We love our littles sooo much, but getting them into this world definitely takes a toll on the tummy.  Since having your babies, you may have developed a mom pooch.  Even if you exercise and watch your weight, this may never go away.  Why?  It’s called a rectus diastasis.  This happens when your vertical abdominal muscles get pushed to the sides by your baby.  

Some people have success correcting this by wearing a corset after giving birth.

You can also try physical therapy and core strengthening to get those muscles closer to where they started.

If you are lucky, you might only have a space of 1 to 2 centimeters between the muscles.  But a lot of us end up with a wider space, like 3 to 5 centimeters, or even more.  This makes the whole tummy area looser, and can often look like you are still pregnant even when you are definitely not!  It can also cause back pain and other issues- one of my patients even had trouble singing due to her wide diastasis. 

A second problem is having extra skin that also did not shrink back to its original size and shape.  This is more common in people who have stretch marks- some of the original stretchiness of the skin is gone.  If you had a c section, your extra skin may hang over the scar like a little shelf. 

The only way to get rid of the diastasis space and extra skin is a tummy tuck, or as it is known medically, abdominoplasty. This is real surgery, with anesthesia, pain and scars, but for most people who choose this surgery, they feel it is totally worth it! For many moms, it is the only effective way to get back to  your pre-baby shape.  The muscles are sewn back in place where they belong, getting rid of that bulge, and the extra skin is trimmed, hiding the scar in the bellybutton and also a similar location to a C section, only a bit longer, depending on the amount of extra skin you have.  Liposuction can be added at the same time, although it is best to use this for reshaping small problem areas.  You will get the best looking and longest lasting results if you are already at your ideal weight before you have a tummy tuck.

How bad is the pain?  Well seriously, you have already had a baby!  Most people find the pain and recovery similar to having a C section.  I recommend taking 2 weeks off from work to recover after a tummy tuck. If your kids are still small- I recommend either help at home or waiting until they are out of the crib, as there is no lifting more than 10 pounds for six weeks after surgery in order to let everything heal. 

Tummy tuck is one of the most impactful surgeries I do.  Even though it’s a bit rough for a few weeks, it completely changes how you look for the rest of your life.  I have my own mental list of plastic surgery that I would personally have and tummy tuck is definitely at the top of that list!