What is a Mommy Makeover and Is It Worth It?

Admit it, you've probably felt less sexy and attractive following your journey through parenthood.

Such feeling may further lead you to ask yourself, "Will I ever feel good about how I look again?"

You've probably thought about plastic surgery, but you're conflicted.

And is it worth it?

Is it a selfish act?

In an article for The Huffington Post last year, Alexis Barad-Cutler writes:

"Childbirth and childrearing are filled with so much endless giving — of our patience, of all the love we can possibly contain and more, and of course, of our bodies — that a woman’s desire to tweak parts of her appearance shouldn’t be met with disdain."

By and large, motherhood is equal parts messy and wonderful. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your self-confidence and appearance to enjoy it.

If you're thinking about getting a mommy makeover, this article will help you weigh the options and get a better idea if a Mommy Makeover is right for you.

Does This Sound Like You?

Take, for instance, a woman who, after the birth of her second child, was left with a small but noticeable abdominal pouch. Or another who was left with overly stretched abdominal skin because of the excessive weight gain resulting from gestational diabetes. Despite their best efforts to get rid of these unwanted changes, both admitted to seeing no noticeable improvements.

Other women who have approached us at our San Francisco practice have the same concerns—stubborn pockets of fat, overly stretched skin, separated abdominal muscles, and deflated breasts after childbirth.

While it's worth it to be able to hold that little one, you may still dream about having that pre-baby body you once had.

Get Your Desired Body Shape Back With a Mommy Makeover

Sure, diet and exercise can help you lose weight and tone up, but some of the unwanted effects of pregnancy can only be remedied with a fully personalized combination of surgeries—the Mommy Makeover.

How is this accomplished? Are you a good candidate for this type of procedure? Is it worth it?

Read on to learn about the different procedures comprising a Mommy Makeover and what to expect.

The Mommy Makeover: What It Does and its Greatest Advantage

A Mommy Makeover is a combination of cosmetic procedures that will help address unwanted body changes after childbirth.

Depending on your goals and preferences, these procedures can be performed in stages.

Many women opt for a Mommy Makeover because of its one great advantage—you will only have one operation and hence one recovery, yet you will gain multiple benefits.

How Do I Know If a Mommy Makeover is For Me?

A Mommy Makeover works best if you want to address one or more of the following issues after childbirth and breastfeeding:

• -Sagging breasts,
• -Overly large breasts that are out of proportion,
• -A protruding abdomen that doesn't respond to abdominal toning exercises or diet restrictions,
• -Separated abdominal muscles,
• -Sagging abdominal skin, and/or
• -Localized trouble spots in the abdomen, hips, or thighs.

In addition to the aforementioned issues, any woman who is considering a Mommy Makeover should meet the following criteria:

• -You are done having children,
• -You have finished breastfeeding for at least 6 months, and
• -You have been at or near your ideal body weight for at least 6 months.

Mommy Makeover Procedures You Can Choose From

Besides the advantage of having multiple procedures with only one recovery period, you can also customize your Mommy Makeover to only include the procedures that will help address your actual concerns.

At our San Francisco plastic surgery practice, you have free reign in choosing from the following:

Tummy Tuck 

During pregnancy, the abdomen stretches considerably to accommodate the growing uterus inside. This causes the skin and abdominal muscles to stretch at a rapid rate, leaving a tiny pooch and sagging skin in the abdomen. Even with exercise, the weakened muscles and additional skin will remain.

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, tightens the underlying muscle and removes the excess skin giving you a flatter abdomen and slimmer waistline. After a tummy tuck, you can look forward to a more toned midsection.

Breast Enhancement

You can either opt for a breast lift or a breast augmentation.

A breast lift procedure is designed to lift and reposition your breasts to correct sagging, drooping, and deflation. Your doctor can tighten the supporting tissues and remove excess fat and skin.

If you've lost volume, or previously lacked the volume you desired, you may choose to add a breast augmentation via implants with a breast lift. Expect to have breasts with the shape and fullness that you want after surgery.

Breast Reduction

If you feel your breasts have remained uncomfortably large, you can have them reduced to your pre-pregnancy size via breast reduction.

Liposuction

Your body stores more fat during pregnancy and losing that stubborn baby fat is not always easy. This fat can be stored in places that are difficult to lose with exercise and diet modifications.

Liposuction targets unwanted fat in the abdomen, waist, thighs, and hips. After liposuction, expect a more toned appearance in the treated areas.

There are several different liposuction options available, like Smartlipo or tumescent liposuction. It is worth noting that liposuction will not address sagging abdominal skin (this is what a tummy tuck does).

CoolSculpting

This FDA-approved procedure makes use of controlled cooling technology to freeze unwanted fat cells and subsequently eliminate them for good. No incisions or downtime involved.

Labiaplasty

The external skin surrounding the vagina (the labia) may be overly stretched or enlarged after childbirth. As a result, this can cause irritation and hygiene issues.

As part of your Mommy Makeover, Dr. Fan can remove excess tissue from the labia to improve appearance, increase comfort during sexual intimacy, and eliminate issues with hygiene.

Is a Mommy Makeover Worth It?

With procedures that are designed specifically for you, plus the advantage of a single recovery with multiple procedures, a Mommy Makeover can definitely be worth it. In the end, though, you are the only person that can answer this question.

• Are you happy with your body the way it is?
• Do you feel confident in your own skin?
• Would you feel more confident and sexy if you got your pre-baby body back?

Whatever you decide, you don't have to feel self-conscious all the time about your body after giving birth. Talk to a trusted surgeon about the results you want and find out if a Mommy Makeover is the right choice for you.