Halifax Tummy Tuck

In July 2024, I began the journey to an abdominoplasty which will finally take place on November 18! That’s kind of a lie – it was actually many years in the making. From my very first pregnancy I have wanted to correct the loose skin on my stomach. With subsequent pregnancies, weight fluctuation, and age, the skin laxity has worsened and my self-esteem plummeted. No amount of weight loss or sit ups could undo the effects of gravity!

I met with Dr. Richard Bendor-Samuel at The Landings Surgical Centre in July. So, for all intents and purposes, let’s pretend that’s where the journey begins. 😉

I knew I was done having babies and I was back in pretty good shape, running regularly and hitting the gym. At my pre-pregnancy weight again (120-125lbs at 5’4), I feel pretty good about my body overall but my stomach remains a sore sport from a confidence perspective. I have the so-called “mom pooch” – you know the one. The loose, flabby skin that hangs over your underwear line if you’re not engaging your core!

Because I’m relatively thin, I initially thought maybe I would be a candidate for what’s known as a “mini tuck”. Turns out, no…

A mini tuck is just the removal of excess skin. A full tummy tuck, surgically known as an abdominoplasty, involves the removal of excess skin in addition to tightening of the abdominal muscles and liposuction.

Dr. Bendor-Samuel showed me the diastasis recti (that’s a separation of the abdominal wall which can be caused by pregnancy or rapid weight gain). He explained that a big part of my mom pooch is from the DR and he also hit me with a dose of reality: I have some stubborn belly fat hanging out there, too.

Skin removal would address the skin laxity I despise, but I’d never get the smooth, flat look I wanted – plus the tightened abdominal muscles would help me address some of the other issues I was facing like back pain, which I was fully convinced was the price of having two kids I lug around all day.

A mini-tuck, I learned, runs you about $6000-8000, while my full tuck rang in at just under $12,000 Canadian. If that sounds like a lot of money, you’re not wrong.

But, I signed up right then and there, paying my 25% deposit on the spot and booking my appointment for five months from then.

In my next post, I’ll tell you about what the prep work for my surgery has been to-date and what’s still to come in the two weeks pre-surgery. Stay tuned!