Mommy Makeover

Mommy makeover is an umbrella term for a combination of plastic surgery procedures that can help restore your pre-baby body after dramatic changes brought on by pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Moms can be left with deflated, sagging breasts, loose and stretched abdominal skin, not to mention separated abdominal muscles and fascia that no amount of exercise can repair. That requires a plastic surgeon.

Advantages of Mommy Makeover

• A mommy makeover addresses a range of concerns in one surgery, so you have to go under anaesthesia only once and endure just a single recovery.
• It can get you back to looking like you did before you got pregnant—and often even better.
• Stretch marks and C-section scars may be removed or improved by the tummy tuck.
• A mommy makeover can also help with medical issues: it can repair hernias and diastasis recti (which occurs when the abdominal muscles separate at the midline and a pooch peeks out), as well as reduce back pain and urinary incontinence.
• Patients report feeling more like themselves after the procedure, with newfound confidence.

Who makes a good candidate for a mommy makeover procedure?

Mommy makeover patients need to be at or close to their ideal body weight and in good general health.

It’s also best not to schedule this surgery too soon after you’ve had a baby, as tempting as that may be. Wait until you’re done having kids and at least six months after you stop breastfeeding so you won’t undo your surgical results. This also helps your surgeon accurately gauge what your body looks like at its baseline.

What’s included in a mommy makeover?

One of the biggest benefits of a mommy makeover is that it combines several procedures in a single surgical session. It’s customised to fit each patient’s unique needs but typically involves these surgical procedures:

• A tummy tuck, sometimes paired with diastasis recti repair, to tighten the belly and repair separated muscles.
• Breast augmentation, with or without a breast lift, to raise saggy breasts or replace lost fullness. (Some women choose to have breast reduction instead.)
• Liposuction to remove excess fat and recontour the body.
• Some women also opt for a perineoplasty to tighten the vaginal entrance and a vaginoplasty to tighten and repair the floor of the vagina.

How much recovery time will you need?

Recovery time after a mommy makeover depends on what you had done, but it’s safe to assume that you’ll need at least two weeks off work—up to six weeks, if your job is highly physical or involves heavy lifting.

You’ll be able to engage in light daily activity during the initial two-week recovery period, with no exercise at all for three weeks and no intense exercise for six weeks. You’ll also need to avoid any heavy lifting.

Swelling and bruising will start to subside in one to three weeks, and you’ll see your final results within six months, when you’re done healing. Scars will continue to fade for 6-12 months after surgery.