Makeovers For Mommies

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a story is worth at least five hundred words. Many mothers may find this story of interest.

‘When 34 year-old Kathy opted to get breast implants and a lift one year after having her third child, she didn’t really think of herself as having any type of makeover. She just wanted back what she had before children and to regain the confidence and clothing options that she once had. Before three pregnancies, she was a nice full C cup. But between breastfeeding and the repeated stretching and shrinking that occurs from the pregnancy process, she was now done to nearly an A cup. She knew it was bad when her sister said she really need some plastic surgery.

Two years later, she returned for a tummy tuck. She wouldn’t be seen in a swimsuit or any tightly fitting clothes, lest her stomach bulge be seen complete with all of its stretch marks and an unusually-shaped belllybutton. Despite of years of steady dieting and numerous weekly workouts, no stomach cure had been achieved. She wasn’t fat but had a lot of loose skin of which no amount of exercise is magically going to burn off. She finally realized that she was trying to get rid of something over which she had no control. ‘

Between the two plastic surgery procedures she had undergone a Mommy Makeover, a popular term used for multiple plastic surgery procedures that restore, or improve, one’s post-pregnancy bodies. Unlike the extreme plastic surgery makeovers seen on TV, mommy makeovers are extremely common and the breast and stomach procedures are both done at the same time. Unlike the previous generation, mothers of today want to return to their old body and, in many cases, even have a better one than before the pregnancies.

One interesting thing about Mommy Makeovers is some psychology behind them. Many women feel guilty and little selfish about such ‘self-indulgence’. They may also be worried about taking time away from their children’s and husband’s hectic schedules to undergo surgery. Some may argue that how you feel as a mom is important to one’s family as well. It is not really all that self-centered to feel youthful and more confident. Having an improved body image may also improve one’s interactions with their own family. I am not a women nor have ever been pregnant so I can’t speak for whether this is psychological double talk or fact. But I do know what many women have told me… they may be a mommy but they are still their own person as well.

One very common Mommy Makeover questions I get asked is, how soon after my last pregnancy can I have surgery? How long to wait differs on whether it is the breasts or the stomach that is being addressed. Breast augmentation and/or lifts can be done as soon as six months afterwards as time never improves breast shape. One only awaits the completion of breast feeding or the maximal amount of breast deflation. Liposuction and/or tummy tucks should wait until you have put forth your best effort at diet and exercise or have come to the realization that the loose skin is the main problem. This may be six months for some and for other women it may be years later.