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.