Mom, Get Your Body Back
Your body goes through some extreme changes during pregnancy, childbirth, and age. And while a healthy baby is worth every sleepless night and stretch mark, taking care of you is important too. Through a combination of complementing procedures done at one time, we’ve created a Mommy Makeover that can boost your body confidence and make you feel like you again.
What is a Mommy Makeover?
When you’re ready to get your body back after pregnancy, childbirth, C-sections, nursing, weight fluctuations, and the aging process, a Mommy Makeover may be just the answer. Some women choose to undergo this transformation when their children are young, while others decide that later in life (50’s and 60’s) is the best time for them.
No matter how hard we try, diet and exercise can’t fix all the changes from pregnancy and childbirth. Your breasts may have lost fullness or become saggy, making fitting into a swimsuit a constant frustration. Your tummy may have stretch marks or a stubborn pooch no matter how many planks or sit-ups you do. Uncomfortable fat pockets may add bulk to your hips, thighs, back, and belly. Even the vaginal area can become uncomfortable and unattractive over time.
A Mommy Makeover addresses your body as a whole and will help put your figure back into balance, safely and efficiently. Minimizing downtime and optimizing aesthetic ideals leaves many women feeling better about their health and appearance than ever before. For example, by targeting breast and tummy areas at the same time, patients can see dramatic results without scheduling separate operations.
How is today’s Mommy Makeover “not your mother’s” breast lift or tummy tuck? What advances have been made that have improved the procedures and results?
In the last couple of years, the field has made huge advancements with drainless procedures, disappearing stitches, and much more comfortable recoveries. Patients are getting back to work and back to being themselves faster than ever before.
But most importantly, surgical techniques have advanced to the point where we can do delicate sculpting or make dramatic differences tailoring each procedure to each individual. That may include removing 8 to 10 inches off someone’s waist or freshening up the breasts with an implant or a lift.
What are the most common procedures women have done at the same time?
Every woman is unique so what’s right for one person may not be right for another.
Each Mommy Makeover is customized. Procedures can include breast implants, breast lifts, breast reductions, breast reshaping, abdominal liposuction, tummy tucks (to tighten skin and re-shape the belly button), mons pubis rejuvenation, Labiaplasty, and C-section scar revision in any combination to restore balance, beauty, and self-confidence. In fact, these procedures not only improve appearance, they may also improve the way you feel.
Oftentimes, in addition to breast and/or tummy surgery, women will have arms lifted (Brachioplasty), or sculpting of back, hips, waist, and thighs. Liposuction is a great add on! Labiaplasty and vaginal rejuvenation are becoming more and more popular. As non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation using probes and radiofrequency and other devices become unpredictable, or unsafe, consider surgical shaping.
The benefits from surgical correction are that it is permanent and takes ONE treatment. Using the wide array of non-surgical maneuvers available results in temporary and mild changes, if any.
Remember to seek opinions from Board Certified Plastic Surgeons when trying to figure out if you are a surgical candidate.
How do you customize the experience to make it a uniquely individual procedure?
A Mommy Makeover is a very personal experience. No procedure is a “one size fits all.” Each surgery is a chance to create a result that’s as unique as you. Before we make any recommendations, I take the time to get to know you, your lifestyle and your hopes. Then, with you as my canvas, I explain how to best achieve your goals in the most attractive way possible. Often there is more than one way to do things, so during your consultation, we carefully show you and explain your options, so you are comfortable and confident moving forward.
What specific options are available for breasts?
Breasts can be restored and enhanced by tightening the skin, lifting the tissue, improving the shape, and either taking away volume through a breast reduction or adding volume. Adding volume through augmentation is done with implants or by using your own fat and moving it from one part of your body to another. We frequently perform a combination of these procedures to get the best look.
Right now, women are focusing on the “perfect breast.” They aren’t looking for large and overdone breasts, but rather a more youthful, healthy, beautiful, and natural breast, average in size, and that are perky and high with tight skin. This creates a more athletic, healthy appearance that is proportionate and looks great in and out of clothes.
I am most excited about using your own body fat to plump your breasts, instead of using implants. I think in the next few years, the ideal breast will be smaller than it is today. This trend has already started appearing with women downsizing their implants and sometimes removing implants altogether.
Breast reductions are one of the most popular procedures in my practice right now. There’s a significant psychological component when it comes to having large breasts. This is why breast reduction surgery can start as early as the teenage years and remains popular before or after having children and up into the 60’s or 70’s!
How can a Mommy Makeover help my tummy pooch?
We offer a couple of options to create a flatter tummy. One is to slim with liposuction, which permanently removes the fat pockets and avoids long incisions on your skin.
Another option is a tummy tuck operation, which removes excess skin and fat and brings the separated muscles back together again. This flattens the abdomen and improves core strength.
How else can a Mommy Makeover help?
During pregnancy, the labia minora and labia majora may have elongated or transformed. A Labiaplasty can reduce the labia and leave you feeling more comfortable in and out of clothes. The mons pubis can be lifted, reduced, and normalized to improve your confidence and the appearance of this intimate area.
How long after pregnancy do I have to wait before having a Mommy Makeover?
Ideally, it’s best to get close to the weight you want to be (which takes at least three months after pregnancy for most women). If you are breast feeding, we want to wait until that’s finished. If you are on a weight loss journey, ideally you would be in a stable situation or close to your goal prior to surgery.
What is recovery like after a Mommy Makeover?
Of course, recovery is different for every woman and depends on what procedures you have. We provide individualized recovery instructions just for you based on your procedure. We are always happy to answer questions and maintain open communications with you before and after any procedure.
However, there is some general recovery information for many procedures.
With most types of surgery, you need to avoid exercise for two to six weeks after your procedure. When implants or muscle work is involved, the restrictions for exercise are closer to six weeks. Walking right away is recommended after ALL surgery. You can resume non-strenuous jobs and driving the following day after surgery (with most procedures) if you are not needing pain medication. There are no restrictions on lifting children (unless you had a tummy tuck with muscle tightening), but it’s ideal to have help the first couple of days after surgery.
For any procedure, you are welcome to spend the night in the facility where you will have a private room and bathroom. Registered nurses attend to you overnight. However, some patients choose to go home the same day of surgery and follow up in our office the following day.
Rest assured, I am always available to you after your procedure to make sure you are doing well and you are happy with your results.
What feedback do you get from patients who have had the Mommy Makeover?
Our patients are very happy and feel more confident after their procedures. They are pleasantly surprised at the transformative beauty they see. They appreciate the personalized attention and care my team and I give them before, during, and after their procedure. Several comments and before-and-after photos can be found on our website that truly capture these wonderful results our patients are enjoying.