Throughout pregnancy, abdominal muscles and skin stretch to accommodate a growing baby, and the breasts become fuller and larger during breastfeeding. Once the baby is born or stops breastfeeding, the breasts and body do not necessarily go back to their pre-pregnancy shape.
To combat these changes and restore a firmer, more youthful appearance, many women turn to a mommy makeover. A mommy makeover is fully customizable to each woman’s needs and desires. It can combine two or more procedures to address the many ways the body has been altered over the course of one or more pregnancies. Some women also opt for a mommy makeover to target changes that come with aging.
What Procedures are Included in a Mommy Makeover?
Pregnancy affects every woman differently, and each person has their own ideas about what they want to alter. During your consultation, your doctor will listen to your needs and concerns to formulate a personalized mommy makeover plan to achieve your goals.
Common procedures many women choose include:
- Breast Augmentation
- Breast Lift
- Tummy Tuck
- Liposuction
- Labiaplasty
Some surgeons may also offer other options such as a butt lift, thigh lift, or arm lift. Typically, the breasts and abdomen are the two areas women target most frequently.
What Procedures Can be Combined?
Mommy makeover surgery often combines multiple procedures for more comprehensive results and reduced recovery time. The surgeon can remove excess skin and fat from several areas at once to contour the body while also increasing volume and lifting the breasts or reducing the size of the labial folds.
Breast Augmentation and Breast Lift
These two procedures can go hand-in-hand. Some women opt for one or the other, but they can be complementary to further enhance the size, shape, projection, and profile of the breasts.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding can lead to a natural increase in the breasts of a cup size or more. But once a woman has finished lactating, the breasts may appear to deflate and sag. Loose skin can appear because there is not enough elasticity for it to retract to its former tightness after being stretched.
Breast augmentation can add fullness and volume to the breasts. A breast lift can remove excess skin and reduce sagging while also repositioning the nipple to be forward-facing.
Tummy Tuck
Much like the skin of the breasts stretches and becomes lax, so does the skin around the abdomen. Even with regular exercise and a healthy diet, it can be difficult to regain a firm, flat midsection on your own. A tummy tuck is often combined with breast surgery to remove excess skin and stubborn pockets of belly fat while enhancing the breasts. In addition, surgery can correct the separation of the abdominal muscles that can keep the stomach from appearing smooth and taut.
Liposuction
To further slim the waistline and sculpt your physique, liposuction may be used in conjunction with a tummy tuck. Many women have some extra fat that accumulates along their back, hips, thighs, or arms that they want removed. Elimination of these fat cells can create a noticeably slimmer appearance.
Labiaplasty
Natural childbirth can also stretch the skin of the labia. With labiaplasty, excess skin is trimmed from the labial lips to reshape tissue and reduce the size. This can keep the labia from protruding too far from the opening of the vagina and improve comfort as well as appearance.
These procedures can often be performed in a single surgery allowing the surgeon to create a more cohesive and balanced appearance.
What Procedures Cannot be Combined During a Mommy Makeover?
Sometimes a mommy makeover is performed in stages allowing for recovery between procedures. Your surgeon will evaluate your individual health and the extensiveness of the changes you seek to determine which procedures can be combined. It comes down to ensuring your safety and not putting too much strain on your body at once.
The more complex the surgery, the longer recovery can take. If you have a set timeframe available, you may opt to do only one or two procedures at first, then have additional surgery later.
Considerations When Planning a Mommy Makeover
Keep in mind that everyone is different. You may not have any concerns about your breasts right now, but want to focus on your abdomen and labia. Or perhaps you just want a breast lift and tummy tuck but not breast augmentation. Your surgeon will work with you to create a plan that fits your goals.
Remember that in order to maintain the results of surgery, you will want to continue with regular exercise and a healthy diet following your recovery. This can help you stay at a stable weight and strengthen your muscles, contributing to a firmer, more toned appearance.
Although surgery can be performed at any time, ideally, you should wait until you are finished having children for optimal results. Future pregnancy can re-stretch skin and lead to other changes in your figure.
Get Your Pre-Baby Figure Back with a Mommy Makeover
Make your happiness and self-confidence a priority by addressing some of the changes following pregnancy and breastfeeding. At Plastic Surgery Associates, our doctors listen to your needs to create a customized mommy makeover in a single surgery when possible. Find out what procedures fit your needs and can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
