Pregnancy and childbirth can be a beautiful experience, and they can also greatly affect a woman’s body. The effects of pregnancy can result in drooping breasts, loose skin, stretch marks, and pockets of leftover fat around your body. These issues have led many women to consider a mommy makeover: a surgical procedure designed to correct these issues. If you think the procedure is right for you, call and speak to a medical professional at Athena Plastic Surgery in Stuart, FL today.
Why Should You Consider a Mommy Makeover?
Motherhood often means putting the needs of others before yourself. It’s also a lot of work, and few moms get the credit they deserve. Of course, all that hard work and sacrifice becomes much more difficult when you don’t feel good about yourself.
If the effects of pregnancy have left your body in a state that makes you feel self-conscious and affects your self-esteem, you may want to consider undergoing a procedure designed to restore and rejuvenate your post-pregnancy body into one that you can feel good about. Below are some additional reasons to consider a mommy makeover.
You Want to Restore Your Youthful, Perky Breasts
During pregnancy, your breasts swell with milk to prepare you for breastfeeding. Unfortunately, this often leads to breasts that look flatter and more deflated than they were before you got pregnant. Skin stretches and grows, causing your breasts to sag, sometimes resulting in downward-pointing nipples.
Breast augmentation and/or breast lift surgery, as part of the makeover, can enhance the appearance of your breasts and restore a more youthful, perky look and contour. Your breasts can be reshaped, resized, and repositioned to meet your cosmetic goals.
Your Want Your Clothes to Fit Better
Maternity clothes are designed to be lightweight, loose-fitting, and accommodating to your pregnant body. However, going back to your old wardrobe can sometimes prove difficult after childbirth because the shape of your body has changed. Pregnancy often results in weight gain around your midsection and thighs, making it all but impossible to fit back into your clothes.
As part of the procedure, liposuction and a tummy tuck can restore your contours and greatly improve your shape, allowing you to once again wear your pre-pregnancy wardrobe with confidence.
You Desire Tighter Abs
Your abdomen stretches considerably during pregnancy. The muscles and connective tissue will stretch as the fetus grows, and so too will the skin around your belly. Once you give birth, the loose skin and loose tissue in your abdominal wall often leads to a distended belly with loose, sagging skin below your belly button.
No matter how hard you exercise or how many crunches you endure, it can be nearly impossible to achieve the definition of someone who hasn’t given birth. Your procedure will address these issues by removing excess skin and tightening the tissues in your abdominal wall, resulting in a flatter, more defined abdomen. After your surgery, your hard work in the gym will not go unnoticed.
You Want to Restore Your Confidence and Boost Your Self-Esteem
Motherhood is emotionally and physically demanding. You have so much more to do, less time in which to do it, and, more likely than not, you’ll be running on an inadequate amount of sleep. All of this can take its toll on you and leave you looking and feeling older, more tired, and ragged.
Your mental health matters. It matters to you, and it matters to your children. A mommy makeover can help you achieve your desired look and send your confidence and self-esteem skyrocketing.
When Is the Right Time for a Mommy Makeover?
Perhaps you’ve heard the old adage “timing is everything.” There’s a lot of truth to that statement, especially when it comes to cosmetic surgery. If you’d like to understand more about the right time to undergo the procedure, here are a few points to consider.
Are You Planning on Getting Pregnant Again?
If you’ve recently given birth and you’re open to having more children in the future, you may want to wait before you undergo the procedure. While it’s certainly safe to have children after having undergone a mommy makeover (provided that you’ve healed completely, of course), getting pregnant again will seriously compromise your results.
The procedure is designed to rejuvenate your body and reverse some of the cosmetic effects of pregnancy that have you feeling dissatisfied with your appearance. If you get pregnant again, you will probably experience the same effects that you did the last time, and it may require additional procedures to correct them. Therefore, it’s usually best to be sure you’re done having children before undergoing the procedure.
Do You Want to Lose Weight?
These procedures are not a weight loss solution. They are intended to remove excess skin and reshape what remains to give you a smooth, natural body contour and figure. Significant weight loss post-procedure will likely result in additional skin laxity as your body mass is reduced. It’s usually best to book your surgery when you’re within ten to fifteen pounds of your ideal body weight.
