Pregnancy can affect the body in many ways. Women expect to gain weight in the stomach, breasts, and other areas as the body expands to make room for and nourish the baby. It can be difficult to lose the baby weight, and improve the loose skin at the breasts and stomach after pregnancy and breastfeeding. To restore the body to, or even improve upon, its former appearance, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon John Griffin can develop a mommy makeover treatment plan.
Mommy Makeover Candidates
Ideal candidates for a mommy makeover treatment plan include women who are done having children, have finished breastfeeding, and have the following issues that they would like to correct:
- Excess fat on the stomach
- Excess skin on the stomach
- Deflated breasts
- Sagging breasts
Before mommy makeover patients have fat removal or skin tightening surgery performed on the stomach or other areas of the body, they should have reached their weight loss goals.
Mommy Makeover Techniques
The mommy makeover technique that is performed will depend on the patient’s goals. The following procedures may be performed on their own, or combined, as part of a comprehensive mommy makeover treatment plan.
- Tummy tuck: Tummy tuck surgery is performed to remove the excess, wrinkled skin that remains on the stomach, even after patients have returned to their pre-baby weight. It also allows Dr. Griffin to tighten abdominal muscles that have become stretched or weakened due to pregnancy. The end result is a flatter stomach and smoother skin appearance.
- Liposuction: Liposuction may be seen as an easy way to lose excess weight after pregnancy. However, patients should adopt a healthy diet and exercise regime, and work to lose the weight, before undergoing liposuction. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help to ensure that weight is not re-gained after liposuction. However, if pockets of fat remain in one or two problem areas, liposuction can be performed to remove these stubborn fat deposits.
- Breast augmentation: While most patients have difficulty losing the excess fat that has accumulated in the stomach, they may also experience a loss of volume in the breasts. Some patients actually experience deflation of the breasts after they stop breastfeeding. In these cases, breast augmentation with implants or fat transfer can be performed to increase the size and volume of the breasts.
- Breast lift: For many women, the breast skin envelope becomes lax and the nipples drift down toward the inframammary crease after pregnancy and breastfeeding. The breast lift procedure can be performed to position the nipples in a more youthful location and tighten the skin envelope.
Mommy Makeover Recovery
No matter which plastic surgery procedure patients undergo after a mommy makeover, the initial recovery period lasts for one to two weeks, and the full recovery period lasts for about six weeks. This means that side effects have subsided within one to two weeks, and patients can return to most activities at this time. However, patients should continue to wear a compression garment and avoid strenuous activities for two to six weeks after surgery.
Mommy Makeover Side Effects
After a mommy makeover, patients can expect the following side effects to occur at or around the incision site:
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Discomfort
- Itching
- Numbness
Mommy Makeover Risks
There may be additional risks associated with the specific procedure that the patient undergoes, but in general the possible risks of surgery include:
- Poor reaction to anesthesia
- Infection
- Seroma
- Hematoma
- Poor wound healing
- Excessive bleeding
- Permanent nerve damage
- Unfavorable scarring
- Asymmetry
- Under or over correction
Mommy Makeover Results
The full results of mommy makeover procedures can usually be seen six weeks after surgery, when the majority of swelling and other side effects have faded. Results can last for a decade or more, so long as the patient maintains a healthy lifestyle.
Mommy Makeover Consultations
To schedule a mommy makeover consultation, contact the practice of Dr. John R. Griffin.
