Moms Keeping an Eye on Surgeries After Pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period often lead many moms to dissatisfaction with their bodies. In such cases, plastic surgery has been an ally to help improve these women's self-esteem during a time of so many changes in their lives. In clinics, breast correction and the elimination of abdominal flaccidity are the main goals of these patients.

However, plastic surgeon Fabricio Regiani warns that there is a natural weight loss for women during this period, and therefore, it is necessary to wait at least six months before undergoing any intervention, also respecting the exclusive breastfeeding period. “Many mothers report a certain discomfort dealing with breast sagging, and in this case, the solution may be mastopexy, which can be associated or not with silicone placement,” he explains.

According to the doctor, the placement of silicone implants through an inframammary incision does not pose a risk for future breastfeeding, as the mammary gland is not affected. Furthermore, mothers who choose to undergo the procedure while their child is still a baby should be concerned about their recovery, which involves rest and special care.

In general, there should be no arm movement in the first seven days to allow for healing. After 20 days to a month, women should not lift their arms above shoulder height. During this period, they should avoid holding heavy objects (which includes the baby) and also driving. Weight training exercises with the upper limbs can only be resumed after two months, while lower limbs are cleared after one month.

In addition to mastopexy, another type of procedure that attracts women at this moment after pregnancy is abdominoplasty. “This type of surgery removes fat and is indicated for those with excess skin that cannot be resolved only with liposuction. There are two types: mini-abdominoplasty, which performs liposuction on the entire body contour and removes skin below the navel without needing to reshape it; and lipoabdominoplasty, which is currently the most sought after, involving liposuction of everything and complete surgery on the abdomen,” he informs.

Bothered by the pain caused by her cesarean scar, journalist Rafa Brites posted on her social media that she underwent a procedure to correct this mark. “Everyone has their opinion; I even think (that the scar is a beautiful symbol of childbirth), but mine hurts. Every time I put on a pair of jeans, it hurts. When it’s about to rain, it hurts. Everyone said it would get better, but it’s been three years. I’ve tried all treatments, and it hasn’t improved. I have a lot of collagen in my body, and mine is still hard,” she vented.

According to plastic surgeon Fabricio Regiani, this is a minor surgery, a kind of repair at the scar site. “A cesarean section is a surgery that goes through a series of abdominal tissues. In total, there are seven layers of cuts, and there are surgical techniques to close them in the best possible way. Besides these technical details, there is also a personal factor, which is how each person's body reacts to that process,” he says.

When there is pain or dissatisfaction with the scar, the recommendation is for the woman to seek a doctor to analyze the case. Treatment varies greatly from patient to patient and can even be done with other types of procedures that are not surgical.