Mommy Makeover
Many women find that pregnancy and childbirth take a significant toll on their bodies. In fact, a phrase we often hear from many of our New Jersey female patients is, “I want my body back!”
At South Shore Plastic Surgery, we offer the mommy makeover, a customized set of procedures designed to reverse the adverse effects of childbearing. New Jersey Plastic Surgeon Dr. Vasisht is sensitive to the fact that your confidence in how you look on the outside can deeply affect how you feel on the inside, so he makes sure that he takes the time to understand the specific aesthetic desires and goals of the women who come in for a consultation. He believes in finding the balance between art and science, and so not only does he utilize his extensive experience and training in plastic surgery, he approaches every case from an artist’s perspective, ensuring that your entire experience is not only comfortable and pleasant, but leaves you looking and feeling like the amazing woman that you are.
What is a Mommy Makeover?
A woman’s body undergoes many changes during pregnancy and childbirth. Hormonal changes increase breast size, weight gain can cause new fat deposits to appear, and the abdominal muscles may weaken or separate to accommodate a growing baby. Although these changes are natural, they are often permanent and can have a negative impact on your self-esteem. Yet despite a healthy diet and regular exercise, most women need a little extra help to reclaim their pre-baby body shape and contours.
“Mommy makeover” is a generalized term that describes a combination of popular plastic surgery procedures women often undergo after they’re finished having children. These procedures are tailored to your unique needs and address common concerns such as deflated or sagging breasts, loose skin and unwanted fat. Since each woman’s body responds to pregnancy differently, a mommy makeover isn’t a standardized operation. Instead, you’ll work closely with Dr. Vasisht to review your goals and develop a customized surgical plan for achieving your desired results.
The mommy makeover combination that is most frequently requested consists of an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), liposuction and breast augmentation done with or without a lift.
Mommy Makeover Candidates
As a personalized combination of procedures, mommy makeovers are ideal for most women who want to restore their pre-pregnancy bodies. At your initial consultation with Dr. Vasisht, he will examine you and talk with you about your specific concerns and body goals. He will then work with you to craft a customized treatment plan for achieving your desired results, whether you want to sculpt a slimmer waistline, eliminate loose skin or enhance your breasts. His goal is to help you restore a more youthful appearance, renewing your confidence and sense of self that often gets lost in the shuffle of everyday life. If you’re considering a mommy makeover, the ideal candidates for this procedure are women who:
- – Are healthy enough for surgery
- – Don’t plan on having any more children
- – Have completely recovered from childbirth
- – Are finished breastfeeding
- – Are within about 10-15 pounds of their goal weight
- – Have sufficient time to recover
Timing is an important consideration when planning your mommy makeover. This procedure won’t affect your ability to have children, but future pregnancies can compromise or undo your results, causing many of the same concerns you’re now looking to address to reappear. If you’ve recently given birth, it’s also important to make sure your body has fully recovered before proceeding with surgery. During your consultation, Dr. Vasisht can help you decide if the timing is right to have a mommy makeover.
Top Procedure Choices
Again, while nearly any procedures can be combined to create a mommy makeover tailored to your specific needs, the most common choices are listed below:
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is a procedure that is consistently in the top five most popular plastic surgeries. Not only does it remove the loose skin and excess fat left behind after pregnancy and weight loss, but it can also eliminate stretch marks in the process. Furthermore, when you undergo an abdominoplasty, Dr. Vasisht can also repair your stomach muscles that were damaged by pregnancy. Known as diastasis recti, this condition occurs when the muscles of your abdominal wall weaken and separate down the middle. This results in lower back pain and loss of core strength, as well as a noticeable stomach “pooch” that not only won’t respond to exercise, but can actually be made worse with certain types of activity. Diastasis recti occurs in nearly one-third of pregnant women, but is easily fixed during a tummy tuck.
