancy will tell you exactly where you want to remove fat and get slimmer.
- It can help if you’ve had a C-section: Many women want to know how to get rid of their hanging belly after C section surgery. Also known as a “C section shelf” or “C section pooch”, this area of the body is difficult to improve without an invasive procedure. Fortunately, liposuction can often remove a Csection shelf. Furthermore, a C section tummy tuck can get rid of sagging skin.
- You can get other procedures performed at the same time: Speaking of the C section tummy tuck, if you get lipo after pregnancy, you can also take the opportunity to reshape other areas of your body such as your buttocks, hips, and breasts.
- Your results will likely last longer: Once you’re done having kids, your body settles into itself, and it can be tougher to drop lbs. Getting liposuction at this point will mean less reason for revision liposuction in the future.
CONSIDER A MOMMY MAKEOVER
Mommy makeovers are larger operations that include multiple procedures — all of which target areas of the body that have been affected by pregnancy, birth, and/or breastfeeding. Essentially, a mommy makeover is a procedure that aims to help mothers get their pre-baby figures back.
Mommy makeovers are generally able to improve the following:
- Saggy, loose skin on the abdomen
- Stomach stretch marks
- Loose or separated abdominal muscles
- Deflated, saggy breasts
- Pockets of excess fat on the abdomen, flanks, buttocks, thighs, upper arms, and other parts of the body
Every woman’s mommy makeover will look different. Yours may include any combination of the following:
- Liposuction
- Tummy tuck
- Breast lift
- Breast augmentation
- Breast augmentation with breast lift
Many women benefit greatly from mommy makeovers. In fact, these procedures can be life-changing for women who have struggled arduously to achieve their target body shape and weight after having children.
One thing to keep in mind is that it is recommended that women be several months out from finishing breastfeeding their last child before considering a mommy makeover. Also, remember that the mommy makeover recovery process can be lengthier than other single procedures. If you have children, you’ll want to arrange at-home help for at least the first week or so.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PREGNANCY AND COSMETIC PROCEDURES
IS BBL BEFORE PREGNANCY SAFE?
Getting pregnant after BBL surgery is generally considered safe. It is, however, a good idea to wait several months so that your body has time to heal from the changes brought on by pregnancy. If you had a C-section, you should wait even longer before getting BBL surgery as this is a major surgery.
IS LIPOSUCTION AFTER C-SECTION OKAY?
Lipo after C-section is common and should be safe for most women. In many cases, liposuction can help reduce the appearance of a “C section shelf” or C section pooch”. Always talk to your doctors about what’s right for you.
HOW MUCH DOES A MOMMY MAKEOVER COST?
The cost of mommy makeover surgery will vary from patient to patient. Essentially, it depends which procedures you opt for. A mommy makeover that includes a breast lift and breast augmentation with a tummy tuck and liposuction will cost more than a mommy makeover with just a breast lift.
SHOULD I LOSE WEIGHT BEFORE LIPOSUCTION?
Losing weight before liposuction is not necessary unless you hope to eventually lose weight. If this is the case, it’s best to achieve your weight loss goals first before having liposuction.
This is because your results may be affected if you don’t. Dr. Sieber advises his patients to be at or very near their target weight before undergoing liposuction.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH DR. SIEBER
Whether you’ve recently given birth and are interested in slimming your post-baby body or are currently pregnant and thinking about liposuction after birth, you have options.
Dr. Sieber is a double board certified plastic surgeon specializing in liposuction. To learn more about liposuction after pregnancy, look at pregnancy after lipo photos, or the impacts on a future pregnancy, contact our office today and schedule your consultation appointment.
REFERENCES
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedure-liposuction
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/better-breasts-after-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/can-fat-return-after-liposuction
