The term Mommy Makeover has become a catch phrase for a bundle of body contouring procedures – typically performed at the same time – that help to restore and rejuvenate a woman’s figure post-childbirth. Pregnancy, particularly multiple pregnancies, can wreak havoc on a woman’s physique. Stretch marks, excess skin and fat in the breast and torso, and a bulging abdomen are the most common complaints. Dr. William P. Adams Jr. of Dallas, TX discusses the Mommy Makeover and how the right combination of procedures is going to entirely depend on your individual needs and desired result.
What is a Mommy Makeover?
“A Mommy Makeover is basically a cluster of procedures that are done for women who’ve had children, have finished having children, and want to get their bodies back to where they were before having kids,” explains Adams. The term itself can be a bit confusing. While about 95% of Mommy Makeovers involve the breast and abdomen, there are a lot of different ways that these areas can be addressed. It’s not, for example, just a breast lift and a tummy tuck. It could be a breast implant or a breast implant with a lift. It could include a mini tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck. It could or could not include liposuction; the options are endless.
Most combinations of procedures can be safely performed at the same time. In fact, this is one of the main benefits of the procedure. Once women who’ve sacrificed their bodies to pregnancy decide to claim them back, they don’t want to take any more time than necessary away from their children. The fact that there is only one recovery period is hugely appealing.
Mini-Tummy Tuck vs. Full Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is, “a procedure where we’re contouring the abdomen,” says Adams. When assessing a patient, Adams looks at the skin, the fat, and the muscle to determine which of these three components are stretched or abnormal. Most women who’ve had children are going to have excess skin and stretch marks. Patients with excess fat can see improvement with diet and exercise, but it will have little affect on excess that’s become lax due to pregnancy. A tummy tuck will remove the excess skin, re-contour the fat while tightening the muscles to reduce the abdominal bulge.
A mini-tummy tuck usually refers to a procedure in which the stomach muscles are only tightened from the belly button down and in general, is not effective for the vast majority of patients. Dr. Adams likes to, “perform what we call a modified mini abdominoplasty”. It involves a shorter incision which takes out less skin, but still tightens the full range of the abdominal muscles. Dr. Adams advises his Mommy Makeover patients to be at their ideal weight or at least within 5-10 pounds because when you lose weight, your skin becomes lax. So, if you lose weight after your surgery, the skin on your breasts and/or belly may begin to droop, adversely affecting your results.
The recovery period from a Mommy Makeover that involves the breast and the tummy is about 7-10 days with 6 weeks for a full recovery. His Mommy Makeover patients are not just, “happy, they’re ecstatic.” Adams finds the results are truly exceptional and most patients wish they’d done it sooner.