All you need to know about Mommy Makeover

Nature has blessed women with a superpower – giving birth. This superpower is not only the greatest gift for women, it also enables women to give the greatest gift to their families – a beautiful new member added to their family. This gift and superpower, however, also brings with it many changes to the body, many of which are not only unwanted, but difficult to change naturally. Enter mommy makeover, to make you feel like a new you.

What is Mommy Makeover Procedure?

In simple terms, mommy makeover is exactly what it sounds like. It refers to the complete set of plastic surgery procedures which can help restore a mommy to her pre-baby body. A single surgery, which can address the post-pregnancy pain points of different parts of your body. After all, the miracle of birth should not prevent you from feeling good about yourself.

Pregnancy brings about changes to many of the body parts – buttocks, breasts, abdomen and genitalia. Mommy makeover procedure is an umbrella of plastic surgery procedures covering all these body parts, and can be performed in one go, or in multiple sittings, as desired by the patient and as recommended by the surgeon given the circumstances.

Dr Priya Bansal is a board-certified female plastic surgeon who is an expert in this field, and is greatly trusted and recommended by all her patients.

How Does Mommy Makeover Work for Different Body Parts?

To understand this, let us understand how each body part is affected by pregnancy and what procedures are available to correct the post-pregnancy problems.

Breasts

A woman’s breasts keep changing all through pregnancy and then after childbirth and breastfeeding. The breasts gain volume during the course of pregnancy and become fuller. After childbirth and breastfeeding, most women lose this volume, both due to weight loss and due to breastfeeding. Sometimes, this may also be accompanied by a general sagging to the breasts.Depending upon the situation, there are two procedures which may be useful –

Breast Augmentation

The loss of elasticity as well as volume to the breasts post pregnancy may be restored with the help of breast augmentation. Breast augmentation can be done one of two ways –

1. Through silicone gel breast implants.These implants can be custom made to give you the breast size and shape that you desire. They are FDA approved and made from medical grade silicone and help correct any asymmetry to the breasts.
2. Through fat grafts – here, liposuction is used to remove excess fat from another part of the body which is then implanted on the breasts. A more natural approach to breast augmentation, this method however only works for up to half or one cup size.

Breast Lift or Mastopexy

In case you are not looking at adding volume to the breasts, but only want to correct the increased sagginess and loss of elasticity to the skin which followsa pregnancy and breastfeeding, then mastopexy or breast lift can be performed to tighten the breast muscles and restoring the perkiness of the breasts. You may also opt to reorient the areola and nipples for a more aesthetically pleasing look.

Breast Reduction

For some women, the problem may be reverse in nature. Pregnancy may cause breasts to become too large, leading to shoulder and back pain on account of the excess weight the women are carrying on their breasts. The larger breast size may also cause droopiness which may lead to drop in self-esteem. In such a situation, breast reduction may be opted for, both to relieve physical discomfort, as well as for a renewed sense of self-confidence.

Buttocks

Just like the breasts, women first gain weight on the buttocks during pregnancy, and then lose it after childbirth. This may lead to –

1. Sagging buttocks (as the skin and muscle lose elasticity due to fluctuating weight).
2. Loss of volume.

Buttock Augmentation and Lift

This procedure helps restore elasticity while also restoring a more aesthetic contour to the buttocks. Buttock augmentation may be done via –

1. Buttock implants – these are made from medical grade silicone and can be used to give the size and shape desired.
2. Fat Grafting –Excess fat may be suctioned off from another body and implanted in the buttocks.

Implants and fat grafting procedures may sometimes be combined for a more optimal and desired outcome.

Abdomen

As the baby grows inside the womb, the muscles and skin of the abdomen keep stretching to accommodate the new member. Due to this, the tummy muscles get weak, lose elasticity and sometimes get separated too. Excess fat pockets may also form during this period.

After childbirth, this leaves the skin and tummy muscles looking stretched and saggy. This may be more pronounced in a caesarian childbirth.

Abdominoplasty of Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck procedure helps remove the excess fat and restore elasticity to the skin by tightening the skin to give a flatter and well-toned look to the abdomen.

Genitalia

If a woman opts for natural childbirth, then the vaginal muscles stretch out to make way for the baby during delivery. Due to this, the vagina may lose its shape and elasticity. This may be accompanied by a set of problems post-childbirth –

1. Loss of self-esteem due to the loss of vaginal shape.
2. Loss of sexual pleasure.
3. Pain during exercise or intercourse.

