Introduction
Unfortunately, not every pregnancy leaves a woman’s body without a trace! Many women no longer feel comfortable in their own bodies after pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Despite postnatal gymnastics, a healthy and balanced diet and no matter how much they exercise, some kilo’ do not want to disappear after pregnancy, leaving their stomach and chest no longer as firm as before. While some take the body changes that come with having a baby for granted, the majority of women secretly want their pre-baby body back. You don't have to accept this state of affairs: plastic surgeons can help you to regain your youthful, firm body silhouette.
Over the past years, a trend has become increasingly established in Europe that, as so often, comes from the USA: the mommy make-over. This treatment refers to renewal in all areas of the body that are particularly affected by pregnancy and the subsequent breastfeeding period. In this sense, a mommy make-over is not really a new invention: all operations that can be performed as part of a mommy make-over have long been performed in plastic surgery. The only new thing is the term that summarizes a treatment for everything that women are dissatisfied with their bodies after giving birth.
What are the most common reasons why women want a mommy make-over ?
• They want to feel good about themselves first and foremost.
• They want a flat stomach with tight skin again.
• Their breasts should be firm and full again, as they were before the birth and breastfeeding of children.
• They want a correction of the enlarged nipples.
• They want a slim and defined silhouette instead of baby pounds in the wrong places.
• Their sex life and self-esteem suffer from the physical changes, they want to improve their body image.
• The overall image of their body should appear young and attractive again.
These are the most common treatments for a mommy make-over:
Tummy tuck
During pregnancy, the skin of the abdomen and the muscles beneath it stretch to accommodate the larger belly. The result is sagging skin, stretch marks and weak abdominal muscles. Few women find their way back to their old figure naturally. With the help of a tummy tuck, excess skin and fat can be removed and the underlying muscles tightened.
Breast augmentation or breast-lift
Due to the stimulated milk production, the breasts become larger during pregnancy. However, once this is complete, the breasts often loose volume and sag. Some women have an abnormal areola, unevenly sized breasts, or breasts that appear too large in relation to their bodies. With a complete mommy make-over, breast augmentation with simultaneous breast lift, also called augmentation - mastopexy, is an operation to make the breasts look young and fresh again. While a breast lift can remove excess skin and reposition the areola, with a breast augmentation the lost volume is restored with a silicone implant or autologous fat.
Liposuction
Quite commonly, wider hips or stubborn fat deposits on the hips and thighs are a permanent result of pregnancy. This accumulated fat can be removed with liposuction and the body silhouette can be modeled harmoniously. Liposuction is a shaping procedure. Weight loss cannot be expected.
Genital Surgery
Some women complain about discomfort while cycling, horse riding or sexual activities due to protruding labia minora or a pronounced or flaccid pubic mound.
When is the best time for a mommy make-over ?
Breastfeeding should be finished at least for 9 months in order to let the breast and the hormones settle back to “normal” and milk production has stopped. The final shape and texture of the breasts can then be better assessed. Ideally, family planning should be completed.
Body weight should be normalized, and target weight should have been maintained for at least 6 months. Support from family and friends after treatment should be guaranteed during the time after operation.
Regular workouts as well as a balanced diet are important tools to maintain the surgical result.
How will a mommy make-over take place ?
While some clinics perform the mommy make-over as a single operation, others recommend separating the individual procedures depending on the size of the surgery. In general, an operation lasting for more than 5 hours is a great burden for the patient's body and might increase risks such as pulmonary embolism.
If your plastic surgeon offers you an extensive mommy make-over in just one procedure, it is wise to be skeptical and seek information on potential complications. Consider a second opinion.
Corrections to the same area of the body are of course typically carried out in an operating room. Breast augmentation after pregnancy can be combined with breast lift and nipple correction. The same applies to abdominal liposuction with tummy tuck and skin tightening, as well as the correction of a protruding belly button.
Ideally, allow your body 6 months for full recovery between the individual operations.
Ask your plastic surgeon on her/his experience and consider a cooling down time before proceeding to surgery.
Take-home message:
A mommy make-over helps women feel better about their body again. It consists of different reliable procedures that correct pregnancy and breast-feeding-related body changes. Breast-feeding should be finished for at least 9 months and family planning should be finished when planning your surgery.
Dr. Nina Schwaiger, MD for realplasticsurgeon.eu
EASAPS initiative
dr.nina.schwaiger@gmail.com
Hannover, Germany