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Pregnancy and plastic surgery

Breast Augmentation / Breast Reduction / Tummy Tucks / Breast Lift / Post Pregnancy Surgery / Surgical Tips

20 Jun 2022

Pregnancy and Plastic Surgery

Women seek breast and body surgery for a number of reasons both pre and post-pregnancy. In many cases I will advise waiting until you have finished your family before going ahead with your surgical procedure, but in other cases, there is no need to put a surgical journey on hold.


Will having children impact my breast augmentation, reduction or lift results?

In short, having babies changes all women’s breasts, regardless of whether they have had plastic surgery or not. Sometimes the changes are minimal, and other times, for patients who have already undergone breast surgery, revision may be required.

If you are considering having a baby in the next year or two, I would encourage you to do so before going ahead with breast surgery to achieve maximum longevity from your surgical results. If children are more than a few years away, why delay? There is no problem enjoying your surgical results before you become a mum!


Will I be able to breastfeed after breast surgery?

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees! Just as with women who have not had surgery, some women can breast feed, while others are not able to breast feed at all or will need the assistance of a lactation consultant to help manage early feeding issues.

If breastfeeding is important to you, you may choose to wait until you have finished having children before proceeding with breast surgery. If you have successfully breastfed your existing children and are considering undergoing breast surgery before the next, there is a possibility that you may face the ‘mum guilt’ of not being able to breastfeed your next child.

During a breast augmentation, reduction or lift procedure, I invest time to protect the milk ducts, nerves and breast tissue as much as possible to preserve the ability to breastfeed. Some patients of mine who have had breast reductions between babies have actually reported that they weren’t able to feed the first time around due to the excessive size of their breasts, but were able to successfully breast feed the second baby after their reduction. Every patient is different. More information about breastfeeding after a breast reduction is here, and breastfeeding after breast implants is here.


Should I have a tummy tuck before or after I have children?

This is a common question we hear particularly from young patients who have experienced mass weight loss and are struggling with heavy excess abdominal skin, but may wish to have children in the future. While the answer to this question depends entirely on individual circumstance, as a general guide, if children aren’t in the picture for the next five years you may be a candidate for a tummy tuck now.

If you have already begun your family and know that you will likely have more children in the future, I recommend waiting until you have finished your family before going ahead with abdominoplasty. The weight fluctuation, hormonal changes and abdominal stretching that come with pregnancy will undoubtedly have an impact on your surgical results. I don’t recommend undergoing a tummy tuck procedure in-between children, or if children are in your near future.


Is it possible to have a baby after a tummy tuck?

Yes. While there is no aspect of an abdominoplasty that impedes a woman’s ability to conceive or carry a child, as mentioned above, pregnancy will have an impact on your surgical results.

I have had several tummy tuck patients who have gone on to have successful full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. For some patients, the trade-off of getting rid of kilos of heavy excess skin with a tummy tuck prior to pregnancy is a good one. For these patients who have experienced significant weight loss, while their abdominoplasty results may be impacted by pregnancy, any resulting excess skin will likely not be as debilitating as that prior to their tummy tuck.

We understand that circumstances do change and life can be unpredictable – if you have a tummy tuck and decide you would like to have more children, we recommend a minimum of one year between surgery and attempting to conceive. Proceeding with pregnancy can potentially ‘un-do’ the muscle repair, skin tightening and shaping that was performed during your tummy tuck, and you may require revision surgery in the future.


How soon after having a baby can I have plastic surgery?

As a general rule, I recommend booking your initial consultation no sooner than 3 months after you finish breastfeeding. For breast surgery this is particularly important, as it allows your breasts to completely empty and the shape to stabilise. For tummy tucks, I like to see patients at least 6 months after pregnancy once they have reached a stable, goal weight. More information about planning for breast and body surgery after pregnancy is here.


I’m currently pregnant – can I still book a consultation?

Although planning your post-pregnancy plastic surgery is exciting – you should hold off booking an initial appointment while you are still pregnant or breastfeeding. I recommend booking an initial 3D Vectra Surgery Simulation appointment with my Practice Manager six months before you wish to have surgery. This will ensure we can secure you an appropriate consultation with me and a surgery date in the time period you are hoping for.


Have another question about pregnancy and plastic surgery?

Need some guidance planning your timeline for surgery? Please do not hesitate to contact one of my friendly team on 4920 7700, or hit the ‘Get in Touch’ bottom below to submit an email enquiry. I look forward to meeting you in the near future!


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Dr Nicholas Moncrieff

Blog Author:

Dr Nicholas Moncrieff, Specialist Plastic Surgeon

About Dr Moncrieff

Dr Moncrieff focuses exclusively on breast reductions, breast lifts, breast augmentation, tummy tucks and body lifts.

He is one of only a handful of Plastic Surgeons across Australia with this sole breast and body focus.

Dr Moncrieff has performed thousands of surgical procedures over more than two decades in medicine. Over 20,000 of these procedures have been in Newcastle.

More information about Dr Moncrieff is available here.

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