The Four Components of a Mommy Makeover

Weeks after Kate Middleton gave birth to her son, she appeared in public wearing black skinny jeans and not showing any signs of the pouch on the lower abdomen that many new moms encounter. According to those close to the Duchess, she gained little weight during pregnancy, which made it easier to bounce back. Weight gain is an important part of pregnancy, however, and a necessary step in fetal development and health. 

During pregnancy, your body stores fat to use as fuel for the pregnancy and labor  and during breastfeeding. There is no way to avoid this. You also will see your skin stretch and it may fail to return to the same taut shape after pregnancy. The breasts grow too, with fatty tissue and eventual milk stores. This added weight can cause them to sag and develop stretch marks. Some women see their breasts shrink in size after weaning their baby. All of these issues can be addressed through four different plastic surgery techniques, commonly known as a “mommy makeover” when performed together.

Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty or a “tummy tuck” is the third most popular plastic surgery per American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports. When it comes to a mommy makeover, this one surgery can help tighten the skin on the abdomen and even remove a few stretch marks that fall on the skin that is excised. 

With a tummy tuck, you don't use it to lose weight. Your plastic surgeon wants to see you at or very close to your target weight. The surgery is used to help tighten the skin after other steps like diet and exercise have done all they can.

This is a major surgery. It takes anywhere from two to five hours to complete under anesthesia. After the surgery, you wear compression bandages to decrease swelling. Drains, if any, are removed in a week, and stitches come out in 7 to 14 days.

Breast Augmentation

If you found pregnancy reduced the size or firmness of your breasts, breast augmentation is a beneficial solution. Using either saline or silicone gel implants, a surgeon restores the volume of your breasts. The surgery begins with either general anesthesia or local anesthesia and a sedative. Small incisions are made and the implants are inserted. Expect the surgery to take upwards of two hours to complete. Autologous fat transfer is another option for enhancing the breasts in which excess fat is taken from an area like the abdomen or hips and then transferred to the breasts. 

Following a breast augmentation, you need to limit strenuous activities for about a month. You may want to take it easy for the first week or two, though many patients are able to return to work within a few days. 

Breast Lift

A breast lift can be performed by itself or in combination with a breast augmentation. The ultimate goal is to lift the breasts to restore them to a more youthful position.

The surgery takes between one to three hours to complete. The size and location of the incision depends on the corrections that must be made. Breast tissue is pulled up into place and excess skin is trimmed away before the incision is closed. After the surgery, a bandage or surgical bra will be applied. Stitches come out in one to three weeks, depending on how quickly you heal.

Liposuction

Some people believe liposuction is used to remove excess fat from the body in lieu of losing weight through diet or exercise. However, liposuction is best used to remove fat that diet and exercise haven't corrected in patients who are at or near their ideal weight.

There are different techniques used by plastic surgeons, but the basic method of liposuction involves the removal of excess fat cells using a hollow tube known as a cannula that is attached to a vacuum device that suctions the fat from below the skin. Two of the common techniques involve the tumescent technique and ultrasound assisted liposuction. The tumescent technique involves the insertion of a fluid that combines an anesthetic, epinephrine and saline. This causes the fat cells to tumesce or become firm for easier removal. The other technique uses ultrasound energy to melt the fat before it is suctioned out.

It is hard to predict how long liposuction will take. It depends on how much fat must be removed. Following the procedure, you will wear compression garments to help reduce swelling. After a week, any stitches are removed. After that, you should be able to get back to your usual routine.

Things to Consider

Prior to any of the surgeries that make up a mommy makeover, you need to consider your future. If you plan to have additional children, wait until you're done. Another pregnancy may reverse any of the improvements you've made.

If you have a child who enjoys being picked up, you'll want someone on hand to help you out or you may want to wait until your child is older. Most of these surgeries restrict you from lifting heavy objects for a period of time after surgery. Unless you have someone else available to carry or pick up your child, it's best to wait until your child is older and no longer being carried.

Make sure you lose your baby weight before you visit a plastic surgeon for a mommy makeover. Read Parents article Losethe Baby Weight for Good. When you're ready to talk to a Newport Beach plastic surgeon, call Dr. Robert Kessler. Dr. Kessler is a board certified general and plastic surgeon. Reach his office by calling (949) 644-6544.