Vaginal Rejuvenation

This procedure may be performed to –

1. Reshape the vulva or labia for enhanced aesthetic appeal. This is knows as labiaplasty or vulvaplasty.
2. Tighten the vaginal wall. This is known as vaginoplasty or Female Genital Rejuvenation.

These procedures not only help a woman feel better aesthetically after childbirth, but also help functionally in case there is loss of sensation, reduced sexual pleasure, or at times, increased physical discomfort during workouts or intercourse.

Liposuction

It is normal for a woman to gain anywhere between 10 to 25 kg of weight during pregnancy. Given that the baby weighs up to 4 or 4.5 kg at birth, this excess weight often gets deposited on different parts of the body as pockets of fat. A woman may have this fat deposited on breasts, abdomen, love handles, hips, thighs, lower back, buttocks or even the arms.

This excess fat may cause the body the lose its natural contour, which may be difficult to get rid of even with exercise and strict diet.

Liposuction helps remove these excess pockets of fat to restore the body to a more aesthetic shape. In some cases of mommy makeover procedure, liposuction surgery may be combined with fat grafting to remove the excess fat from one body part and implant it in another body part, for instance, breast augmentation or buttock augmentation.

Understanding a Woman – The Role of A Female Plastic Surgeon

A woman can best understand another woman’s plight. It is also often embarrassing for a woman to approach a male surgeon – it is not easy to reveal our darkest fears and our bodies to strange men. A female plastic surgeon is not only your surgeon, but your friend and partner in this case.

Dr Priya Bansal works with the mantra of giving every woman a body they feel beautiful in. She also values her patient’s privacy and offers private counselling sessions to all her patients. The patient’s comfort and happiness are her topmost priority.

Preparing for Mommy Makeover

It is crucial to consult only a board-certified surgeon while opting for a mommy-makeover procedure. They are experts in their field, with access and training to the best and latest which medical science and cosmetic surgery have to offer. They will also not compromise on quality of equipment used, which minimizes any potential risks, making mommy makeover a safe procedure.

1. Remember to share your complete medical background with the surgeon. This will help them assess your medication requirement and determine anesthesia dosage, while also understanding your body’s readiness for the procedure.
2. Share with the surgeon all the pain points that you may have with your post-childbirth body. This will enable your surgeon to recommend the required procedures to give you the body of your dreams.
3. The complete roadmap will be charted out during this phase – the exact procedures which will be performed and whether they will be performed in one go or multiple sittings.
4. Remember to take only the prescribed dosage of the medicines allowed by the surgeon prior to the surgery. Taking anti-inflammatory or any other non-prescription drugs without the surgeon’s go-ahead may cause complications during or after the procedure.

Some Important Points to Bear in Mind

1. Future pregnancy may reverse the results of mommy makeover procedure.
2. It is also advisable to wait before getting pregnant after a mommy makeover procedure, as the muscles which are tightened during any of these procedures may get separated during pregnancy.
3. The body keeps changing after childbirth, especially if you are breastfeeding. It is advised to wait at least 6 months after childbirth, and at least 3 months after stopping breastfeeding before considering this procedure.
4. It is important to take adequate rest during recovery, make sure that you have support at home to take you through this phase without it being stress-inducing.
5. Any procedure which involves a cut on the body has the potential to leave a scar. A good surgeon, with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and finesse in their work will ensure that the scars are well hidden and as inconspicuous as possible. Choose your surgeon well!

Post-Surgery Recovery

The recovery phase will be different for every woman, depending upon various factors like –

1. Her physical condition prior to the surgery.
2. The number and nature of procedures opted for as part of mommy makeover.
3. The time take to complete the entire procedure, especially if multiple sittings are required.

If you opt for a complete mommy makeover procedure, then you may need at least 4 weeks of downtime to recover. It is important to avoid any sudden or heavy movements till otherwise advised by your surgeon, and moderate swelling or bruising is normal in the first few weeks. It may take as long as 2 months for the results of the surgery to be completely visible and appreciable, stay patient during this stage.

The results of the mommy makeover procedure should be visible for up to a decade, provided there are no subsequent pregnancies, and you maintain a good lifestyle – weight gained naturally may reverse the results of some of the procedures. It is also important to remember that in case you opt for implants, they have a natural life of their own, and will need replacement once they wear down.

A mommy makeover procedure is an important, life-altering decision. It is not only your right but also important to understand every aspect of the procedure before you take a decision. Trust your instincts and let this be the best decision of your life.