Mommy Makeover – Get back in shape after pregnancy

Children are truly one of the greatest joys in life. However, when you have a baby, they gain weight and changes occur in their body that can be very distressing and often impossible to correct with diet and exercise alone. While managing weight gain and exercising can improve your body after having children, some body changes don’t recover no matter how hard you try. Fortunately, a modern plastic surgery procedure called Mommy Makeover can help you get back in shape after pregnancy and regain your original body. Mommy Makeover is designed to restore the shape of your breasts and tummy after the changes that have occurred during and after having a baby.

How your body changes after having children.

There are a number of normal physiological changes that occur in your body when you have a baby. However, the most frustrating changes for many mothers occur in the breasts and abdomen or tummy. After the cessation of breastfeeding, the mammary gland (mammary gland) atrophies and becomes smaller and sinks into the chest wall. Also, the skin on the abdomen becomes loose and sags down and stretch marks can develop. Also, in many people there is excess fat under the skin of the abdomen and flank area. These changes can persist even after weight loss and conditioning through diet, exercise, and exercise.

Breast ptosis is the formal word for Saggy Breasts when the Aereola of the Nipple is below the Inframammary Fold, the fold below your breast. When the areola of the nipple is above the inframammary crease but the mammary gland sinks below the crease, the condition is called glandular ptosis.

Abdominal laxity is the term used to describe the sagging of the lower abdomen or tummy. In some people, the two abdominal muscles that make up the “six pack” divide or separate, a condition called diastasis recti, which is a separation of the two muscles called the rectus abdominis.

Stretch marksthin-skinned, red or pink areas on the abdomen, are formally called Abdominal stretch marks.

Muffin Top or excess fat on the flanks it is the fullness and sides above the hips, which can stick out from a belt or tight pants. Flank fat is often very difficult to lose after having a baby.

What causes changes in the breasts, abdomen and body after having a baby?

· Loss of breast atrophyDuring pregnancy, a part of your brain called the pituitary gland secretes hormones that stimulate your mammary gland to enlarge and start making milk. After the cessation of breastfeeding, hormonal stimulation stops and the mammary gland regresses or atrophies and becomes smaller. Loss of fullness in the breasts is called postpartum breast atrophy.

· Breast ptosis-The skin around the mammary gland is stretched by enlargement during pregnancy. However, the skin does not tighten in many people after postpartum breast atrophy has occurred. With less breast tissue inside an enlarged skin envelope, the gland sags, not unlike blowing air out of a balloon.

· Abdominal laxity-The abdominal skin is stretched to make room for the baby. After childbirth, the skin contracts and tightens, but often does not return to the original shape of the abdomen. When a proper contraction has not occurred, the remaining loose skin sinks into the lower abdomen.

· Excess fat on the flanks– Fat around the waist or side is one of the most difficult to lose after pregnancy. This area called the “muffin top” is very frustrating when you want to wear clothes that reveal your midriff or waist.

· Stretch marks-Stretch marks or stretch marks are caused by the breakdown or breakdown of collagen in the deep skin that is caused by stretching of the abdominal skin during pregnancy. This damage to the deep layer of the skin called the Dermis causes redness and thinning of the skin in the area.

What is a Mommy Makeover?

The term Mommy Makeover can be applied to a variety of different plastic surgery procedures designed to regain your shape after pregnancy. However, most commonly Mommy Makeover refers to procedures performed to restore the breast and tummy to its pre-pregnancy appearance. Typically, a breast lift or breast augmentation with implants and some form of tummy tuck is performed.

· Breast Lift-Dermal Mastopexy-This procedure is designed to correct sagging. There are many different varieties, including Anchor, Lollipop, Periareolar, Crescent, Circumareolar, Donut, and Benelli Lifts. Check out my Blog from January 2013 for a full discussion of the different types.

· Breast augmentation with implants-Breast implants can be used to restore lost fullness and cleavage after postpartum breast atrophy. For a detailed discussion on breast augmentation, visit my website.

· Tummy tuck– Tummy Tuck can restore the abdomen to a nice flat shape. The full tummy tuck requires moving the “belly button”, while a mini tummy tuck or bikini tuck only requires a removal of the skin below the belly button and a hidden scar under underwear or bikini.

· Liposuction– When necessary, liposuction can be performed as part of a Mommy Makeover to remove the “muffin top” or excess fat on the navel in patients who are candidates for a Mini Tummy Tuck.

· Stretch marks laser treatment-Recently a new laser treatment for stretch marks has been developed that really helps. It involves the use of a specific laser called a non-ablative 1540 fractional erbium laser. Stretch marks get smaller and white, but they don’t go away completely. Check my website for more details.

What is the recovery time after Mommy’s makeover?

· One week-During the first week after Mommy Makeover you will feel sore. Tightening your abdomen can cause discomfort if you straighten your posture, so you’ll walk hunched over for a few days. You may have drains that are usually removed on day one or two, after which you can shower. We encourage you to walk to avoid the formation of blood clots in the legs.

· Week two– You will feel much better the second week and can usually return to work that does not require lifting by the end of the second week.

· Week three– Within three weeks, most patients return to work and many can begin exercising again. If you have had a diastasis rectum repair, you cannot do sit-ups until six weeks and only if your doctor says it is okay.

· Week six– By six weeks you should be enjoying your new body and your surgery should become a distant memory.

· Three months- After three months, the almost definitive results of liposuction should be seen.

· Six months- At six months, the incisions should be mature and white.

Who should do your mommy makeover?

In my opinion, only a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery should perform this complex procedure. Experience is very important, especially when multiple procedures are performed in the same operation.

Seek the opinion of friends who you know have undergone the procedure. Look on websites like Realself and Loveyourlook for opinions about the doctors you plan to see. Ask your doctor specifically how comfortable you are doing this type of surgery and multiple procedures. Ask to see photos of their results and, if possible, to speak with patients who have undergone the procedure.

With an experienced board certified plastic surgeon with whom you feel comfortable, the Mommy Makeover can be a very satisfying procedure and help you regain your shape after pregnancy.