Gemma Williams, 42, had saved up for an abdominoplasty – known as a tummy tuck – after years of feeling insecure about the “saggy pouches” on her stomach
A mum-of-three was left gobsmacked after undergoing a £9k tummy tuck operation, only to discover she was pregnant. Gemma Williams, 42, had been saving for years to afford an abdominoplasty, commonly known as a tummy tuck, to rid herself of the “saggy pouches” on her stomach that had developed after giving birth to her three children, aged 14, 17, and 20.
She chose to have the procedure done in the UK for “peace of mind”, and found a reputable private hospital in Swansea. On August 15, 2024, Gemma arrived at the clinic where medical staff took a urine sample to check her health but found nothing concerning, she says.
After enduring the four-hour surgery, Gemma was discharged the next day and began her recovery at home. Over the following months, she experienced symptoms such as “bloating” and “nausea”, which she attributed to “side effects” from the surgery.
However, in December 2024, during her first shift as a newly qualified nurse at Singleton Hospital, Swansea, a colleague noticed her discomfort and suggested that Gemma might be “pregnant”.
This suggestion prompted Gemma to take a pregnancy test, and she was left “beyond shocked” when it returned a positive result. An ultrasound scan two days later at the same hospital confirmed that she was already 21 weeks into her pregnancy.
Gemma suspects that the pre-surgery urine test failed to detect her pregnancy due to a false negative, possibly caused by low levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) – a hormone produced during pregnancy that can be measured in blood and urine to confirm and monitor a pregnancy.
After a “normal” pregnancy, her son was born on May 2, 2025, weighing 7lbs 10oz.Gemma, a nurse from Swansea, said: “I hadn’t been on contraception for three years. I thought the extended bloating and nausea were down to the procedure – so did the clinic. When my friend suggested that I do a urine test, I thought at least I could rule it out.
“It’s very likely the urine sample I took before my tummy tuck didn’t pick up on the pregnancy because my HCG levels were too low. At the beginning of pregnancy, they typically rise.
“I had conversations about my options, but I knew in my heart that I wanted another baby. The thought that I was pregnant when I was under anaesthetic made my heart drop. Thankfully, my baby is happy and healthy. It’s definitely a story for the book – I don’t think I’ll ever be as shocked again in my life.”
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Gemma was already mum to three children from a previous relationship and had not planned on expanding her family further. She finished her five-year nursing course in August 2024 and decided to splash out on a tummy tuck she’d been putting money aside for to address the “saggy pouches” on her belly.
The operation smooths and firms the tummy by eliminating surplus skin and fat whilst repairing damaged stomach muscles. After being recommended a private clinic in Swansea, Gemma attended a consultation before scheduling her surgery for 21 August, at a cost of £9,500. According to the NHS, patients who have had an anaesthetic and surgery during pregnancy face a heightened risk of miscarriage.
After undergoing the four-hour procedure, Gemma spent a day at the clinic before heading home on August 16 to continue her recovery.
“I felt nauseous and bloated but I put it down to the tummy tuck,” Gemma confessed. “As did the clinic when I contacted them about it.”
However, by December 2024, four months after the procedure, Gemma’s discomfort hadn’t subsided, leading her to take a urine pregnancy test. Gemma revealed: “I took 10 other supermarket pregnancy tests – all confirmed I was pregnant. I kept staring at the tests in disbelief.”
An ultrasound the following day confirmed she was 21 weeks pregnant. She suspects that the low HCG levels detected in her blood by the clinic pre-surgery resulted in the pregnancy being overlooked.
Despite considering termination, Gemma chose to keep her baby, giving birth naturally to a 7lbs 10oz baby at Singleton Hospital on May 2, 2025.
Once a size 16, Gemma has slimmed down to a size 12. Reflecting on her experience, Gemma said: “Looking back, I can’t believe it. It’s been turbulent. I never expected to have another child, let alone not know for 21 weeks.
“But I’m grateful – my baby boy is adorable. He had a good set of lungs on him in the early days. He’s getting his little personality and has started to laugh and smile. Little did I know that I wouldn’t just be dropping a few dress sizes but gaining another little one to my brood.”