Liposuction before pregnancy?

Even though you are planning to get pregnant in 1-2 years, there is no certainty that this will happen.  IF you would be happier NOW with your body after liposuction, you should go ahead and do it.  It would have no bearing on pregnancy.  You might need something after you are done having children like a tummy tuck but this isn't related to whether or not you had liposuction before pregnancy.

While there is no contraindication to having liposuction before pregnancy, waiting is a more logical thing to do.  Pregnancy can create changes in your skin, muscle fascia, and fat, and these changes will potentially effect what procedure will contour your shape most appropriately.  Pre-pregnancy liposuction alone may or may not be the best long term solution. 

Gblu,

There is no contra-indication to liposuction if you are planning on becoming pregnant in the next year or so. The procedures that patients typically have after having a baby have more to do with correcting the loose skin and stretch marks. These usually involves an abdominoplasty. If you have liposuction a few years before your abdomioplasty, you may actually end up with an even better result. So my advice would be to go for it.

I hope this is helpful.

David Shafer, MD

If you have areas of concern that are resistant to diet and exercise, I think it is a good idea.  It will make losing the baby weight a little easier, since those fat deposits will be eliminated. 

Of course, it is always important to discuss possible future pregnany with your plastic surgeon during your consultation. Laser Liposuction or SmartLipo is a great idea since it can be done with a local anesthesia. This will eliminate the concern of the effects of a general anesthesia.   

Liposuction is good for treating localized bulges (typically in the thighs) and the results are very long lasting. You will put on weight during your pregnancy, but the bulges do not come back.

I have seen several women go through liposuction followed by pregnancy. Some lost all the weight after the pregnancy and some didn't. But the bulges did not come back in any of them.

The decision to under go liposuction should be based on whether you have the areas of fat bulges that are appropriately handled by liposuction. You should be able to draw the area of concern with your surgeon and determine whether it is a good choice. I don't feel that whether you are planing on children later makes any difference. Some women have significant lipodystrophy which makes their life and especially dressing difficult. Many of these women look like they are very thin above the waist while having large deposits of fat on their hips, waist, medial and lateral thighs. There is no reason for them to wait. I say fix it if it bothers you. Liposuction is not a procedure to loose weight but to change contours. So if the contours are bad and fixable, fix them. It is important to realize that having a baby will have effects on your body but the fat deposits should not reappear if you watch your weight gain with pregnancy.

There are many women who choose to have liposuction before starting a family and they do just fine. You should anticipate that whether or not you have the procedure before a pregnancy, the pregnancy is likely to change your body significantly, and you may very well wish to have a cosmetic procedure afterwards-- the liposuction before the pregnancy will not eliminate this possibility.

Assume that having a baby will stretch your skin, add new pockets of fat, rotate the pelvic bones and stretch the muscles that make your body look like an hourglass. With these ideas in mind, liposuction will be as temporary as the time between the surgery and your pregnancy?

Also, after liposuction, there will be some time until the swelling goes down, so that you can enjoy the results.

Is the time between the surgery and when you get pregnant worth the costs, downtime and surgical risks? Only you know for sure! If it was me, I would save the money and spend the money on some baby furniture.

Best of luck! Robert M.Freund, MD, FACS

The doctors below have given sound advice.

You definitely will gain weight during pregnancy and your tummy skin will be stretched.

If your shape does not return to normal after pregnacy then you can consider a body contouring procedure like liposuction or laser liposculpture.

I also am not comfortable with creating a surgical wound beneath the tummy skin knowing that the skin will have to stretch and expand during pregnancy at a later date.

I don't think it would be a major factor, but I don't know for certain, so why take the risk?

I would save your money now anticipating that you may want to invest in body contouring after you are finished having children

Liposuction can be done almost at anytime.  Liposuction is ideal inthe patient who has isolated areas of fat deposits that don't seem to go away through diet and exercise.  I wouldn;t personally recommend liposuction if you are definiely planning to have a baby within the next year.  However, I couldn;t tell you for sure if it wsa going to be 2,3,4 or more years before having a baby.  That really is a personal choice.  Certainly I would put off a tummy tuck until all pregnancies are completed.

Mothers who desire their “before baby body” are frequently marketed to, but certainly this is not meant to preclude those who are in a similar situation as you.

Body contouring procedures including liposuction are performed in patients of all ages.  Your question has been asked by many others.  The answer is simple...it is all about you and your priorities! What is most important is fullfiling your wants, needs, and desires.

If you are truly troubled by selective areas of fat that seem to be resistent to diet and exercise, then I would seek a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in liposuction.  Your goals and expectations need to be realistic. You need to understand what the surgery is all about: what the procedure will and will not accomplish, the inherent risks of the operation.  Of course, there may be physical changes following child bearing that may require additional revisions. Take your time, do your research, and find a qualified plastic surgeon to assist you in this important decision.

I hope this helps!

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD