Pregnancy can have all kinds of emotional effects on women, whether it be drastic body changes or crazy hormones. It is also a time where many women lack in self-confidence and attempt to restore their pre-pregnancy self. Occasionally at our Portland, OR office, we get the question if plastic surgery can be safe during pregnancy.

Although not common, it’s not unusual for this question to arise. The medical standards accept mild, topical work for pregnant women. However, this should still be used sparingly to fight hormonal skin changes like melasma or patchy skin discoloration that is associated with pregnancy. Some treatments that can be administered include slight microdermabrasion or a light chemical peel. However, most plastic surgeons generally suggest a post-pregnancy laser or chemical peel to treat these conditions permanently.

The majority of plastic surgeons advise against any type of surgery during pregnancy because they only focus on the health and development of your baby. Only after the baby is born, a plastic surgeon feels they can improve a women’s physique safely.

Since the body goes through so many changes after pregnancy, most plastic surgeons will see the patients a minimum of 90 days post-pregnancy. If you are nursing your baby, surgeons would like to wait a minimum of 90 days post-lactating.

So, try not to worry about your body during pregnancy and solely focus on your health and your baby’s health. Embrace the time you have being pregnant and give birth to a healthy, happy baby. After just a short year, you can start to explore your options to get back to your pre-pregnancy body.

You and your baby’s health are of the utmost importance and if you need to regain some self-confidence, try buying yourself a new outfit or new jewelry to improve your self-confidence until your baby’s here.