Am I A Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?

During pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding the body undergoes incredible change. Some of these changes cannot be reversed with weight loss and exercise alone. A mommy makeover addresses postpartum bodily changes. It’s not one single procedure, but any combination of numerous plastic surgery procedures including:

• Breast lift
• Breast augmentation
• Tummy tuck
• Liposuction
• Vaginal rejuvenation
• Buttock augmentation
• Thigh lift

After childbirth, many women are eager to get their pre-pregnancy body back. Results turn out best for those who are good candidates. When considering candidacy there are three important factors patients and their surgeons should consider:

• Will the patient benefit from combined surgical procedures?
• Is the patient in good health and fully recovered from their last child birth?
• Is the timing right (to ensure long-term results)?

Mommy Makeover Benefits & Results

Pregnancy and childbirth can leave a woman with sagging, loose skin around the breasts, buttocks, belly and thighs. Breasts may be smaller than before the pregnancy while pockets of fat appear in new or unwanted areas. Diet and exercise can help you lose weight, but won’t resolve all these issues.

A mommy makeover addresses sagging skin, drooping breasts and stubborn fat deposits. It can also help correct diastasis recti and minimize C-section scars.

Because the mommy makeover combines several surgeries into one procedure, patients can save money and minimize overall recovery time. Many women prefer recovering from multiple procedures at once, which also allows them to enjoy their results at the same time.

Do I Need A Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is ideal for women who have experienced multiple unwanted bodily changes as a result of their pregnancy. Candidates for mommy makeovers generally seek to correct one or more of the following:

Elongated Breasts

Fluctuations in breast size and shape during pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave the upper pole of the breasts deflated with the nipples/areola pointing downwards. A breast lift addresses this elongation for more perky breasts. If you desire more volume, we may also consider an implant during the lift procedure to restore volume and shape to the upper pole of the breast.

Sagging Abdominal Wall Muscles 

Pregnancy often results in diastasis recti, or separation of the abdominal muscles. Tummy tuck surgery can correct for this while removing loose, excess skin in the belly area.

Pockets of Fat

During pregnancy, hormonal changes trigger fat storage in new and unwanted areas. Pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise can be permanently removed with liposuction.

Who is the Ideal Mommy Makeover Candidate?

The ideal candidate for a mommy makeover is a healthy, non-smoking woman who is done having children and has completely recovered from her last pregnancy. Your BMI is also important which is based off your height and weight. It is important to discuss this with your plastic surgeon to determine if you’re at a healthy weight to reduce the possibility of complications. To time the procedure for the best possible results, consider the following:

Are you done having children? 

Subsequent pregnancies will reverse the results of your mommy makeover. A reputable surgeon will strongly recommend not undergoing this significant procedure unless you are certain you are done having kids.

Are you fully healed from your last birth?

Even the healthiest mothers need time to recover from childbirth. If your body is still undergoing postpartum changes or you have recently stopped breastfeeding, it’s best to wait. For most women, this entails waiting 6-12 months after you’ve given birth or stopped breastfeeding.

Have you lost your pregnancy-related weight gain?

A mommy makeover is not a weight loss procedure. If you plan on losing more weight, it’s best to do so before surgery. Any weight you lose after surgery can negatively impact your results and may leave you with sagging skin again.

Have you been able to keep your weight consistent? 

After having lost your pregnancy-related weight, it’s best if you’ve been able to keep it off for at least 6 months to 1 year. Weight gain after surgery can be just as detrimental as weight loss. While procedures such as liposuction permanently remove fat cells, they do not prevent remaining fat cells from growing in size. The only way to ensure your mommy makeover results are long-lasting is to maintain the body weight you had at the time of surgery.

Will you be able to devote time to recovering? 

Moms are busy, and a mommy makeover involves multiple surgical procedures all at once. It’s important you’re able to rest and focus on your recovery for several weeks after the procedure. Ensuring you have the helpers you need in place will make your recovery much smoother, and can potentially enhance your results.

Dr. Cameron Erickson is a native Texan and board certified plastic surgeon practicing in the Southwest Parkway and Dripping Springs locations. Dr. Erickson specializes in aesthetic procedures including rhinoplasty, brow lifts, eyelid surgery, lip lifts, facelifts, breast augmentation and lifts, breast reduction, body contouring and liposuction, abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck), brachioplasty (Arm Lift), 360° liposuction with fat transfer to the buttocks, vaginal rejuvenation, and hormone replacement therapy. In addition, he has had additional training in non-surgical treatments including injectables (Botox/fillers), lasers, and skin resurfacing treatments.