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Pregnancy and childbirth can create changes in a mother’s body that are stubborn to treat with diet and exercise alone. In fact, the post-partum changes can include separation of the rectus abdominis muscles (diastasis or widening of the “six pack” muscles), loose skin, and stretch marks. Loose, sagging skin and breast volume changes are difficult to improve especially after multiple pregnancies.

These problems often can be addressed with surgical techniques such as abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”), mastopexy (“breast lift”), breast augmentation, and liposuction. The best candidates for these procedures are generally healthy women who have achieved their antepartum weight and completed breast feeding. The surgeons at Plastic Surgery of Westchester can help you decide on the best procedures and appropriate timing for your Mommy Makeover.

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?

Good candidates for a Mommy Makeover are women who have completed childbearing and are bothered by physical changes that remain after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or significant weight loss. Common concerns include loose abdominal skin, stretched abdominal muscles, breast volume loss, breast sagging, and stubborn fat deposits that do not improve with exercise and healthy eating. Candidates should be in good overall health, maintain a stable weight, and have realistic expectations regarding surgery and recovery. A consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon can help determine whether a Mommy Makeover is appropriate and which procedures should be included in the treatment plan.

Areas Most Commonly Affected by Pregnancy

Pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding can create significant physical changes throughout the body, particularly in the breasts and abdomen. While many women are able to return to their pre-pregnancy weight through diet and exercise, stretched skin, changes in breast volume, muscle separation, and altered body contours often remain. These changes are a normal part of pregnancy and can vary based on genetics, age, number of pregnancies, breastfeeding history, and overall skin elasticity. A Mommy Makeover is designed to address these concerns through a customized combination of procedures that restore body contours and improve overall proportions. Understanding how pregnancy affects the breasts and abdomen can help patients better understand the goals and benefits of Mommy Makeover surgery.

Breasts

The breasts undergo significant changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding as hormonal fluctuations stimulate growth of the breast tissue in preparation for nursing. During this time, the breasts often increase in size, causing the skin and supporting tissues to stretch. Following childbirth and breastfeeding, many women experience a decrease in breast volume as the breast tissue involutes, leaving the breasts with a deflated or less youthful appearance. In addition to volume loss, the skin may become lax and stretch marks may develop as a result of the expansion and contraction of the breast tissue. The nipple-areola complex can also descend below the natural breast crease, known as the inframammary fold, creating breast ptosis, or sagging. These changes may affect breast shape, symmetry, projection, and overall breast position. Depending on the patient’s goals, breast augmentation, breast lift surgery, breast reduction, or a combination of procedures can help restore volume, improve shape, elevate the breasts, and create more youthful contours.

Abdomen

Throughout pregnancy, the abdominal wall stretches significantly to accommodate the growing baby. While this process is entirely normal, it can result in permanent changes to the skin, muscles, and underlying tissues of the abdomen. Many women develop loose or excess abdominal skin, stretch marks, and areas of persistent fullness that remain even after returning to their pre-pregnancy weight. Pregnancy can also cause separation of the rectus abdominis muscles, commonly known as diastasis recti. This widening of the “six-pack” muscles can contribute to abdominal bulging, weakened core strength, and difficulty achieving a flat abdominal contour through exercise alone. In addition, some women may develop contour irregularities associated with prior Cesarean section incisions, including areas of tethering, fullness, or skin overhang. A tummy tuck can address many of these concerns by removing excess skin, tightening the abdominal muscles, improving abdominal contour, and restoring a firmer, flatter appearance to the midsection.

Waist, Flanks, and Body Contours

In addition to changes affecting the breasts and abdomen, pregnancy often alters overall body proportions and fat distribution. Many women notice stubborn fat deposits that develop around the waist, flanks, lower back, hips, and thighs. These areas may persist despite maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine and can make it difficult to achieve desired body contours. Liposuction is frequently incorporated into a Mommy Makeover to address these resistant fat deposits and improve overall body shape. By refining the waistline and contouring surrounding areas, liposuction can enhance the results of breast and abdominal procedures while helping restore more balanced, proportionate, and youthful body contours.

Mommy Makeover Videos

What to Expect

Pre-operative:

1. You should be done with breast feeding and of a stable weight (usually back to your pre-pregnancy weight or stable weight for about 3 months) prior to surgery.
2. Please give your surgeons a list of your medications and insight into any pre-existing medical conditions (don’t forget about a history of heart or lung problems, autoimmune diseases, wound healing problems, blood clots, or bleeding disorders).
3. Vitamins and anti-inflammatory medications (such as aspirin, Motrin, Advil, and Aleve, etc.) should be discontinued no less than 1 week prior to surgery.
4. Smoking is a relative contra-indication to a Mommy Makeover. We hope that you don’t smoke! Please refrain from any nicotine or tobacco use for no less than 4 weeks prior and 4 weeks after your surgery. Remember, any history of smoking can increase your risk for certain complications, such as wound healing problems and infection.

