Considering a Mommy Makeover?

By Kate Faxon

More Beauty Skin Care & Gorgeous Smiles Articles

Considering a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is a surgery where both the breasts and abdominal areas are addressed in a single operative procedure. It is an individualized combination of procedures designed to restore your body (or enhance depending on your goals) to its pre-pregnancy state.

Your breasts may be deflated and droopy as a result of breastfeeding. They can be corrected with either a breast lift, an augmentation or a combination of the two procedures. The abdominal muscles separated to make room for the growing child, but may have not recovered and left you with a gap and laxity of the abdominal wall.

This deformity is called diastasis recti and can be corrected with a version of a tummy tuck either conventional or limited.

You may also simply have pockets of fat in areas that you have not previously had and no amount of crunches, trainer sessions or restrictive diets has eliminated it. Liposuction can be done in these areas to restore your feminine silhouette.

Ideal candidates for mommy makeover surgery are women whose breast and abdomen are changed as a result of pregnancy and childbirth that desire restorative surgery.

When a healthy diet and exercise have achieved all that it can and what you see in the mirror is not what you want anymore, a mommy makeover can help you realize your goals.

The procedure can take from 3-6 hours to complete, depending on the techniques chosen by your surgeon. Immediately after surgery, you will be placed in a post-operative compression garment and a surgical bra that helps with the healing process.

You will be discharged from the hospital with a family caregiver and instructions on medications and dressings will be provided. It is advised that someone stay with you for the first 48 hours after surgery particularly if your children will be at home with you.

Depending on which procedures you are a candidate for, recovery can be as quick as two weeks but full recovery may take about six weeks. Most patients are able to return to work in 2-3 weeks. Returning to exercise and all normal activities may take up to six weeks.

If you are at home with your children, having an extra set of hands will be helpful for at least the first week. You will be able to pick up your child, though it is recommended to so from a seated position.

You will be encouraged to take daily walks, though avoid having the dog pull you around the block. Pushing a stroller is fine.

Although it is possible to carry a pregnancy after abdominal contouring surgery, it is recommended that you choose to do this when you are done having children. Your results will last longer if they are not stressed by pregnancy and breast engorgement.

If you are considering a restorative procedure after childbirth and breastfeeding, seek evaluation with a board certified plastic surgeon that specializes in breast and body surgery.