The joys of motherhood are many. Unfortunately, several of the undesirable changes your body goes through during and after pregnancy are as well.
Even if you are lucky enough to bounce right back after your first baby, subsequent pregnancies and deliveries can take a serious toll on your body. Loose abdominal skin, deflated breasts, and changes “down there” can make a woman feel dissatisfied with the appearance of her body after having children. Each year, tens of thousands of women choose to address these changes and reclaim their pre-baby bodies by having Mommy Makeover surgery.
“It’s no secret that pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding cause significant changes to a woman’s body,” says Dr. Nathan Leigh, a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon with Edina Plastic Surgery. “These changes are unique to each woman, though,” he continues. “One woman may experience loose skin on her abdomen after childbirth, while another is more concerned about sagging breast tissue or extra pockets of fat around her hips. Mommy Makeover surgery focuses on correcting the unique concerns of each woman by combing multiple procedures that address them in a single operation.”
What procedures can be involved in a Mommy Makeover?
“The safety of our patients is our top priority when it comes to combining multiple procedures during one operation,” explains Dr. Leigh. “We need to consider our patient’s current state of health, how long they can safely be under general anesthesia, and how much trauma we are causing to the body with each surgery. This balance is a delicate formula that must be respected. Still, the most common procedures included in a Mommy Makeover are generally some form of breast surgery to restore volume and/or lift and a tummy tuck to remove the loose, sagging skin on the belly. That being said, some women opt to combine other surgeries that extend beyond those two procedures.”
Breast Lift Surgery
– Breast lift, or mastopexy, can help restore a more lifted, perkier bust after pregnancy and breastfeeding. During a breast lift, your plastic surgeon can raise and reshape sagging breasts and reduce the size of the areolas. A successful breast lift gives you improved proportions, a more youthful profile, and the confidence to match!
Breast Augmentation Surgery
– Breast augmentation surgery (also known as augmentation mammaplasty) uses implants to improve or restore the size and shape of a woman’s breast after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Many women experience “deflation” and sagging of breast tissue after breastfeeding. Breast implants can help reclaim lost volume, projection, and shape to the breasts.
Breast Lift + Breast Augmentation
– When performed alone, a breast lift does nothing to enhance the volume of the breast. Similarly, breast implants are not designed to lift the breast into a more youthful position, as a breast lift does. For this reason, many women choose to have BOTH procedures performed during their Mommy Makeover to improve lift, volume, and shape to their breasts.
Fat Grafting
– Instead of an implant, fat grafting relies on your body’s fat to restore volume to the breasts after breastfeeding. Fat is harvested from the abdominal or thigh area, often during liposuction, cleaned, and then skillfully reinjected into the breast to add volume and shape. Although this method is far more subtle and does not provide as much volume or shape as implants, fat grafting is a viable option for women looking for a natural alternative to breast enhancement.
Breast Reduction Surgery
– Breast reduction surgery (also called reduction mammoplasty) is a procedure designed to reduce the breast size and weight. For breasts that are wider, longer and larger than ideal, breast reduction surgery will reduce these variables. The procedure removes breast glands, skin and fat, and can reduce areolar diameter. The breast will be lighter, smaller, firmer and more in proportion to the rest of the body.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
– A tummy tuck is designed to tighten the abdominal muscles that can become separated after pregnancy and remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen. It utilizes precise incisions and skin redraping techniques to restore a taut, more youthful, pre-baby appearance to your stomach area. The results of a tummy tuck are often enhanced by the addition of liposuction in a Mommy Makeover.
Liposuction
– Liposuction uses a vacuum-assisted cannula to remove stubborn pockets of fat and reshape the contours of your body. During a Mommy Makeover, liposuction is most commonly performed on the abdomen, hips, lower back, flanks, and thighs. It is a popular procedure to combine with a tummy tuck for a total mid-section transformation!
Labiaplasty
– If the tissue of the labia has become enlarged, elongated, or exceedingly loose after vaginal delivery, some women can experience a great deal of discomfort when wearing certain clothing or performing specific activities. Other women are simply not pleased by the aesthetics of their genitalia after childbirth. Labiaplasty is a relatively simple surgery that can permanently correct these issues by removing excess skin, correcting asymmetries, and restoring a more youthful-looking appearance to a woman’s genitalia.
“Every woman is unique, and so is her body and the changes it experiences after becoming a mother,” says Dr. Leigh. “Your surgeon can help you prioritize the changes you’d like to address in your Mommy Makeover to help you reclaim your pre-baby body AND confidence!”
Have you been considering a Mommy Makeover? Schedule a complimentary consultation with an Edina Plastic Surgery surgeon to discuss what procedures you may want to combine in your surgery. Call (651) 688-93177 or CLICK HERE to get started!