Post-operative:

1. Most patients find immediate satisfaction after a Mommy Makeover. As with any surgical procedure, however, there is a period of necessary healing and recovery. The time for healing varies among patients, but the average patient benefits from two weeks of dedicated recovery and another six weeks of refraining from strenuous activity or heavy lifting.
2. Drainage tubes are used most commonly during the healing process and are typically removed between one to two weeks after your surgery.
3. When you are better healed, your surgeon will discuss and demonstrate massage and scar care techniques to keep your results looking fabulous!
4. As always, please bring a list of your questions and concerns to your pre-operative visits. It is important to understand the expectation for recovery based on your individual plan.

Surgical Treatment of the Breasts

Mastopexy (Breast Lift)

A breast lift essentially repositions the nipple-areolar complex back to a more normal, youthful position. This is often accomplished by tightening the skin envelope of the breast as well as moving the breast tissue into a higher position with the nipple-areolar complex. It is important to note that even when little to no breast tissue is removed a woman may feel as though her breast is smaller. If additional volume is desired to augment her breast size or create more cleavage and fullness, an augmentation may be combined with the mastopexy (“Augmentation Mastopexy”).

Breast Augmentation / Augmentation Mastopexy

A breast implant adds volume to the breast and can create improved fullness and cleavage. The implants are either filled with saline (physiologic salt water solution) or silicone cohesive gel (a.k.a. “gummy bear” implants since the filling is similar to the consistency of gummy bears). Your surgeon will have you discuss your aesthetic goals and try on implant sizers to help you visualize your look during the consultation. During surgery, the implants are often placed under the pectoralis muscle, especially when combined with a breast lift. Scars can sometimes vary but can be visible on the breast in differing degrees. Your surgeon is highly skilled in all methods of augmentation and mastopexy, so he or she will discuss which surgical approach and scars you may expect.

Breast Augmentation FAQ’s

Planning a Mommy Makeover Around Family Life

One of the most common questions mothers ask is when the right time is to consider plastic surgery and how to safely plan recovery while caring for children. In general, patients should wait until they have completed childbearing and are finished breastfeeding before pursuing a Mommy Makeover. It is also important to be at or near a stable weight, as future pregnancies and significant weight fluctuations can affect long-term results. Taking time to fully recover from pregnancy and establish a sustainable routine can help ensure the best possible surgical outcome.

Because recovery requires temporary lifting and activity restrictions, planning ahead is an important part of the process. Patients with young children should arrange for help with childcare, household responsibilities, transportation, and other daily activities during the initial recovery period. Most surgeons recommend avoiding lifting children for several weeks following procedures such as tummy tuck surgery or breast surgery. During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss recovery timelines, safety considerations, and practical ways to coordinate surgery with family responsibilities so you can focus on healing while maintaining a smooth transition at home.

Surgical Treatment of the Abdomen

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

An abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that removes unwanted excess skin and fat from the anterior abdomen. The internal rectus muscle separation is tightened, the umbilicus is preserved, and the overall abdominal appearance is typically flatter and more shapely. The incision can often times be placed at or below an existing Cesarean section scar, thereby removing some of the stretch marks and unevenness of the post-partum abdomen. In some cases, only a “mini-abdominoplasty” (plication of the rectus muscles and removal of loose skin) is necessary. Your surgeon will discuss your aesthetic goals to help determine the best operation for your body!

Liposuction

Liposuction or “liposculpting” uses small cannulas to remove localized layers of fat and can be utilized in almost any area of the body. Liposuction of the hips and flanks is commonly combined with abdominoplasty. If your skin quality is excellent, liposuction alone can sometimes improve your shape without the need for additional scars associated with skin removal.

Abdomen FAQs

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Before & After

Facilities & Hospital Affiliations

Our surgeons have hospital privileges at Montefiore Medical Center, Jacobi Medical Center, Westchester Medical Center, Montefiore New Rochelle and New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital. They also perform procedures in their fully accredited operating room in Harrison, NY.

Our state of the art facility is professionally designed and decorated for your comfort. We are always interested to know if there is anything we can do to enhance your experience. We appreciate your suggestions and pledge to work as a team to make your time here a rewarding experience.

• Montefiore Medical Center
• Jacobi Medical Center
• Westchester Medical Center
• Montefiore New Rochelle
• New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital

Accreditation and Associations

We maintain an AAAASF accredited surgical suite, equipped like a hospital operating room with the privacy and ease of an office setting, offering full general anesthesia for more complex procedures as well as sedation and local anesthesia for other procedures. We enjoy a strong relationship with some of the finest hospitals in the area, offering overnight and extended post-operative stays if medically advisable. This is ideal for our out of town patients as well as those with little post-operative help or those desiring a more private recovery. We can also arrange your stay at a variety of hotels within minutes of our facility and arrange an overnight “sitter,” if desired as well as postoperative stays at our center.

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