Mommy Makeover
After giving birth, a mother’s life becomes a blur of wonderful changes. However, some changes that are less than welcome are those that happen to the mother’s body. Pregnancy and nursing take a toll on a woman’s figure and may lead to issues such as saggy, deflated breasts, excess abdominal skin, and stubborn fat deposits. A Mommy Makeover procedure is designed to take back the mother’s body by combining several procedures that can correct these issues. Mommy Makeover is a term that refers to a combined operation involving both a tummy tuck and either a breast lift or breast augmentation. For examples of mommy makeover, tummy tuck, and breast lift surgery results, you can see some of Dr. Graham’s before and after pictures here. Mommy Makeover surgery is a great operation to restore lost shape and volume to the breasts, and to flatten the tummy and remove stretch marks. The operation results in breathtaking results and can achieve the following goals:
- Restoring the pre-pregnancy figure: There is a lot of pressure to get back your body after having children. For many women, despite diet and hours in the gym, this is impossible without help. Sagging skin, stretch marks, muscle separation, and droopy breasts cannot be fixed by fad diets or gimmicky exercise programs. You need a Mommy Makeover.
- Restoring confidence: The extreme lifestyle changes and the biological and hormonal changes that a new mother goes through can lead to overwhelming feelings of inadequacy and depression. Seeing the ways in which pregnancy has altered your body may diminish your self-confidence and taint your self-image. A Mommy Makeover can restore your body so that you will look and feel more attractive to your loved ones and friends. You don’t have to give up on that two-piece for a one-piece with a skirt just yet.
No two mothers have the same experience after pregnancy and nursing. Your concerns may be about your stretched abdominal skin, loose stomach muscles, deflated breasts, sagging breasts, or even all of the above. A Mommy Makeover is a customizable procedure that can give your body exactly what it needs to restore its naturally attractive, feminine curve. Sometimes you can even look better than before you had children.
A Mommy Makeover has far more than only aesthetic benefits. The improvements to your body shape can greatly enhance your self-confidence and feelings of attractiveness and sexuality. The results of the procedure may encourage you to want to maintain your improved body shape with a healthy diet and frequent exercise. The tummy tuck portion of a Mommy Makeover has even been shown to improve posture, core strength, back pain, and even urinary incontinence. A mons pubis lift, which is usually performed, can improve intimacy.
Mommy Makeover Candidates
Ideal candidates for a Mommy Makeover are in good health, non-smoking, and finished with both breastfeeding and having children. Candidates should also be committed to self-improvement, be dissatisfied with the appearance of their breasts, stomach, thighs, etc., and have realistic expectations about the results. You and your doctor should determine together whether you are a good candidate for a Mommy Makeover.
Mommy Makeover Procedure
Dr. Graham will evaluate your medical history, anatomy, and preferences and discuss with you the best options to achieve your goals with your Mommy Makeover. While any part of the body can be improved in a Mommy Makeover, the following four procedures are most commonly included in this combination procedure:
- Breast Lift: This procedure lifts, reshapes, and improves the firmness of sagging breasts. Breasts that have become saggy due to pregnancy and breastfeeding can look youthful and perky once again.
- Liposuction: This procedure can remove unwanted fat from the stomach, butt, thighs, hips, bra line, or other areas of the body. Liposuction reclaims your natural, attractive body shape and can be the first step toward a healthier and more active lifestyle.
- Breast Augmentation: This procedure enhances the volume and shape of small or deflated breasts. Breasts that have lost volume and have become deflated after childbirth and nursing can once again be firm and full with breast implants. Breast Augmentation is often performed in conjunction with a lift to restore the roundness and perkiness to the upper breast
- Tummy Tuck: This procedure tightens the stomach muscles, removes excess abdominal fat and skin, and creates a smoother, flatter tummy. Abdominoplasty can help mothers reclaim their body by eliminating stretch marks, improving core muscle strength, getting rid of excess skin, and eliminating stubborn fat.
How long after having children can you have a Mommy Makeover?
We generally recommend that you wait at least 18 months to 2 years after having children before considering Mommy Makeover. At this time your body has settled back to its new normal after childbirth. In addition, one is not able to lift greater than 15-20 lbs for at least 8 weeks after abdominal surgery. Therefore, your small children should be independent enough to not need picking up during your recovery period.
Schedule a mommy makeover consultation with Dr. Graham
Dr. Graham is a skilled surgeon, board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. His background includes both general surgery and plastic surgery. In both of these fields he has had extensive experience with oncologic, reconstructive, and cosmetic breast surgery. He takes pride in his mastopexy technique as it achieves breast fullness even in the upper breast, which often allows him to avoid placing implants.
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is one of Dr. Graham’s specialties. He uses multiple small maneuvers to ensure a natural look and minimize visible scarring. This is no more evident than in his belly button technique. Unlike other plastic surgeons, this technique is unique in that there is no obvious circular scar around the belly button. Whenever possible, Dr. Graham wants all the tummy tuck scars on your abdomen to be hidden so no one will know you had an operation, even in a bathing suit.
Mommy Makeover Frequently Asked Questions
What are the risks associated with mommy makeover surgery?
Please refer to risks listed in the tummy tuck and breast lift/augmentation sections.
What is the recovery time following mommy makeover surgery?
A Mommy Makeover procedure is completely customizable, which means that the recovery time will vary from patient to patient. Women who undergo all four of the above procedures at once should expect a longer recovery than women who undergo only one or two of these procedures. Recovery is also dependent on the type of work you perform. Many patients with office jobs only require a week or two. However, patients who perform heavy labor may require 4-6 weeks to recover. You will not be able to lift anything greater than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. You will not be able to run or jog for 4 weeks. You will not be able to perform abdominal wall exercises for 2 months.
How much does a mommy makeover cost?
The price of a Mommy Makeover can vary depending on needs. The US national average price of a Mommy Makeover is $12-14000. Dr. Graham’s pricing can be found here.
