One of the most common reasons women seek plastic surgery is because of the changes that have occurred to their bodies as a result of pregnancy and/ or breastfeeding. While for many women these changes have little impact on their lives, for others, they may be the source of significant concern. Changes to the abdomen in particular, may be structural, including development of diastasis recti (a split between the "six pack" muscles. Surgery to repair such a split is emphatically not purely cosmetic, and has proven functional benefits such as improved core strength, and improvment of symptoms of urinary incontinence and back pain in some patients. Plastic surgery is not always the answer to the concerns that may arise following pregnancy, but I firmly believe that sometimes it is, and that women should never be made feel bad or guilty about their choices in this regard. 

The most commonly requested procedures are breast augmentation or uplift, abdominoplasty and liposuction. Labiaplasty is becoming more common as awareness of the existence of this procedure increases. It is possible to perform two procedures under the same anaesthetic, which has obvious advantages in terms of reduced overall downtime and cost. However, recovery will usually be longer than for a single procedure, and an extra night in hospital is often necessary. Suitability for combined procedures is assessed on a case-by case basis.

In order to achieve long-lasting results, I recommend waiting until your family is complete before proceeding with any surgery aimed to address post-pregnancy changes. I also recommend a minimum of 12 to 18 months after completion of pregnancy (or breastfeeding in the case of breast surgery) before proceeding. It is best to be at a stable weight that you can maintain. Also, you should bear in mind that the recovery time can be significant, and should be taken into account when there are young children to look after.

Thiese procedures are not covered by health insurance, and are provided on a self-pay basis at Fitzgerald Plastic Surgery.