Body Lift
A body lift is a surgical procedure used to reshape sagging body contours by eliminating loose skin and unwanted fat deposits. The skin can lose some elasticity and begin to droop as a result of aging, pregnancy or weight loss, but a body lift can address these concerns and sculpt slimmer and more youthful contours in the lower torso or legs. Areas that are commonly treated during a body lift include the abdomen, thighs, waist, hips and buttocks. When included as part of a mommy makeover, this procedure is often combined with liposuction to create the most flattering result possible.
Breast Augmentation
While it is nearly impossible to keep the breasts from changing over time, the most dramatic transformation often occurs after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Hormonal fluctuations and stretched tissues can have an adverse impact on the shape and size of your breasts, leaving them drooping and looking like deflated balloons. Luckily, this is not something that you just have to live with – a breast augmentation done with or without a lift can effectively restore a perkier, more youthful contour to your chest as part of your mommy makeover.
Breast augmentation will not only give you back the volume you may have lost, but also give your breasts a more shapely look. You will be able to choose the material (saline or silicone), as well as the size and shape of the implants. Dr. Vasisht will answer any questions you may have and help you decide what type of implant will offer the results you desire.
Breast Lift
During pregnancy or breastfeeding, hormonal changes cause the breasts to swell and grow larger. While they typically return to their normal size afterward, the growth can leave you with stretched skin, sagging and volume loss. If your breasts are sagging or you have excess skin that creates an unflattering appearance, you may choose to include a breast lift as part of your mommy makeover, with or without augmentation.
A breast lift is designed to give your breasts a perkier, more youthful appearance by removing excess skin and tightening the remaining tissues. This procedure can also help to improve breast symmetry and realign or reshape the nipples and areola for a pleasing, balanced appearance. With a breast lift, you can restore the supple, perky profile you once had before having children.
Breast Reduction
During pregnancy, some women notice a dramatic increase in breast size. While the breasts typically return to normal after giving birth, this isn’t always the case. When the breasts remain too large after pregnancy or breastfeeding, the extra weight can lead to discomfort, chafing, back pain and other issues. Breast reduction can provide relief from these concerns by removing excess tissue to make the breasts smaller, lighter and less cumbersome. When included in a mommy makeover, this procedure can also be performed alongside a breast lift to ensure natural-looking contours and a more youthful appearance.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a minimally invasive surgery that is performed to remove pockets of excess fat that refuse to respond to a healthy diet or exercise. If you have stubborn fat in certain areas, it may simply be a result of your natural physiology and genetics – some people tend to hold on to excess fat on specific parts of their body.
Dr. Vasisht uses the term ‘liposculpting’ to more accurately describe what is being performed. He knows that it is often not enough to simply remove the excess fat, but that it is more important to use the tools and techniques of liposuction to sculpt the body to a desired goal. With this in mind, Dr. Vasisht approaches each case with the mindset of a sculptor.
Liposculpting can be used to slim and sculpt nearly any part of your body that could use a bit of contouring. Using tools like Vaser 4-D HiDef is an amazing way to achieve your ideal outcome. Most patients focus on the hips and flanks, though it is entirely up to you to decide which areas to treat. Dr. Vasisht will help you visualize your goals.
Though liposuction has been in use for a long time, advances in technique such as liposculpting and new devices can offer you more refined results. The original method employs small incisions in the areas targeted for treatment, where a thin, narrow cannula is inserted. The cannula is then moved around the treatment area, dislodging fat and suctioning it out of your body. Dr. Vasisht has improved upon this technique with laser-assisted liposuction (SmartLipo), which allows fat to be removed with more ease. He also offers Lipo 360, a great option for mommy makeovers that targets multiple regions of the abdomen for comprehensive results. As an expert in the art of body sculpting and contouring, Dr. Vasisht can help you select the approach that’s best for you. When it comes to liposuction, you’re in excellent hands at South Shore Plastic Surgery.
