Have you ever wondered how celebrities achieve those inexplicably trim, toned bodies within just a few months of giving birth? The chances are good that a post-baby makeover plays a role. Many women opt to get a tummy tuck after pregnancy as well as other procedures designed to help restore their pre-baby figures and improve their self-confidence and quality of life.
It’s important to understand that a mommy makeover is not a magic nor instant solution. Pregnancy and childbirth place significant stress on the body, so having extensive surgery immediately afterwards would not be safe. Waiting six months or so after delivery gives the abdominal tissue a chance to fully heal before having a tummy tuck. If your breasts are an issue then it is also necessary to wait several months after breastfeeding to allow you breasts to return to their pre-pregnancy condition.
How do celebrities do it so fast? They have a few tricks up their sleeves. First of all, they often work with nutritionists and personal trainers during pregnancy to ensure that they eat a healthy diet and get plenty of safe exercise to avoid gaining excess weight in the first place. It’s true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You should gain enough weight to ensure that you and your baby are healthy throughout your pregnancy, but there is no need to gain more.
Another trick you can “borrow” from the celebrities is breastfeeding, which burns a tremendous number of calories. If you can breastfeed rather than bottle feeding, you’ll find it much easier to lose the extra pounds. Finally, you can continue to focus on your diet and exercise routine as you recover from childbirth, following your doctor’s instructions regarding safe activity levels.
However, there are some problems that diet and exercise alone cannot solve. For example, as many women know, stubborn fat deposits will not respond to traditional weight-loss measures. You might reach your pre-baby weight only to discover that you are now sporting a new “muffin top.” Furthermore, pregnancy stretches the abdominal skin and damages abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck is the only way to repair these damaged muscles and tighten loose skin. Many women also experience other issues such as a loss of breast volume or stretch and distorted labia after giving birth. A mommy makeover can address all these issues and more.
What does a mommy makeover involve?
Mommy makeovers are tailored to the individual woman’s needs and preferences. Not all women need every procedure; you may only need a tummy tuck with liposuction, for instance, while another woman needs all the available procedures. Mommy makeovers can include:
- Breast Lift. The breasts increase and decrease dramatically in size during pregnancy and breastfeeding, often resulting in sagging. Surgical lifting can give them a more youthful look.
- Breast Augmentation: With pregnancy and breast feeding the breast skin will stretch and the breast tissue may diminish. Replacing volume with a breast implant can both lift and fill the breast.
- Breast augmentation and breast lift: In some cases both a lift and breast implant may be necessary to achieve the ideal breast appearance.
- Liposuction is a minimally-invasive procedure used to remove stubborn deposits of fat such as love handles or thicker thighs than you would like.
- Tummy tuck. During a tummy tuck, your surgeon can remove excess loose skin from the abdomen and tighten the skin that remains for a smoother, younger look.
- It’s common for the labia minora to stretch considerably during childbirth. A labiaplasty is a procedure used to remove excess skin from the labia and restore them to a more comfortable, functional, and attractive state.
When can you have a mommy makeover?
Before having surgery, there are some things you should know about mommy makeovers. Beside waiting six months after giving birth, you’ll need to meet some other criteria as well. Mommy makeovers involve multiple invasive surgeries so you will need to be in good overall health. A mommy makeover is not a weight-loss procedure so you will need to have lost most of your pregnancy weight before having surgery and allow your breasts to return to their pre-pregnancy form. Ideally, you will also need to be done having children. This isn’t a deal breaker, but another pregnancy will stretch your abdominal skin again, possibly necessitating another tummy tuck. That means more money, more trauma to your body, and more time spent on mommy makeover recovery.
What to expect
After a full mommy makeover, recovery is not fast or easy. For example, after a tummy tuck alone, you may need to spend the first week recovering at home and then several more weeks limiting activity as you continue to heal. You won’t be allowed to do much lifting, so moms with small children may need to enlist help with childcare. During the first week or so after surgery, you will need someone around who can help you perform basic daily activities such as getting to the bathroom and preparing food.
You should also keep in mind that you won’t be able to see the results of your mommy makeover immediately. Swelling is common during the first few weeks. This swelling is your body’s normal inflammatory response, which helps it heal, and will go away in time. So, don’t be discouraged if your breasts or tummy appear larger than you had hoped; you will see the final result soon, and most women are thrilled with the way they look afterwards.
If you are concerned about mommy makeover safety, you needn’t be. It’s true that all surgery carries some risk. However, mommy makeovers comprise several procedures that have been studied for decades and performed millions of times. Choosing an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon lowers your risk of complications even more. If your family is complete and you would like to restore your body’s smooth, youthful contours, a mommy makeover might be right for you.