I had a baby a year ago by C section but my tummy still looking fat what can I do?

The first steps to getting your pre-pregnancy stomach back are to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight and tone/strengthen your abdominal and core muscles through exercise. Assuming you’ve done these things then a couple of options exist. If the primary problem is just some excess fat in the stomach area, liposuction may be the solution. If there is also noticeable looseness of the skin and/or stretching of the stomach wall (diastasis recti) then a surgical abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) may be an option.

If a tummy tuck seems to be the way to go, I would advise you to seriously consider postponing this operation until after you are finished with all of your pregnancies. The reason being is that future pregnancies tend to undo the benefits of a tummy tuck and make it more difficult to correct pregnancy caused stomach issues in the future.

To find out which option(s) are best for you, seek a consultation with a Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). All members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery are certified by the ABPS.

First, congratulations on the birth of your baby last year! Getting back into shape and your previous state of health and wellness are great goals to pursue. There are numerous variables to consider: I’m sure you are familiar with the importance of diet and exercise. Are you still breastfeeding? Are you planning any future pregnancies? If you are done breastfeeding, are not planning any more pregnancies, and have optimized your diet and exercise regimen, surgical intervention (in the form of a “tummy tuck”) may help. Although there are many types of “tummy tucks”, the general concept is removal of excess skin and fatty tissue from the belly area; this may be accompanied by plication of the rectus muscle (“the abs”), which is essentially creates an internal corset with sutures. Liposuction may be additional procedure to consider, as this can further help shape and sculpture your belly, flanks, and love handle areas, and improve the overall aesthetics of your abdomen and waist.

Don’t forget that you can go to the ASAPS homepage to find a board certified plastic surgeon near you to discuss your specific goals and options.

Congratulations on your new born. During pregnancy the uterine enlargement pushes the anterior abdominal wall muscles apart causing a relaxation and bulging in the abdominal wall. In addition, some fat deposit in that area exacerbating the condition. The ideal solution is what we call tummy tuck or abdominoplasty where the muscles are tightened back and excess skin and fat are removed to achieve your pre pregnancy shape. It is usually recommended that before this procedure you try to lose as much weight as you can and to have completed your family. It is not contraindicated to get pregnant 1 year after the procedure, however, if this happens you might lose the results you obtained with the surgery. It is very important to choose an ASAPS member well versed in abdominoplasty and body contouring to get your optimal results.

Best of luck,
Shady Hayek, M.D.
Beirut, Lebanon

Diet and exercise are key in achieving your goals. That alone may not get you to where you want to be since pregnancy stretches out the skin and underlying musculature. There are a variety of surgical procedures and combinations that can produce good results in patients with abdominal laxity depending on multiple factors including their anatomy and degree of desired improvement. A mini tummy tuck, modified tummy tuck or full abdominoplasty are options. Each of these can be performed with or without liposuction and with or without muscle repair. In the appropriate patient, liposuction alone may produce the desired cosmetic improvement. Each of these procedures produces different degrees of improvement.

Most plastic surgeons would recommend that you should wait until you are finished having children before undergoing any procedure that would involve tightening of the abdominal musculature.

Following the advice of anyone who would presume to tell you what to do without taking a full medical history, examining you, feeling and assessing your tissue tone, discussing with you your desired outcome and fully informing you about the pros and cons of each procedure is not in your best interest. I would suggest that you have a consultation a with a plastic surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you can find through Smart Beauty Guide. You should discuss your concerns with that physician.

Robert Singer, M.D., FACS
La Jolla, California