After
Before
Babies are absolutely one of the greatest gifts of life, but they sure do leave long-lasting reminders of their presence. Women often ask Dr. Mason how can someone so small leave such drastic marks? As a mom herself she knows first hand that this is one of life’s mysteries. Every woman’s body adapts differently to accommodate their baby. We’ve seen women come out with very little change, while others are left wondering whose body this is?! The truth is regardless of which body you’re in, many women simply end up missing the body they had before all the growing and stretching.
The most common amongst women after having a baby is that they find their tummy is not what it once was. The skin gets so stretched out that it loses its elasticity, and what you are left with is extra skin (often with stretch marks) that doesn’t go away no matter how much weight you lose. Your tummy may start to pooch out more than it used to because of the muscles getting stretched apart by the baby.
The breasts also take a toll. The average woman’s breasts go up a full cup size or more. In a nutshell, your boobs get huge! Oftentimes after the pregnancy, your breasts don’t go back to their original shape. As frustrating as this is, it’s normal. And it is perfectly normal to be considering getting them back to where they used to be, or better!
While we’re happy to have our precious little one, we’re also trying to figure out what to do with this new body! Some new moms have only one thing they want to be fixed, while others have them all. At Perspectives Plastic Surgery, a “mommy makeover” is a plan personalized for you, momma!
Mommy makeovers are just what the name implies: restoring your body to what it was before you became a mom. Every woman may need something different, but generally, Dr. Mason tries to incorporate everything into one procedure. The main procedures in a mommy makeover are:
After an in-depth consultation with Dr. Mason, you will walk out feeling confident about your cosmetic goals. She will prescribe a surgery plan designed with your health, physical, and mental well-being in mind. There are no one-size-fits-all plans at PPS. Each plan is customized, so rest assured that what is designed for you, is designed to deliver you your best results.
Many women qualify for a mommy makeover and to be honest, it’s a great surgery for those who have had children and want their pre-mommy body back. A lot of us can relate to this. You find that no matter how much you work out, watch what you eat or how much weight you lose after the baby is born, your body is simply not the same. Once the skin is stretched out that much it just never goes back to what it was. The truth is what you may already suspect: there is no magic pill to fix this on your own. The good news is that we can fix these problems with a mommy makeover. Say hello to the new you, mommy!
It is obvious that the tummy undergoes a lot of changes with pregnancy since it holds a whole new human! After the baby is born, you may find yourself with extra skin, a pooching belly, stretch marks, and pesky areas of fat that won’t go away
Tummy tuck – Many women who have gone through pregnancy will need a tummy tuck. In this procedure, the stretched out extra skin is removed and the tummy is made flat again. Any stretch marks below the belly button will be gone. If your muscles have been stretched apart, they will be brought back and sewn together in the middle where they once were, creating a tighter waist. A tummy tuck can be combined with liposuction if needed.
Liposuction – if you have some areas that seem like they just want to hold on to fat, you may benefit from liposuction. Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure, but it is a fat-reducing procedure. We remove fat from pesky areas like the love handles or thighs and contour your body to what it was before the baby, or better!
Breasts go through a lot of changes during the childbearing process. They can go up several cup sizes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. What happens afterward differs amongst women.
Deflation – After the pregnancy and lactation hormones go away, you lose all the extra breast volume you had gained. However, the stretched skin may not shrink back to pre-baby. This can leave you feeling like your breasts have been emptied or deflated. Women have reported that their breasts become smaller than they were before having a baby.
Sagging – For some women, the breast skin has been expanded so much from all the breast growth that the breasts begin to sag. You may notice that your nipples are lower and may even point down. This is called “ptosis.”
Large breasts – Once pregnancy hormones subside, some women find that their breasts enlarged permanently. This can be bothersome especially to women who were large-breasted, to begin with. This can lead to other medical conditions such as back pain or rashes.
The procedures you need will depend on the problems you’re experiencing and what you’re unhappy with.
If you have deflation – If your main problem is that your breasts just appear to have lost volume, you may be able to fix this with a breast augmentation. There are so many good reasons to think about breast augmentation and having a baby is one of them. This procedure uses an implant to fill up the empty space and give your breasts that plump look.
