How soon after giving birth can you have Post-Pregnancy Surgery?
After experiencing the rollercoaster ride of emotions accompanying early motherhood, it’s hard not to feel vulnerable and be a touch prone to making rash decisions. But when it comes to your body and scheduling post-pregnancy surgery, it’s vital you exercise patience. Importantly, if you’re planning on having more children, surgery may have to wait. This article explains more about post-pregnancy surgery, why timing matters—and what to expect.
What is Post-Pregnancy Plastic Surgery?
Post-pregnancy surgery encompasses a range of surgical procedures designed to address physical changes after pregnancy and childbirth. These often include breast surgeries such as Breast Augmentation, Reduction or Lift, as well as various types of Abdominoplasties (Tummy Tucks). Additional procedures, like Liposuction or Genital Surgery, may also be performed.
Since many patients benefit from multiple procedures, these surgeries are often combined into one session under one anaesthetic for convenience and efficiency. However, there is no universal approach to post-pregnancy surgery—each treatment plan is uniquely customised to suit your specific needs and goals.
Procedures Commonly Performed In Post-Pregnancy Surgery
Most (but not all) procedures commonly performed in post-pregnancy surgery involve addressing concerns with the breasts or tummy area.
Lower Body Procedures
- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
- Liposuction
- Genital surgery
Upper Body Procedures
- Breast Augmentation (Breast Implants)
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
- Breast Reduction
- Nipple/Areola surgery
- Liposuction – to the abdomen, waist, back, arms
Who Is An Eligible Candidate For Post-Pregnancy Surgery?
If you’ve finished having all your children and stopped breastfeeding your last child at least three to six months ago and have a stable body weight, then you could be an ideal candidate for post-pregnancy surgery. Additionally, you should be in good mental and physical health and thoroughly understand the risks and complications of all the proposed surgical procedures.
Recovery Time After Post-Pregnancy Surgery
Post-pregnancy surgery encompasses a range of different procedures, so your recovery process will be dictated by the procedures you have. For specific information on recovery time, please see the appropriate procedure page on this website.
Your post-operative care plan will be comprehensive, involving multiple weekly in-clinic visits with our nursing team for several weeks. Before your surgery, you will receive a detailed schedule of your post-operative appointments. These visits allow Dr Dona and our nurses to closely monitor your recovery, initiate necessary treatments, provide wound care and ensure you effectively progress through each stage of healing.
As part of our advanced recovery approach, we incorporate light-based therapy (LED light therapy) to enhance wound healing. This therapy accelerates scar maturation, promoting optimal scar formation for the best aesthetic outcome.
Swelling is a natural part of the healing process. It will be most noticeable in the first few weeks after surgery. The timeline for your final results will depend on the combination of procedures performed. While Breast Augmentation typically takes one to two hours, a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) is a more customised procedure, varying based on the amount of excess skin removed and the level of muscle tightening needed.
By six weeks post-surgery, most swelling and discomfort will have significantly subsided, allowing you to gradually return to normal daily activities.
At the six-month mark, you will see the full results of your post-pregnancy tummy and breast surgery. Your breasts will have settled into their final position, and any residual swelling or tightness in your abdomen from the Tummy Tuck will have resolved. While your surgical scars will have faded significantly by this time, it may take up to two years to fully mature.
How Further Pregnancies Can Affect Surgery Outcomes
If, after having post-pregnancy surgery, you fall pregnant again, there is no medical reason to stop you from going through with the pregnancy. However, you do risk undoing the work of your plastic surgery. For example, with breasts, you risk further sagging and stretch marks—even if you have implants. Similarly, you may undo the work of your Tummy Tuck, gaining more stretch marks, sagging skin and compromised muscle tone, or even experiencing more abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) that warrants further surgery.
Book an Initial Consultation
If you have finished creating a family and have stopped breastfeeding your last child at least three to six months ago, now is the time you could consider surgery. To discover more about post-pregnancy surgery, book an Initial Consultation with Dr Dona today.