The warnings about “life never being the same” after kids never stops, and rightly so because they’re true. This is good in many ways, but sometimes the warnings to new moms about their body postpartum and post-nursing gets overlooked.

CELEBRITY SUPER MOM BODIES AREN’T “THE NORM”… This is especially true with all the gossip and fashion magazines highlighting the celebrities’ flat stomachs and curvy breasts within weeks of having a baby. Some celebrities, such as Kourtney Kardashian, have even admitted that the tabloids airbrushed their postpartum bodies to look better. This can give a false expectation to many moms, even those who are extremely fit and healthy, about how their body will look after having one or multiple children.

THE ABS THAT NO NUMBER OF CRUNCHES WILL FIX… Realistically, the stretched skin has to go somewhere and sometimes the extra tummy bulge isn’t just from the stubborn baby fat that won’t go away. Sometimes the tummy bulge is a result of a hernia or loose abdomen muscles that separated during the time of extra stress, called diastasis recti. Unfortunately, no matter how much you work out and even get back to your pre baby weight, if you’re abdomen muscles have been torn, the belly won’t be able to go back to being flat.

TUMMY TUCK TO THE RESCUE…Ideally, a patient who’d like a tummy tuck, aka abdominoplasty, is in great shape and just needs a little help with that small bulge that won’t go away, whether it’s a little fat, loose skin or from diastasis recti. Even if you’re not completely toned, a tummy tuck is that perfect boost to get you over the hump of achieving a flat stomach, especially if you’re within 10 pounds of your ideal weight. Moms sacrifice so much of themselves to bear, birth and bring up children that a tummy tuck is a well deserved confidence builder to have a stomach they’re not ashamed of.

WE WON’T LEAVE OUT THE BELLY BUTTON… Also, if the belly button got stretched out during pregnancy weight gain, a belly button repair is a simple revision to add to a tummy tuck. It is sometimes even necessary, depending on how much loose skin will be removed during the tuck. This will give the belly button an ideal shape and position on the abdomen.

TUMMY TUCK IS NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL… Depending on your body’s unique needs, there are a variety of abdominoplasty techniques to help you achieve your ideal abdomen. They will address the skin, fat and muscles in the stomach area to contour for your unique physique. Your health, the technique and extent of the surgery will also determine whether the recovery is 1 to 4 weeks, but either way there will be a recovery period. Oral pain medication, arnica, and rest will help the swelling, bruising and soreness resulting from surgery.

EVEN SUPER MOMS NEED HELP AFTER SURGERY… Since moms wear many hats, extra help should be scheduled with the normal household and children needs that are typically juggled among the many other things they do. If you over do it right after surgery, your recovery will take longer, so don’t hesitate to ask for assistance.

Your body has changed since having children and that’s normal, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to forego a beautifully contoured abdomen. Schedule a consultation today to discuss your ideal “Mommy Tuck” results, www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon