Every mom knows the physical sacrifice they’ve made as part of being a mother. While no mother would ever trade their children for their youthful, pre-baby bodies, what if they can have both? This is the essence of a mommy makever, one of plastic surgery’s most satisfying procedures.
A mommy makeover is actually a grouping of procedures – usually liposuction, breast augmentation, and/or tummy tuck – chosen to match a patient’s unique concerns. If a woman feels her breasts have lost volume and/or been stretched, then a breast augmentation with implants and/or a lift may be a part of a mommy makeover. If the patient has excess fat in her midsection and thighs, or in small areas, like on the back where bra rolls occur, liposuction may be used to tighten up. Often the keystone procedure is an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, because this procedure is aimed not at removing fat, but stitching back together stretched abdominal muscles then removing associated loose skin.
It sounds like a lot, but mothers deserve a lot! One of the most commonly asked questions mothers entertaining a mommy makeover have is how they need to prepare. Do they need to be done with childbirth? Do they need to be healthy and exercising? Is anyone a candidate? Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. John Q. Cook of Chicago answers this question on the latest PSC FAQ.