If you are a woman who is deciding to have a mommy makeover, you should consider scheduling a consultation with Dr. Craig in the Houston office. She is an experienced board certified cosmetic surgeon, previously a faculty member at MD Anderson Cancer Center where she focused on breast reconstruction. Dr. Craig obtained her plastic surgery training at Yale and has refined her aesthetic eye through her her fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center and private practice work over the past several years.
What is a Mommy Makeover?
The mommy makeover is a very popular body rejuvenation procedure that addresses concerns mothers have after they have finished having children and, if they choose to do so, breastfeeding. The changes that happen to a mother’s body during and after pregnancy vary, but for women who have experienced changes to their figures that make them feel unhappy and uncomfortable, the mommy makeover is a terrific way to restore both their figure and their confidence. A combination of surgical procedures occur during a mommy makeover and can include a breast lift, breast augmentation, and tummy tuck – usually during a single surgery. However, your treatment plan can integrate other surgical options to achieve your desired look and will be discussed in detail with Dr. Fusi and Dr. Craig to determine the best plan for your specific needs.
What Happens to a Woman’s Body after Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes many changes. Breasts become engorged with milk, and her abdomen swells to accommodate the growing baby. After giving birth and breastfeeding, a mother’s abdomen and breasts do not always regain the tautness that they had before pregnancy. The weight gain and pressure of carrying a child can expand the skin’s elasticity beyond its threshold, leaving some mothers with:
- Separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti)
- Excess loose skin on the abdomen and breasts
- Drooping breasts and areolas
To fully recover your pre-pregnancy body, Dr. Fusi and Dr. Craig may recommend combining procedures that meet your desired expectations during your consultation at their office in Houston or in Guilford, CT.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Breast size tends to decrease by one or two cup sizes after mothers stop breastfeeding their children. This sudden reduction often results in deflated, sagging breasts caused by the skin overstretching. A breast lift involves your surgeon making an incision around the areola and may require an anchor-shaped incision that is placed in the crease under the breasts. Depending on the extent of the droopiness the only way to correct this problem is a breast lift that:
- Removes excess skin and a small quantity of fat to reshape your breasts
- Repositions and lifts your breasts
- Shifts drooping nipples to a higher position
Depending on the extent of ptosis, or sagging, our doctors may suggest breast augmentation to restore fullness to the upper part of the breast or a breast reduction to achieve a size that is proportional to your body.
Breast Augmentation
Patients who have lost fullness and volume in their breasts due to pregnancy and breastfeeding may need more than a breast lift. By adding breast implants to your mommy makeover, breasts can be restored to how they looked before you had children (or even better). Reversing the cosmetic after-affects of pregnancy and breastfeeding using breast implants allows patients to have breasts that are youthful-looking, plump, and firm again. There are also women who choose to have implants added to their mommy makeover because they were unhappy with how their breasts looked prior to becoming pregnant. If, before you became pregnant, your breasts were asymmetrical or you have tuberous breasts, you may also be considering combining breast augmentation into your surgery. If you’re a mother who had breasts that you felt were too small before you gave birth to your children, adding implants to your surgery can be a fantastic way to balance out your silhouette. Women thinking about including breast implants into their mommy makeover procedure have several crucial decisions to make, including:
- What shape implant to choose
- What size is best for you
- Where your incision site will be located
- Whether to chose silicone or saline-filled implants
- Choosing between smooth or textured breast implants
- Whether to place your implants under or over the pectoral muscle
Thoroughly consulting with Dr. Fusi or Dr. Craig will ensure you achieve long-lasting results that are beautiful and compliment your body type.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
While pregnant, your abdomen swells to accommodate the growing baby and is altered in several ways. Through pregnancy the belly slowly swells and stretches leaving new mothers with excess, sagging skin that is impossible to tighten without surgery and may also be covered with stretch marks. While weight loss after pregnancy is possible and recommended, the excess remaining skin cannot return to normal with diet and exercise alone. Another common but unpleasant result of pregnancy is a bulge in the middle of your abdomen that happens when the abdominal muscles separate to accommodate your growing uterus. Not only is this condition cosmetically unattractive but it can weaken your abdominal muscles and may cause pain in your lower back. A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a surgical solution to these problems that:
- Removes excess skin and some fat to provide contour
- Repairs weakened abdominal muscles that may have separated during pregnancy and birth
- Restores the shape of your navel
If you had a flat, toned abdomen before pregnancy but now have a protruding “pooch,” it can be corrected with a tummy tuck.
When Should Patients Get a Mommy Makeover
A mommy makeover is a one-time procedure that should only be considered after you have given birth to your last child. If you intend on becoming pregnant after a mommy makeover, you will likely experience similar problems with excess skin on your abdomen and breasts. Women who do not intend to carry more children should wait approximately six months after the birth of their last child to consider the procedure. Waiting will allow your body to recover fully from giving birth and allow you time to attain your ideal weight before the procedure.
What To Do During Your Recovery Period
To maintain the results of your mommy makeover there are some simple, but vital things you must do. It is critical that you follow your surgeon’s instructions while you’re recovering as complications that occur during your recovery period, could negatively affect the outcome of your surgery. Our doctors will advise you to:
- Take your pain medication as prescribed
- Abstain from alcohol
- Not smoke cigarettes
- Avoid heavy lifting, including your children
- Make sure your drain incisions are kept clean
- Slowly walk around your house a few times a day to reduce the risk of blood clots
- Ensure you go to all of your post-op appointments
Although your post-operative instructions may vary slightly from the list above, it is imperative that you take care of yourself during the days and weeks following your mommy makeover. Plan in advance to have someone at your home to care for your children and to do the day to day chores in the home such as cooking and cleaning.
How Patients Maintain Results
After you undergo surgery and have healed, you should exercise regularly to keep your body in shape and to make sure you do not gain necessary weight. Patients usually have no problem taking care of themselves after the surgery because they are so proud of the way they look and are motivated to stay active and healthy. Your mommy makeover results will restore both your breasts and abdomen to the way they were before pregnancy, and unless you have a significant weight fluctuation or have another child, your results will remain the same for years to come.
Give yourself a fantastic gift – beautifully contoured curves along with a huge boost to your self-esteem because you deserve it! For more information about how a mommy makeover can improve your appearance, contact Dr. Fusi and Dr. Craig at (713) 346-9909.