Regaining Your Pre-Pregnancy Figure: What Is Included in a Mommy Makeover?

The Mommy Makeover has proven to be a popular surgical strategy for women looking to restore their pre-pregnancy contours. This combination of procedures is designed to address the many common issues women face after going through pregnancy and breastfeeding. As a body contouring strategy, it has been well received by women around the globe looking to address their post-pregnancy figures. For all its popularity, though, there is still often confusion around the idea of the Mommy Makeover. Los Angeles-based Dr. Steve Svehlak and Dr. Dan Yamini at Sunset Cosmetic Surgery routinely encounter people asking questions about the surgical strategy, wondering whether it is a single procedure or not.

Not One Thing, But Many

The term “Mommy Makeover" is an umbrella phrase used to describe a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures that may include breast augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, liposuction, and more. Even nonsurgical treatments can play a role. A woman who has had children and wishes to regain her pre-pregnancy figure can choose from the list of available procedures—with guidance from an experienced plastic surgeon—to address specific post-pregnancy physical changes. There are no hard rules, since a Mommy Makeover is tailored to the individual goals of each woman.

Physical changes that women typically experience after pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding include breast deflation, sagging, abdominal stretch marks, stubborn fat deposits, and abdominal muscle separation, which results in tissues bulging through the abdominal wall. These changes can be difficult to address, even with exercise and a healthy diet. The good news is that a Mommy Makeover can help.

Some women may find that a combination of a breast lift and a breast reduction will help them achieve their goal of breasts that sit higher on the chest. Other moms (especially women who have had twins) may be focusing on their post-pregnancy abdominal laxity. A tummy tuck is the ideal option for those women, since it reconstructs the abdominal wall and creates firmer tone and flatter contours. Other common concerns include excess fat in the hips or arms. Liposuction can help in these cases.

Take a closer look at some of the most popular elements of a Mommy Makeover:

Breast Lift

A breast lift (mastopexy) procedure helps to raise and contour the breasts by getting rid of excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue. Sometimes the areola grows in size and visibility over time—especially when breastfeeding is involved—and a breast lift can also include reduction to make the pigmented circle of skin around the nipple less prominent.

Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) removes excess fat and skin that can linger after a pregnancy. In many cases, the muscles in the abdominal area have also become loose due to their separation as a baby grew behind them and forced them apart. An abdominoplasty can help restore the weakened and separated muscles and create a smoother and firmer abdominal profile by trimming away the redundant skin.

Liposuction

Surgical fat removal via suction, known as liposuction, is an option for women who want to slim and reshape specific areas of their body. Features such as the thighs, hips, arms, abdomen, and waist are commonly targeted due to their tendency to hold significant collections of large fat cells that dieting may not touch.

Breast Augmentation

While many women’s breasts swell and grow during pregnancy and throughout a child’s nursing years, they can deflate and shrink after—not always returning to the size they were before. Breast augmentation, making use of either implants or fat transfer, can bring them up to a desired size, as well as even out any asymmetries by making breasts the same size to correct a lopsided look.

To learn more about Sunset Cosmetic Surgery and the various procedures that go into a Mommy Makeover at the Los Angeles-based practice, call 310-858-9100 or visit sunsetcosmeticsurgery.com to send a message online.