Being pregnant and having a baby is a joyous time in your life when you look forward to bringing a new child into the world. Unfortunately, this beautiful experience also takes a toll on your body. During your pregnancy, your skin and muscles stretch to make room for your baby, leaving stretch marks, sagging breasts and flabby tummy that doesn’t respond to exercise.
Fluctuations of your hormonal levels during pregnancy also cause fine lines and wrinkles on your face. And even though you feel incredibly blessed with the new life you’ve brought into this world, you may also feel less attractive.
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What is a Mommy Makeover?
A “mommy makeover” is a personalized procedure that can include several different options, depending on your aesthetic goals. Treatments performed during a mommy makeover usually include one or more of the following procedures:
Breast Augmentation
This can include a breast lift, which tightens breast skin and restores a more youthful, perky appearance. Breast augmentation replaces lost volume and a breast reduction reduces the size of your breasts that may be too large for a petite frame. In addition, breast augmentation can also be combined with a lift to restore lost volume and sagging, which often occurs after giving birth.
Tummy Tuck
During your pregnancy, your abdominal muscles stretch to accommodate your growing uterus. It’s quite common for the abdominal muscles to split, leaving excess skin that doesn’t respond to exercise. A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) eliminates the excess skin and fat and tightens the underlying muscles to reveal a flatter tummy.
Liposuction
Liposuction removes unwanted fatty deposits that develop during pregnancy that don’t respond to diet and exercise. Liposuction can be performed just about anywhere on the body. In addition to traditional liposuction, CoolSculpting is a non-invasive procedure that benefits patients who want to remove excess fat around their midsection.
Skin Rejuvenation
With hormonal changes, some women experience melasma, which is also known as a pregnancy mask. Small, brown patches on uneven skin tone may appear on the face, arms or trunk. Skin rejuvenation treatments, such as laser resurfacing help to lighten or completely eliminate skin discoloration. Botox and dermal fillers are highly effective in addressing the signs of fatigue, fine lines and wrinkles.
Individualized Goals
As a new mommy, you deserve personalized attention. When you decide to have a mommy makeover, your surgeon will discuss which procedures will help restore your body to what it was before you were pregnant.
And since pregnancy affects women differently, mommy makeovers are customized to address each patient’s areas of concern. Although you may only need breast augmentation procedure, another patient may need a tummy tuck and skin rejuvenation.
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Benefits of a Mommy Makeover
A mommy makeover can boost your self-esteem and help restore your confidence after being pregnant. Most patients report feeling happier and more like themselves after having a mommy makeover. In addition, being able to address cosmetic concerns during one procedure saves time and money. Recovery is also easier since most mommy makeover procedures can be performed at one time, which reduces downtime and time away from your baby.
Am I a Suitable Candidate?
You may be an ideal candidate for a mommy makeover if childbirth has resulted in unwanted physical changes, such as sagging, deflated breasts or excess skin, split abdominal muscles or undesired skin changes.
You may also be a good candidate for a mommy makeover if you meet any the following criteria:
● Your breasts sag or have a deflated appearance
● Your breasts look out of proportion to the rest of your body
● You have excess skin and fat in your abdominal region that doesn’t respond to a healthy diet and exercise
● You have fatty deposits on your thighs, buttocks or hips
● You have stretch marks from pregnancy on your breasts, thighs and stomach
Things to Consider Before Surgery
Before anything else, you should always consult with a board-certified cosmetic surgeon. Have a list of questions ready and be clear about what you want to achieve. You should feel comfortable with the surgeon who is performing your mommy makeover. Ask to see before and after photos and inquire about the risks of having your chosen procedures.
Pregnancy and childbirth bring out so many positive changes in a woman’s life. Starting a family and being a new mother is so exciting that many women don’t realize until a year or more post-pregnancy that the body they thought would snap back into shape hasn’t. Gaining and losing weight during pregnancy, along with breastfeeding can result in loose skin and a sagging bosom. Thankfully, these issues are easily correctable with a mommy makeover.
Dr. Douglas Steinbrech is a board-certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He routinely performs breast augmentations and is well versed in the various breast implant materials and procedures. He enjoys meeting with patients to help them make the best decision for their body regarding breast implants and to answer any questions they may have about the procedure or process. Selected by the Consumers’ Research Council of America as one of America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Steinbrech is an excellent choice for patients who are interested in breast augmentation surgery.
*This is a Guest Post by Farlyn Lucas.