If you have sagging – If you find that your breasts have been stretched out and your nipples are too low, a breast lift may be the solution. A breast lift can be done with or without breast augmentation. If your breasts have enough volume, you may only need a breast lift. If your breasts are smaller than you wish them to be, or if all the volume seems to be in the bottom and none in the top of your breast, you may benefit from breast augmentation along with a breast lift. Breast augmentation uses an implant to restore volume to the breast to create the size you wish. Then the breast tissue is then “lifted” to the correct place over the top of the implant.
If you have large breasts – If you feel your breasts are too large, you may consider having a breast reduction. Sometimes if you have tight skin and no sagging this can be done with simply liposuction. However, most of the time women will need to have some skin removed as well to tighten and lift the breast.
Although it’s not something we talk about freely, after having a baby things may not look the same “down there.” You might notice that your labia are larger than you care for. You may not like the appearance, and even find it uncomfortable as they can “get in the way” during activities like intercourse or bike riding. This can be addressed with labiaplasty which involves removing the extra labia skin.
A gentle reminder that there’s no magic here so there are some preparations required. A mommy makeover is not a weight loss surgery making it very important that you are at your goal weight at the time of your surgery. If you feel that you need to lose weight, make sure you do it before surgery and do it in a healthy way. The more weight you lose, the better your results, and the lower your complications will be. And we know you want the best results! We want them for you too. Third, if you lose a lot more fat after you have already had surgery, it will leave extra deflated skin behind again meaning you could need another surgery. That is avoidable by preparing in advance, so please don’t be in such a rush that you jeopardize your results. Ensure you are eating a balanced diet, get enough protein, and plenty of rest. This helps with healing. Do not smoke and avoid being around people who are smoking.
During the initial consultation, you will be asked about your medical history to make sure you are in good health and a candidate for the mommy makeover surgery. You will then discuss a mommy makeover specifically, and what your goals are. Dr. Mason will examine you and discuss the right surgery for your body. Remember, there are no one-size-fits-all, Dr. Mason will customize a plan just for you.
Expect a mixture of anxiety and excitement, both are normal. Remember, you’re doing something for yourself and you should feel excited! You will have a scheduled arrival time on the day of surgery. The Surgery Center team will be expecting you and check you in upon arrival. Please do not eat the morning of surgery. Dr. Mason will come to talk to you before surgery and mark your skin where the incisions will be, these will be as discussed in your treatment plan. You will be able to talk about this, ask questions, and agree on it together. She will make sure there have been no changes to the original plan you agreed to. You will also meet your anesthesiologist. From there you will go back to the operating room and the anesthesiologist will put you to sleep. This is where you say goodbye to your post-baby body and await your incredible results. The surgery can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours depending on your customized surgery plan. After the surgery is completed, you’ll be taken to the recovery area, and once you are released, you will be ready and able to go home the same day. While you are taking narcotics pain medication, you will not be able to drive so you will need to arrange for someone to pick you up from the surgery center. This is a good time to switch your mindset to “let them look after me for a while,” as you will need your rest.
You will see results immediately. Keep in mind that your body will continue to improve as it heals for the next several months. Swelling and discomfort will of course vary, but the recovery rules apply to everyone. You will need to rest and take time off work. How much time depends on the surgery procedure(s). It may be as much as six weeks before you are fully recovered and back to your normal routine. This is the time for you to relax, heal, and take care of yourself.
The majority of the swelling will be gone after 6 weeks. It is important to stick with your scar care routine prescribed by Dr. Mason.
Do celebrate your decision. Do enjoy your new mommy body. Do allow your confidence to skyrocket. Do take time to properly heal and take care of yourself. Don’t push yourself too hard. Don’t skip scar care.
A mommy makeover will not prevent or cause problems with you getting pregnant. However, if you do get pregnant or gain significant weight after undergoing a mommy makeover surgery you risk undoing the results due to stretching. As a result, you might need another surgery to correct these changes. This is why Dr. Mason recommends that you wait until you are done having children to have a mommy makeover procedure.
Yes, you can often have a mommy makeover with another procedure. Talk to Dr. Mason to help make the surgical plan that is best for you. Some women may wish to have a thigh lift or a facial procedure done. And of course, if you want any sort of facial injectables such as fillers or Botox this can be done while you are sleeping. At Perspectives Plastic Surgery, our goal is for you to have the body you’ve always wanted and the confidence to match. There are many options to achieve this, talk to Dr. Mason about your goals!
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