Motherhood brings about endless joys, but the effects of pregnancy on the body can sometimes be drastic. If your body didn’t ‘bounce back’ and return to its pre-pregnancy shape, a Mommy Makeover, which combines surgical procedures like breast surgery and tummy tuck, may be the solution you’re looking for. This specific combination of treatments is the best way for getting the body to look its best after having children. The surgery addresses the problems that come from being pregnant: loose skin on the stomach, a lack of fullness in the breasts, sagging in the breasts, stretch marks, and stubborn areas of fat. The results are dramatic – a Mommy Makeover restores a sense of self-confidence that many women feel disappeared along with their pre-pregnancy physiques.
A Tummy Tuck
During pregnancy, the abdominal wall becomes stretched out to make room for your growing baby. The skin becomes overextended to bear extra weight, which can lead to loose skin on the middle and lower abdomen. While most of these changes are attributed to pregnancy, extreme weight loss can also produce similar changes to the body. A tummy tuck is the only way to tighten that skin and restore firmness to the area.
During the surgery, an incision is made at the pubic bone (the scar will be fully concealed when wearing underwear) through which your plastic surgeon will tighten the abdominal muscles that have separated. Small amounts of fat can be removed with liposuction. Once the muscles are tightened, excess skin is removed. You’ll see an immediate difference in your stomach, especially if there was a lot of looseness, and over the next few months, the results will continue to improve. It will typically take one year to see the final product of the procedure.
When to Do It
You need to wait at least six to 12 months after delivering your baby before you should consider surgery. You should also be fully done breastfeeding so that your plastic surgeon can get an idea for your true breast size and position. Furthermore, many surgeons advise against undergoing a tummy tuck until you are done having children.
Getting Rid of Stretch Marks
Stretch marks form during pregnancy because of the weight gained, which forces the skin to stretch out quickly. As skin is stretched, it creates a pulling effect on the dermis of the skin, in turn causing collagen to thin out and become damaged. The best way to correct stretch marks is with surgery. Lasers can help minimize their appearance, but results vary.
Lift & Revolumize the Breasts
Hormonal changes during pregnancy may result in changes in the breasts, specifically tissue deflation. Breast augmentation with a saline or silicone implant corrects the fullness that is lost in the upper part of the breasts. Breast implants allow for an increase in size so that the volume of the breasts is evenly distributed throughout. Dr. Capraro will discuss the implant, placement, and incision options available and help you choose the best one for your body. Silicone implants typically offer the most natural look because they mimic how the breasts naturally look and feel.
A breast lift is also a great option for mothers. The breasts grow during pregnancy to make room for the expanding milk ducts. Eventually those glands shrink, which causes a loss of volume and fullness. To lift them back up to a more youthful position, a surgical breast lift, which gets rid of sagging skin, needs to be performed. Oftentimes, an implant is placed into the breast lift to restore fullness to the breasts. Some of the newer breast lift techniques allow for more limited incisions and less scarring.
Fight the Fat
With weight gain during pregnancy comes fat that may stick around long after you’ve delivered your baby. To treat areas of fat that don’t respond to diet or exercise, liposuction is the go-to treatment. While it won’t change the texture of the skin or repair damaged muscles, it will permanently get rid of fat pockets, especially in the stomach, hips, waist, thighs, and butt. Liposuction is a sculpting and contouring procedure that can help define and shape the body. When combined with breast surgery and a tummy tuck, the result is a totally transformed body that’s better balanced, as well as tighter and more toned.
Smooth Out Dimples
Fat and cellulite tend to go hand in hand. While pregnancy doesn’t directly cause cellulite, one complaint among many women after pregnancy is that their cellulite just won’t go away. Liposuction won’t fix your cellulite, and in fact, it can make it worse. To reduce the look of lumps and bumps, talk to Dr. Capraro about Aveli, a simple procedure that rids you of cellulite quickly.
Spot-Treat Fat
If excess fat on the stomach is an issue, liposuction can be done (either alone or in conjunction with a tummy tuck) to spot-treat the area. Liposuction is a great way to get rid of stubborn, unresponsive fat that just won’t budge with the help of diet and regular exercise. Performing liposuction on the stomach when just fat is the problem, leaves the area thinner. Combining liposuction with a tummy tuck is the ultimate way to tighten skin, flatten the stomach and get rid of any looseness.
The ABC’s of a Mommy Makeover
- Fill your prescriptions before your surgery – this way you don’t have to worry about immediately following your procedure!
- Avoid blood thinning medications – aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs can increase bleeding during surgery.
- If you have had a c-section or hysterectomy, there is no additional scar needed.
- Exercising will be off limits – expect to avoid working out for at lease six to 12 weeks.
- Walking helps speed recovery – Brief walks during recovery can help prevent blood clots from forming.
- Establish healthy habits beforehand – This prepares your body for recovery and helps you maintain your results afterwards.
- Mommy Makeovers aren’t just for moms – all women can experience these concerns, the procedures are effective either way!
- Your belly button may look different after – skin is redraped during a tummy tuck procedure, meaning the belly button may look narrower and thinner following surgery.
- Skin discoloration may occur – this is a natural side effect caused by the break down of red blood cells. Typically, this disappears on its own after a few months.
- Procedures may not all be performed at once – Depending on your unique needs, it may be best to spread treatments out, rather than tackling them all at once.
- A tummy tuck will correct diastasis recti – The separation of the stomach muscles is common during pregnancy, but it can be restored!
- A tummy tuck may offer more than a flat stomach – On top of appearance, the procedure can relieve urinary incontinence and back pain.
- Visible stretch marks may need further treatment – While skin is tightened, these marks can remain following a tummy tuck. Skin resurfacing is offered at Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery to make them less visible.
We want to acknowledge NewBeauty Magazine’s valuable insights and original piece on [Reshape and Restore with a Mommy Makeover].