If you want to lose significant weight or are currently in the process of doing so, you can still book a consultation to discuss your cosmetic goals with your surgeon. If you need help reaching your target weight, your surgeon may be able to direct you to helpful resources or other medical professionals that specialize in weight loss.
Is Your Weight Stable?
Losing weight is only one part of the process. You will also want to make sure that your weight loss is stabilized. A lot of changes occur during pregnancy, and it may be harder to maintain your ideal weight while also raising one or more children.
That being the case, it’s a good idea to give yourself a few months after you’ve lost weight to monitor your body and make sure you won’t start putting it back on again. Remember, significant weight gain, whether due to pregnancy or other causes, can impact the longevity and quality of your results.
Are You Breastfeeding?
If you’re still breastfeeding, you may want to wait for about six months after you stop before undergoing cosmetic surgery. Waiting will ensure that your breasts have reached their final post-breastfeeding shape and size.
The best results come from a body that isn’t currently going through any hormonal or physical changes related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Your surgeon will want to work with your “normal” post-pregnancy body.
Do You Have Assistance?
There will be a period post-surgery during which you will be restricted to light activity only. The period typically lasts about two weeks, but it can vary depending on how quickly you heal and the number and types of procedures you include in your mommy makeover. If you have a tummy tuck, for example, you won’t be able to lift more than five or ten pounds for at least six weeks.
Finding someone to help you during this period can be critical, as you won’t be able to engage in your regular daily activities for some time, and will be significantly limited for a while after that. Friends and family can be excellent choices for someone to help you; just make sure that they’re reliable and won’t mind assisting you for the next few weeks while you recover.
Can You Handle Taking Time Off Work?
Undergoing a typical mommy makeover will require that you stay home from work for at least two to three weeks. If you have vacation time saved up, this would be the opportunity to use it. If you go back to work before you’re cleared to do so, you may compromise your results or even end up injuring yourself.
If missing work is a concern, using vacation days or scheduling your surgery for a major holiday when you would be off work anyway can help tremendously.
What Is the Best Time of Year to Undergo the Procedure?
The “best” time to have surgery will vary from patient-to-patient. If the considerations above have been taken into account and you feel that you’re physically and mentally ready to undergo the procedure, you may be wondering what the best time of year is to have the surgery.
There are many advantages to having your procedure done during the fall or winter months. The days are naturally shorter, colder, and darker and can make coping with downtime easier. Below are a few more reasons why fall or winter can be an excellent time to have your procedure done:
Easier to Keep Your Surgery Private
While there is certainly nothing wrong with having cosmetic procedures done, some patients prefer to keep their private life to themselves. People generally wear more clothing during this time of year, even in warmer climates like ours, and wearing less revealing clothes can help keep your surgery under wraps until, and if, you decide to discuss it with anyone.
School Is in Session
After undergoing surgery, you may need full-time help with childcare for at least the first few weeks of your recovery. If your children are school-aged, you won’t have to worry about finding someone to care for your children during the day. Additionally, friends or family who want to help and have school-aged children of their own can do so while their kids are at school.
In the beginning, you won’t be able to take your kids to and from school. Someone else will have to do that. However, most patients are cleared to drive after ten to fourteen days of their procedure.
No Missing Out on Summer Activities
This procedure is designed to restore your physique and help you feel more confident about yourself. If you have surgery in the spring or summer, you likely won’t be able to engage in many summer activities until the next year. Having your surgery in fall or winter gives you ample time to heal, allowing you to brandish your bikini body at the beach with confidence.
Built-In Time Off
The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are a common time for people to take extended vacations, often lasting for two weeks or more. It can be easier to get time off of work, if you need to, during this time period. Also, it can be easier to find help during this time as many others are off of work too.
Get Started With Your Makeover
A mommy makeover is designed to restore and rejuvenate your post-pregnancy body into one with more pleasing contours and physical characteristics. The best time to have your surgery is at least six months after you’ve last given birth and when you are not planning on getting pregnant again. If you have any questions or concerns about the procedure, call Athena Plastic Surgery in Stuart, FL to learn more.