Mums the word
Giving birth is probably the most rewarding experience in the world; it’s just the devastation it can wreak on the mother’s body which many people are not too keen on. Celebrities and magazines are now bombarding us with images of “yummy mummy’s” who seem to gain very little weight during pregnancy and then, just to make it all a little bit more sickening, snap straight back into that size zero dress a day after they’ve popped out the latest addition to their brood. With such social pressure it really is no wonder than many more mums are now opting to go in for mini tummy-tucks in an effort to keep up with the rest of society.
The surgery would seem to be so popular because it is minimally invasive, although one supposes most things would be in relation to pregnancy, and because loose skin can be removed or tightened around the abdomen which is the area most normally affected during pregnancy. The skin stretches so much that often surgery is the only way to get back to the pre-pregnancy body. The lower abdomen is very resistant to toning in women anyway and only the most gym-obsessed can obtain optimum results without surgery. Such a time-consuming fitness schedule, especially for new mums, is out of the question and thus surgery enters through the door as the only viable alternative.
Whilst pregnancy is clearly a wonderful thing, it stretches and tears the stomach muscles and causes damage to tissues to such an extent that no amount of “crunches” or other exercises could ever repair the problem. Mini tummy-tucks are a fairly swift procedure, involving an incision made across the lower abdomen, and the recovery time is relatively quick. This makes it ideal for young mums but should certainly not be seen as an alternative to exercise.
The surgery can fix the unfixable in the sense that it can get rid of ‘flaps’ or ‘rolls’ of excess skin left over from pregnancy that would be impermeable to exercise. However, it is not a substitute for a healthy weight loss program of dieting and exercise. Most of all, don’t feel too pressured to conform to the celebrity image; take time to enjoy your baby and don’t be worrying whether you fit into that new dress, the baby will probably just throw up on it anyway.
