The trend is being led by the so-called “mommy makeover” - a suite of plastic surgeries, which include a tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift and liposuction.
Becoming a mother brings great joy, but it can also bring unwanted changes to a woman’s body. Our patients typically complain of sagging breasts, loss of volume in the breasts, flabby tummies and lax, crêpey skin. Unfortunately, the skin and muscle of the abdomen become stretched during pregnancy and tonacity often does not completely return. Because of this, it can be impossible to regain your pre-pregnancy shape regardless of the amount of exercise you do. As well as a combination of surgeries, the mommy makeover may also include some non-surgical treatments. These treatments, such as Venus Legacy radiofrequency or LPG Endermologie, are designed to further tighten skin, improve tonacity and reduced the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. Your surgeon will tailor the procedures in your mommy makeover package to address your specific aesthetic concerns.
While a mommy makeover is not a substitute for proper diet and exercise, it does offer a solution to women who have been left with irreversible changes to their bodies following pregnancy. These changes, while entirely naturally, can take their toll psychologically, resulting in a loss of self esteem. Surgery can help restore your confidence, giving you back your pre-pregnancy figure, or even improving on it!
Candidacy
Having a mommy makeover is a big decision, so it’s important to choose the right time in your life to undergo surgery. Factors to consider include your health, lifestyle and family plans.
Ideal Candidates
The most important thing to remember when considering a mommy makeover is that getting back into shape after having a baby takes time - this surgery is not for recent mothers. From the images that appear on social media, it’s easy to think celebrities just pop back into shape after giving birth, but they have the benefit of an army of trainers and dietitians behind them (not to mention nannies to help with childcare while they workout).
It is advisable to wait at least a year postpartum to give yourself enough time to lose any baby weight and undertake exercises to strengthen your tummy muscles. The exception to this is if you’ve suffered a condition called diastasis rectus abdominus during pregnancy. This is where the left and right side of the muscle that covers the front surface of the belly separates. It cannot be corrected with exercise and requires surgical repair (this can be done as part of an abdominoplasty).
Mommy Makeovers also offer a way to address scarring and skin sagging incurred as a result of a caesarian. Additionally, if you have suffered a hernia around your naval, common after giving birth to twins or triplets, this damage can be repaired as part of the procedure.
Another factor to consider with regards to timing, is how long you might be breastfeeding for following the birth of your baby. While breastfeeding, your breasts will be enlarged with milk. When you stop, it can take between three to six months for them to fully shrink. It’s important to wait to see your breasts’ final shape and size before planning enhancement surgery.
Finally, if you plan on having more children, it’s best to wait to have surgery. While having a mommy makeover will not endanger any future pregnancies, the effects of the surgery could be reversed by carrying a baby to term.