If you are like many women, you may have never given much thought to cosmetic surgery until having a child. Although you undoubtedly expected your body to go through many changes during pregnancy, you may find yourself having a more difficult time accepting how different your stomach and breasts look after welcoming your child.
When contemplating mommy makeover, board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Robert Graper and Dr. Garrett Harper suggest that you ask yourself the following questions:
Which Procedures Are You Interested In?
Mommy makeovers are unique to each patient. Your surgeon will customize a surgical plan that meets your personal aesthetic goals. Usually, women choose some combination of liposuction, tummy tuck, breast augmentation and breast lift, though the procedure list can include any surgery that will help to boost your confidence.
Have You Given Yourself Time to Lose Your Pregnancy Weight?
Mommy makeover does not include weight loss surgery. Liposuction is intended to address unwanted pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Tummy tuck is intended to address areas of loose skin in the abdominal area. To get the most out of these contouring surgeries, you should try to lose most of your baby weight by natural means first. Then, liposuction and/or tummy tuck can help with the stubborn fat cells that may cling to your midsection after pregnancy.
Do You Want to Have More Kids?
Mommy makeover does a terrific job of restoring your body to its pre-pregnancy appearance. However, if you end up having another child, your stomach and breasts will go through many of the same changes again. You may not find the expense and recovery time associated with mommy makeover to be worthwhile if the results are undone a couple of years later.
To be clear, mommy makeover does not make it more difficult or unsafe for you to have children in the future. Nevertheless, it probably makes sense to hold off on your cosmetic transformation until you have decided you do not intend to get pregnant again.
Are You Done Breastfeeding?
Breasts naturally enlarge during pregnancy and nursing, but they can sometimes “deflate” to an even smaller size than they started as by the time you wean your baby. Your breasts are also likely to sag lower when all is said and done. Especially if you are considering incorporating a breast procedure into your mommy makeover, you will probably want to wait until your breasts have stabilized after weaning your baby to schedule a consultation. Once your breasts are done changing, you and your doctor can do a more accurate assessment to decide whether surgery is appropriate.
Schedule a Consultation
Ultimately, you will probably have some of your own questions to ask a plastic surgeon. The Graper Harper Cosmetic Surgery team would be happy to have a conversation with you about transforming your post-pregnancy body. To schedule a mommy makeover consultation, please call (704) 375-7111.