Arm Lift
After pregnancy or significant weight loss, some women have excess skin and tissue that causes the arms to sag, creating what is often referred to as “bat wings.” This problem typically doesn’t respond to diet or exercise, but an arm lift can eliminate drooping skin to reshape the area and sculpt a leaner, more toned appearance. This can give you a wider range of clothing options and help you feel confident in short sleeves again.
Thigh Lift
A thigh lift can improve your body contours by removing excess skin, fat and tissue in the legs. Sagging thighs after pregnancy or substantial weight loss can negatively affect your appearance and lead to chafing or irritation, but these concerns are difficult to address with diet and exercise alone. A thigh lift provides a surgical solution to achieving a fit, toned lower body and firmer, more youthful-looking skin. This procedure may also reduce the visibility of cellulite or stretch marks that develop after pregnancy.
Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)
A Brazilian butt lift can be used to improve the appearance of flat, sagging or droopy buttocks that some women experience after pregnancy, aging or weight loss. This procedure uses your own body fat to enhance your curves and increase the size, shape or roundness of your behind. It can also reduce cellulite in the area. When included as part of a mommy makeover, a Brazilian butt lift can sculpt fuller, more proportionate contours that flatter your natural body shape.
Other Procedures
Mommy makeovers often include some combination of the procedures listed above, but there are other options available that can be included in your treatment plan to help you achieve your desired results. For example, Kybella can help eliminate a double chin, while nonsurgical treatments like Botox, dermal fillers, skin tightening or CoolSculpting can address age-related concerns or put the finishing touches on your physique. During your consultation, Dr. Vasisht will listen carefully to your needs and goals to recommend which procedures to include as part of your mommy makeover package.
What to Expect During Your Mommy Makeover
Each woman’s mommy makeover is a unique experience. Your surgical plan is designed to meet your specific goals, so the exact details will depend on which procedures are being performed. Dr. Vasisht will review your personalized mommy makeover during the consultation process, so you’ll feel prepared when you arrive for your scheduled appointment.
Typically, mommy makeovers are performed on an outpatient basis using general anesthesia. You can expect to spend several hours in surgery, but the exact timeline may vary. Since a mommy makeover combines multiple surgeries into a single procedure, you’ll have the benefit of just one operation and one recovery period.
Following your procedure, you should be able to return home the same day, but an overnight stay might be recommended. The effects of anesthesia can linger for hours after it’s administered, so it’s important to arrange for transportation with a trusted friend or family member.
Mommy Makeover Results & Recovery
One of the most significant advantages of a mommy makeover is that by combining your procedures, you are reducing the time needed for recovery. A mommy makeover is an outpatient surgery typically performed using general anesthesia. Depending on what you get done and the extent of your surgery, Dr. Vasisht may recommend that you stay overnight in the hospital. Once you return home, it is essential that you rest and limit your activity for the first two to three weeks. You can usually resume your normal activities (nothing strenuous) soon after and get back to a more intense exercise regimen in about six weeks.
However, everyone heals at a different rate. To ensure things go smoothly, Dr. Vasisht will provide you with a post-surgical recovery plan so that you’ll know what to expect, as well as schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress.
During recovery, you will wear fitted compression garments to support your abdomen, breasts and areas where you received liposuction as they heal. Once the swelling has subsided, you’ll begin to see the results of your mommy makeover. Your abdomen will be flatter and smoother, your breasts will settle into a more uplifted and youthful position, and you will see a slender contour where liposuction was performed. The results of your mommy makeover are considered permanent as long as you maintain a stable, healthy weight, though keep in mind there may be minor changes as your body continues to age naturally.
Contact South Shore Plastic Surgery
A woman’s body is extraordinary, and when you feel uncomfortable in your skin, it affects your confidence and self-esteem. Let Dr. Vasisht help you look as good on the outside as you feel on the inside. Call South Shore Plastic Surgery today at 856-784-2639 to schedule a consultation and discover if a mommy makeover is right for you.
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