Getting back in shape after childbirth

Outstanding specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, he is an expert in breast surgery, liposuction, abdominoplasty, blepharoplasty, otoplasty, reconstructive surgery and hand surgery. In addition, he is a member of the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SECPRE) and a member of the Spanish Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (AECEP). In the following article he explains different techniques to recover the figure after childbirth.

One of the most frequent fears among women who have been or are going to be mothers is the set of physical changes that they will undergo, as well as the recovery of the shape they had before pregnancy. Resignation to these changes is not a good option, since cosmetic surgery allows multiple options to provide a solution to those women who do not feel good with these body changes.

What areas are treated in postpartum cosmetic surgery?

There are three areas of a woman’s body that are most affected by pregnancy:

  • Chest: there is usually a loss of breast volume and, generally, sagging occurs.
  • Abdomen: this is the most affected region, which usually presents flaccidity, stretch marks and structural alterations that weaken the abdominal wall. It is also normal for these changes to produce abdominal eventration and hernias, mostly umbilical.
  • Genital region: there is usually hypertrophy of the labia minora or flaccidity, sagging of the labia majora and pubic region, as well as vaginal widening.

Postpartum cosmetic surgery treatments

Depending on the area and the problem to be treated, Plastic Surgery specialists perform a specific treatment for each case. By areas, the treatments are:

  • Breast: it can be treated with breast prostheses or, if the patient does not want prostheses, a filler can be made with their own fat. When the problem is sagging, an elevation with or without prosthesis can be proposed.
  • Abdomen: an exhaustive study of the abdominal walls must be made, which may require ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. The most commonly applied treatment is abdominoplasty, which corrects abdominal flaccidity and sagging, as well as repairing the abdominal wall if needed. Another possible treatment is liposuction, which allows to put an end to the accumulation of fat in the abdomen, waist and hips.
  • Genital region: if there is hypertrophy of the labia minora, the solution is to resect the excess tissue by reducing it. If there is sagging and atrophy of the labia majora, it is treated by lifting and fat filling. When there is sagging of the pubis, it must be corrected by stretching. And when the problem presented is a vaginal widening, what is applied is a narrowing of the vagina by vaginoplasty.