Childbirth and pregnancies can take a heavy toll on a woman’s body. Stretch marks, abdominal bulging, and excess fat deposits can cause even the fittest woman to look years beyond her actual age.
So, what’s a beauty-conscious woman to do?
Give up on having a beautiful body and active social life because she’s had a few kids?
If this were 40 short years ago, the answer would have been “yes.”
Fortunately, plastic surgery has evolved to the point where it is now possible for surgeons to restore the pre-pregnancy bodies of woman in what’s affectionately referred to as a “mommy makeover.”
We’re going to look at what a mommy makeover entails, why someone would want to get one, and what kind of results to expect.
What is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is a catch-all term that describes a series of plastic surgery procedures designed to give a woman her pre-childbirth body back.
The unique thing about mommy makeovers is that the surgeries are all unique to each patient – the surgeon will come up with a personalized game plan based upon the concerns and desires of the patient. One woman may have excessive stretch marks while another may require liposuction to get rid of lingering pregnancy fat.
The primary surgical approach usually starts off with work on the abdomen and breasts. Additional procedures will be performed as both the patient and surgeon see fit.
Most mommy makeovers are performed in one office visit and are considered to be outpatient surgery. This enables patients to recover in the comfort of their own home.
Why Get a Mommy Makeover?
The answer to this question is straightforward: There are many women out there who refuse to let childbirth be the end of their social lives and beautiful pre-pregnancy bodies.
Sometimes pregnancies can take an extreme toll on the bodies of women. Stretch marks, latent body fat, and misshapen breasts can lead to lowered self-confidence and general dissatisfaction with the way they look.
Women who feel that pregnancy shouldn’t dictate what their bodies look like are ideal candidates for mommy makeovers. Plastic surgery techniques have improved over the decades to the point they’re currently at right now. This means that if a woman does not like her stretch marks or baby fat, she can undergo a mommy makeover to get rid of it!
There are some women who should not get a mommy makeover. Those who are planning on having additional children should wait until the last child is born. Otherwise, all of the work will have been for nothing. It’s often advised for women to wait until their last child is born before they undergo such procedures as tummy tucks.
What Parts of the Body Does It Fix?
You can think of a mommy makeover as a proverbial kind of plastic surgery buffet.
The woman gets to pick and choose what she wants to get done. Sometimes it’s based on her desire to change a specific body part, other times the decision regarding what to do is based upon financial considerations.
The procedure generally starts out with a breast surgery, including breast augmentation and/or breast lift to fix any sagginess or other breast-related issues that cropped up during pregnancy. If a woman has excess fat left over from the pregnancy, liposuction might be administered to remove it.
Abdominal skin tightening can help remove stretch marks, and a tummy tuck will get her belly back to where it was pre-pregnancy. The entire procedure will take upwards of a few hours, based upon precisely what the patient opted to get done.
What Won’t a Mommy Makeover Do?
A mommy makeover is not a replacement for regular exercise. It’s strongly recommended that you be at your ideal weight before undergoing the procedure – even if that means putting it off for a few months until you’re able to drop the extra pounds.
To keep the results that a mommy makeover gives, it’s also advised that women exercise at least 30 minutes a day, preferably with a trainer (unless they know what they’re doing).
Eating healthy will also help maintain the results from a mommy makeover. If a patient starts to gain additional weight after the surgery, things can rapidly go back to the way they were before the procedure.
It’s also advised that women quit smoking before undergoing a mommy makeover. Smoking cigarettes will considerably delay the healing process and can cause severe complications after surgery.
Recovery
Like any surgical procedure, the patient is going to require a few weeks’ worth of rest and recovery. During this period, someone else will need to do manual labor tasks such as cleaning the house and bringing groceries in from the car.
Women who immediately focus on their kids after the surgery tend to have less satisfaction than those who have a relative or friend to help out around the house for the first week or two. This is because the stress and lifestyle can cause delays in healing and in some cases weight gain.
Mommy Makeovers in Dallas
If you’re considering a mommy makeover or would like to schedule an appointment to sit down with Dr. Adams and discuss your beauty goals, give us a call at (214) 965-9885 or contact us via our website.
Dr. Adams is a world-renowned, Board Certified plastic surgeon whom patients from all over the country fly in to get work done. He can help you look better and get your pre-pregnancy body back!
