We are now in a time where how you look matters more. We may be in the period of our lives where we want to look better or younger. The most common procedure for reducing the aging process is Botox.
It is a known factor now that cosmetic surgery is on the rise with other generations wanting to stop the aging process. It isn’t deemed fashionable to ‘grow old graciously’ anymore.
But what happens if you are looking at starting a family? Is Botox a part of your routine? Can you still have Botox when pregnant?
Let us research the current mood on the topic, what is Botox? What do the experts recommend? From this, you can make an informed decision.
In this article
What Is Botox? What Does It Do?
Botox is a drug that is prepared from the known source Botulinum Toxin A. It is injected into the patient to smooth out any wrinkles temporarily giving a clearer complexion.
Whilst the term ‘Botox’ is commonly known for cosmetic purposes there are also some medical reasons why people have these injections. Things like migraines, abnormal sweating, and much more.
There is minimal research that states whether or not Botox could harm your baby while pregnant but there are probably some questions you would like answered.
Can I Get Botox When I’m Pregnant?
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Overall the answer to this question is “We don’t know for sure.”
Of course, you can do your own research to check with your OBGYN and medical team but let’s look at what research is out there already, and who knows you may not need to ask further questions.
With any procedure, there are many side effects to consider when getting Botox even when you are not pregnant. If the Botox was to leave the localized area and spread then patients can sometimes suffer from the following:
- Muscle weakness.
- Blurred vision.
- Trouble breathing.
- Trouble swallowing.
- Loss of bladder control.
Medical Advice
As this is such a grey area many medical experts will always side with caution if Botox is not needed in pregnancy then they say don’t risk it.
Many experts and therapists will advise against receiving the injections simply because there hasn’t been enough data submitted to securely say whether it is going to affect your pregnancy.
It has however been tested on rodents in previous tests. This resulted in them having babies with lower birth weights, some had birth defects and other babies didn’t survive.
With this in mind, you may be thinking ‘There is no way I am going to get anything done until after my pregnancy.’
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Remember we are not rodents! That is why experts are so vague when answering the question. There is an expectation that this may not happen to babies of moms who have used Botox in pregnancy.
What If You Didn’t Know You Were Pregnant?
It may be the fact that you didn’t know you were pregnant at the time of getting Botox and now you are frantic trying to find answers to whether your baby will be ok.
Try and relax momma!
Many therapists advise moms who didn’t realize they were pregnant that Botox in the early stages of pregnancy is ok. Especially in smaller doses.
Generally, one session of Botox won’t be enough to travel to your unborn baby. Just make sure you don’t get any more sessions in before the birth of your beautiful baby!
What About If I Am Breastfeeding?
Once you have given birth most things can resume as normal, however women who are trying to breastfeed still need to be cautious with their diet and alcohol consumption. The same advice would go for resuming a Botox regime.
Nutrients from the foods you eat, any alcohol, drugs, or medication that you consume all pass through your breast milk and will be transferred directly to your baby.
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There has not been any research conducted on the effects of getting Botox while breastfeeding. The small amounts of Botox that are injected paralyze the localized area, it is thought that there would be little to no effect on breast milk.
Before booking the appointment be sure to consult your doctor and tell your therapist that you are still breastfeeding as they may have their own policy on it.
Time To Think!
Let us get one thing straight! You may feel under a lot of pressure to change your routine, diet, and take more vitamins. Your appearance is changing daily with a bump growing and your forever mood-changing hormones are uncontrollable right now, right? So ask yourself…
“If my body is doing so much already why put it under extra pressure?”
If you are concerned about letting the wrinkles set in it may be comforting that many pregnant women find they retain water and so don’t need the fillers as the body is naturally pushing those pesky wrinkles out. Sounds like a perfect safer alternative!
Once you have given birth and decided whether or not you’re going to breastfeed you can resume your routine. You may even find that you don’t actually see the need for them anymore, who knows?
