Tummy Tuck
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Wanting a tummy tuck after having 4 kids but nervous about the recovery? Can anyone tell me what your recovery was like and anything that helped speed up the process? I can't imagine being down for 6 weeks or even 2 weeks with the kid responsibilities
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I am curious about this too. Anyone have info on this?
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I had one, but I waited until my kids were a bit older (they were 13, 11, and 9) which helped. I can’t imagine doing it during the little years unless you have a lot of support in terms of grandparents or other family. I don’t have a huge support system so I needed them to be more independent. I am EXTREMELY happy with the results and it was absolutely worth it 100%. Worth the pain, worth the downtime, worth the money (and I paid $13k). The recovery was painful, but not as painful as I thought. I only needed pain meds for about a week and then I had no pain. You do have to wear a thick abdominal binder for 6 weeks afterwards. Thankfully, it was January when I got it done so I just lived in hoodies and sweatpants for a month. Doing it in summer or a hot time of year would make it much more difficult. Honestly, I spent so many years just thinking I needed more self-acceptance and be grateful I got to carry my babies. I felt vain for wanting my abdomen to look different. However, I think you can still be grateful for what your body did and want it to look recovered. It was a major confidence booster for me. If you have more specific questions, let me know.
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I did a tummy tuck/mommy makeover about 8 months ago, and am really happy with the result. The first two weeks you’re not supposed to drive (mainly bc of pain meds, but I weaned off early). The hardest part is the discomfort/pain the first week or two, plus coordinating help around the house and for the kids. Mine were 3 and 5 when I did it, and they just knew mommy was hurt/didn’t feel well and were pretty gentle with me. Plus they liked the extra attention from daddy, grandparents, sitters, etc. I also found a teacher to help drive my youngest home from school and hang until the bigger kids got home. I think taking it as easy as possible those first 2 weeks really helped my recovery and minimized complications!
I was really worried it would affect my kids by not being around as much for a few weeks, but it has been SO worth it. I only have positives to say about it… other than that it was painful, but that’s to be expected. I also had diastasis recti which was fixed during the procedure. Saw Dr. Booth at APSI - he was great and has a wonderful team. Felt like they took a very well rounded approach to the procedure and after care to minimize scarring, speed up recovery in a safe way, etc. Happy to answer any other questions you may have!
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I am looking into this myself, I've had c sections so the "skin overhang" is really what I am trying to solve and I've heard there is such thing as a skin-only tummy tuck. I've heard good things about Cameron Craven (westlake derm) is a phenomenal surgeon and Dr.Sergio Maggi. Everyone who I have talked to recommended doing a minimum of 3 consultations with 3 different doctors before deciding.
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I had a tummy tuck where the dr removed all my extra skin and pulled my abs back together. I will say that the incision is longer than I expected it to be, but I also had a lot of skin to remove! The pain wasn't AWFUL and if you have had children and a C Section you will manage the pain just fine. I will say I highly recommend having help the first 1-2 weeks, my youngest was 7 so it was manageable but if I had younger kids that would be really difficult to recover and take care of them.
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I think most importantly making sure your making the choice for yourself, not anyone else. I was pregnant with twins so had a lot of excess skin post pregnancies. I am SO happy with my tummy tuck results and removing the excess skin. It took about 6 weeks for my full recovery, so definitely prepare for that and get help for the kids! When deciding on a dr make sure you see before and afters from a variety of patients and focus on what the navel looks like. I've seen a few where the belly button never looked the same post tummy tuck. I had a great surgeon and I am very happy with how mine looks.
